The Feral Housewife's Guide to

Living Authentically, Creatively, & Intentionally

Issue #88 || October 3rd, 2025 || Previous issues​

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Hey Reader,

This newsletter is late. Which feels weirdly appropriate given what I'm about to tell you.

This past Tuesday, I felt myself "losing" it. I needed a break. I headed to a peaceful mountain and beautiful wildflower prairie to "rest." Perfect for relaxation. Except instead of actually relaxing, I performed relaxation.

I brought a book to read. I jotted down notes in my journal. I took 'perfect' pics to share with a few friends. I did deep breathing exercises and stretching to intentionally relax.

I did everything I could to make sure the experience "counted" for something.

Do you see where this is going???

Does even my rest have to be productive?! 🤯

Someone pointed this out to me, and I was shook.

Here's the thing I'm learning the hard way: I don't actually know how to rest.

And I'm willing to bet some of you don't either.

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When your body becomes the emergency brake

I did an intensive journaling workshop this week over Zoom, and something came up that I've been ignoring for years: my body has been begging for rest. Demanding it, actually. But I've been too busy optimizing, producing, and performing to listen.

You know what my body does to try to slow me down or stop me?

It gives me headaches. Constant, nagging headaches that force me to stop because otherwise I don't. My body literally has to sabotage me to get my attention.

And here's the wild part: the day I actually let myself rest - like really rest, not perform rest - the headache went away. Just... lifted.

What about you?

How does your body "talk" to you?

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What 'real rest' actually looks like

-Real rest isn't scrolling your phone, watching tv, or reading a book.

-It's not "relaxing" while simultaneously planning your next ten tasks.

-It's not going somewhere beautiful and turning it into forced productivity.

Real rest is letting your mind just be.

No agenda. No productivity. No performance.

It feels almost sinful, doesn't it?

Doing nothing and not feeling guilty about it?

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Wait, but I'm sleeping 8 hours!

Yeah, me too. And I'm still exhausted.

Here's the epiphany: sleep is rest, but it's only one type of rest.

Your body needs different kinds:

Physical rest: Sleep, naps, lying down. The basic stuff.

Mental rest: This is the one I keep missing out on - Let your mind stop 🛑 processing, planning, and problem-solving. Just let it be quiet. Or let it daydream without judgement. Neutrally observe your thoughts as if they were flowing by you on a river.

Sensory rest: Reduce stimulation. Less screen time, less noise, less visual chaos.

Emotional rest: No more managing other people's feelings or performing emotional labor. Just be and let be.

Social rest: Schedule time away from people, even those you love.

You can sleep eight hours and still wake up exhausted if your mind never stops running.

That's me. My brain sprinting 24/7, and sleep alone can't fix it.

The headaches? That's my body begging for mental rest. And if begging doesn't work, it demands it.

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The warning signs you might be missing

Your body is probably talking to you right now.

Are you listening?

Maybe it's headaches like mine. Maybe it's that exhaustion or overwhelm that sleep doesn't fix. Maybe it's getting sick more often. Maybe it's that constant low-grade anxiety that never quite goes away.

These aren't character flaws. They're not signs you need to push harder or be more disciplined.

They're your body waving 🚩red flags🚩, saying "Hey! HEY! We need to stop!"

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Permission granted

So here's what I'm learning to do, and here's your permission slip to do it too:

Stop performing your relaxation.

That nature walk doesn't need to become an Instagram post. That reading time doesn't need to "count" as self-improvement. When was the last time you read a book just for fun? To stir the childlike imagination in you?

That nap isn't lazy - it's your body doing exactly what it needs 🥱.

Rest doesn't have to be productive. In fact, if it's productive, it's probably not rest.

Let your mind wander. Let your body be still. Let the headache go away.

Today I have to deep clean my house because we have company tomorrow. Old me would have attacked it like a housewife productivity monster. New me? I'm doing it slowly, intentionally, and I'm going to let myself actually relax while doing it.

Wild concept, I know.

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What about you?

When's the last time you actually rested?

Not performed rest, not optimized rest, but just... rested? (Your body knows the answer even if you don't.)

When's the last time you actually filled your cup with what energizes and refreshes you?

How did that feel?

Drop me a line, I'd love to hear all about it.

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With Love, Creativity, & Intention (& unproductive stillness),

Anna

P.S. This newsletter is late because I'm practicing what I'm preaching. And you know what? The world didn't end. Know anyone that needs to rest? Give them a gentle nudge and forward them this message.

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​www.aferalhousewife.com​

​https://linktr.ee/aferalhousewife​

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I'm a recovering perfectionist and sassy housewife, helping overwhelmed women create a rich and fulfilling inner life by ditching guilt, perfectionism, and the “do it all” myth through therapeutic writing and creative self-expression. ​ I'm here to inspire you to intentionally grow in all areas of life, especially emotionally, because what you think and how you feel influences everything. ​ If you're enjoying this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or send this subscribe link: The Feral Housewife's Guide to Living Authentically, Creatively & Intentionally​ ​ Write. Feel. Heal. ​ Anna Celotto Writer & Inner Life Coach