Dear Dr. Cabeen,

I know I need rest, but I also feel guilty when I’m not working. How do I actually unplug without feeling like I’m falling behind?

Dear Restless Leader,

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth. Many leaders don’t struggle to rest because they lack time. They struggle to rest because they don’t know who they are when they’re not producing. For most of the school year, our days are filled with meetings, decisions, emails, supervision, planning, and problem-solving. We become accustomed to being needed. Then summer arrives. The pace slows. The calendar opens. And instead of feeling relief, many leaders feel restless. Suddenly, there is space. And space can be uncomfortable. I’ve experienced it myself. I’ll sit down with every intention of relaxing only to find myself checking email, updating a document, organizing a folder, or creating a new project. Not because it needs to be done. Because doing something feels more productive than doing nothing.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Rest is not the reward for finishing your work. Rest is part of the work. The goal of summer isn’t to earn your rest. The goal is to remember why rest matters.

That’s why the first rhythm of The Drip Effect is Pause.

Not because leaders need to become less ambitious. Because leaders need opportunities to recover, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

The Drip Effect

When we never pause, we lose perspective. When we lose perspective, we begin making decisions from exhaustion rather than intention. And exhaustion is a terrible leadership strategy. The most sustainable leaders I know understand something important: Their value does not increase with their availability. Their worth is not tied to their productivity. And their impact is not measured by how busy they appear.

Your Next Drip

Schedule one block of time this week with no productive purpose.

• No professional reading.
• No strategic planning.
• No email.
• No catching up.

Simply choose something that brings you joy. Then resist the urge to justify it. You don’t have to earn every moment of rest. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is recover.

Small Actions. Steady Pace. Lasting Impact.

— Jessica

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Ready for Your Next Drip?

If this resonated with you, remember: sustainable leadership isn’t built through dramatic change. It’s built through intentional choices repeated over time.

→ Master Your Schedule
Align your time with what matters most and create a calendar that supports your priorities, not just your obligations.

→ Principal in Balance
Practical strategies for leading well at work and living well beyond it.

→ Speaking, Workshops & Coaching
Support for leaders and teams ready to move from hustle culture to sustainable impact.

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If you’re carrying a challenge, wrestling with a decision, or simply looking for a fresh perspective, I’d love to hear from you.

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