Rest Can Be the Scariest Thing You Do This October 👀

October is the month of haunted houses, jump scares, and ghost stories — but let’s be real, sometimes the scariest thing isn’t outside of us. Sometimes it’s sitting still with ourselves.

Here’s the twist nobody talks about: for a lot of us, rest is terrifying.

Why Rest Feels So Scary

Our nervous system is wired to protect us. When we’re constantly in sympathetic mode (go-go-go, hustle, grind), slowing down feels unsafe. Think about it: when you finally sit down, the thoughts you’ve been running from start creeping in. The bills. The grief. The relationship tension. The exhaustion you’ve been pushing through. Rest pulls the mask off all the things busyness was hiding.

That’s why so many of us keep moving — two jobs, endless scrolling, saying yes to everything — because movement feels safer than silence. Your body thinks it’s protecting you, but really, it’s just keeping you stuck in survival mode.

The Nervous System + Fear

Here’s the science behind the spooky: your body literally can’t tell the difference between the “fear” of stillness and the fear of danger. So when you try to rest, your nervous system sometimes treats it like a threat. Heart racing. Mind spinning. Body tense. Rest doesn’t feel restful, it feels risky.

But here’s the thing — just like walking into a haunted house teaches your body, “okay, that wasn’t real danger,” learning to rest teaches your nervous system, “peace is possible.”

Doing Something Scary on Purpose

So maybe your October challenge isn’t bungee jumping or a horror movie marathon. Maybe it’s closing your laptop at 9 p.m. and actually going to bed. Maybe it’s sitting in silence for five minutes with your hand on your heart. Maybe it’s skipping that extra shift and trusting your body deserves a break. That’s brave. That’s facing fear head-on. That’s how we rewire.

Final Word

This October, don’t just chase thrills. Do the scary thing your body’s been begging for: rest. Because when you face that fear, you’re not just “taking a break.” You’re teaching your nervous system how to feel safe again. And that’s the kind of magic no haunted house can compete with. 🖤

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 If this landed, let it be your reminder: rest isn’t weakness, it’s resistance. At Minding My Own Mental, I create spaces where queer and BIPOC folks can lay it all down and feel safe in their bodies again. Join a sound bath, book a nervous system reset, or just keep showing up here. You don’t have to face the scary stuff alone.