Rest As Reward
rest az rih-WORDnoun
DiagnosisChronic, self-defeating
What it means
The belief that rest must be earned through exhaustion, which guarantees that by the time you are permitted to rest you are no longer able to.
What it actually means
Sleep is a prize and you have not won it yet.
How it is used in a sentence
"I will rest when the project is done. I have not earned it yet."
Filed under
Lifestyle & Well-Being — The industry built around resting properly, which has somehow become another job.
Coinage — There was no phrase for this. We supplied one.
Related entries
Productivity Guilt
Lifestyle & Well-Beingprod-uk-TIV-ih-tee giltnounCoinage
The low-grade dread of not working, felt most sharply while resting, which cancels the rest and guarantees the need for more of it.
Real meaningI cannot enjoy this because I should be working.
Burnout
Work & AmbitionBURN-owtnounDiagnosis
The occupational condition produced by a culture that has a word for it precisely so that it does not have to change.
Real meaningYou are exhausted and it is your responsibility to fix it.