The Soft Girl Era: Rest Is the Work

There was a night not long ago that I won’t ever forget. The kind that sinks into your bones.

It had been a long day, back-to-back therapy sessions, client emails, and a looming reauthorization deadline that waited for me at home like an uninvited guest. I walked through the door after seven. The house was quiet. My dog looked up from her bowl with those patient eyes, and my stomach grumbled as I sat down to log into the insurance portal... again.

Eyes burning, heart weary, I paused. Just for a second.

And in the stillness of that moment, something rose up in me, a whisper that turned into a roar: “Kim, you deserve better than this.”

It wasn’t the first time I’d felt exhausted. But it was the first time I believed I didn’t have to keep feeling that way.

That moment didn’t just mark the start of a boundary. It marked the beginning of Speech Dreamers. A vision born not from ambition, but from emptiness. From the deep knowing that rest wasn’t optional… it was essential. And not just for me, but for every SLP who has ever sat alone in the dark, doing “just one more thing” long after everyone else has gone to bed.

The Soft Girl Era Isn’t Aesthetic. It’s a Rebellion.

We’ve all seen the buzz phrase online: Soft Girl Era. Maybe you’ve pictured pastel loungewear, diffused lighting, maybe a houseplant or two.

But for me and for us... it’s something deeper.

It’s what happens when you stop living like you have to earn rest. When you stop measuring your worth by your email count, your therapy units, or your ability to say yes. It’s a reclamation.

The Soft Girl Era is when we stop apologizing for being tired. When we treat naps as sacred. When we stop wearing burnout like a badge and start seeing rest as a revolutionary choice.

Because somewhere along the way, someone lied to us. They said we had to be everything to everyone. That the only way to be valuable was to keep moving. That slowing down meant falling behind.

But let me tell you something I’ve learned—sometimes the most productive thing you can do is close the laptop, light a candle, and simply be.

Rest Is Not a Reward. It's Your Right.

I used to believe that if I just worked harder, I could outrun the overwhelm. But burnout doesn’t come because you’re weak—it comes because you’ve been too strong for too long.

And when you finally start listening to your body instead of pushing through, something beautiful happens. Your mind clears. Your breath deepens. Your shoulders drop from your ears. And suddenly, you start to feel like yourself again—not just the clinician version, but the human one.

That night, I didn’t finish the reauthorization.

Instead, I set a timer for fifteen minutes. When it went off, I closed the screen, lit a candle, and opened a journal. Not to write a to-do list. Not to plan content. Just… to dream. I dreamed my Speech Dreams. I wrote about what I wanted for myself, not just in business, but in being. I wrote about rest, and softness, and the version of me I hadn’t met in years.

That’s the work. The real work. The work no one applauds—but the work that heals us.

What If You Didn’t Have to Prove Anything?

What would happen if you stopped chasing your worth?

What if you left the dishes in the sink and took a bath instead?
What if you let the email sit for tomorrow and took a walk instead?
What if you gave yourself permission to do less and to do it without guilt?

I’m not saying the paperwork disappears. Or that our systems suddenly honor our humanity.

I’m saying we stop waiting for the system to give us permission and start giving it to ourselves.

You are already enough. Even when you’re resting. Especially when you’re resting.

You Are Not Alone in This

We are so many. Worn-out, brilliant women who love what we do but sometimes forget to love ourselves in the process.

So if you need someone to say it out loud, here it is:

You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to stop.
You are allowed to take care of yourself.

Even if the notes aren’t done.
Even if the to-do list is long.
Even if no one else gives you permission, I do.

Because the truth is: you are not a machine. You are a miracle. And the world doesn’t need your exhaustion. It needs your essence.

So go on, friend. Slip into something soft. Turn off the world for a while. Let yourself return to you.

You’ve earned nothing. You owe nothing.
You simply deserve this, because you are you.

With all the softness I can muster,
—Kim 💙

If you're stepping into your Soft Girl Era too, I'd  love to hear about it.

Tag me @speechdreamers and share your rest rituals or slow-living moments, we’re right there with you. And if you need a cozy companion for your quiet time, our Weekend Dreams 2-Piece Set and Spa Retreat Candle are here to wrap you in comfort. As always, shipping is free because softness should never come with strings attached.