Why Rest Is Productive Too - How to Live by Your Season

In this episode of Mind Your Own Beeswax, I dive into the life changing concept of living seasonally and why you don’t need to be “on” all the time to be successful. Inspired by the book Visualize by Maya Raichoora this episode explores the three seasons of life: hibernation, growth, and harvest and how understanding which season you’re in can completely transform your mindset, productivity, goals, and wellbeing.

I chat about all things burnout, exhaustion, resting without guilt, and finally realizing that not every season of life is meant for full power. From January hibernation mode to launching this podcast and stepping into a growth era, this episode is full of honest chats, mindset shifts, chaotic life observations, and reminders that you don’t always need to be productive to be moving forward.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, behind in life, overwhelmed by social media comparison, or unsure why your energy keeps changing, this episode is your reminder that rest is productive too. Whether you’re in your healing era, growth era, or ready for your next big harvest, this conversation will help you embrace the season you’re in and trust the timing of your life.

Topics in this episode include:

• Living seasonally for personal growth
• Burnout and rest culture
• Hibernation, growth, and harvest phases
• Goal setting and productivity
• Mindset and self development
• Hustle culture vs intentional living
• Learning patience and trusting the process

This episode is perfect for listeners interested in self improvement, wellness, mindset, productivity, manifestation, personal growth, and intentional living podcasts.

Follow me for more on Instagram @mindyourownbeeswaxpodcast & TikTok: @mindyourownbeeswaxpod

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

Welcome to another episode of

Intro

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Mind Your Own Beeswax. My name is Grace, and thank you so much for hitting play on this episode. I am so thankful that you are listening to me today. And if you know, I'm on the road to a thousand downloads. So we are well on our way. But a couple of people have messaged me and said that I've been hitting download, I've been hitting download. Has it been helping? And I realize that when I talk about a download, what Spotify and Apple, I guess, attribute a download is actually just listening for one minute. So it's not actually hitting the download button because I download a lot of shows and it saves it to your device, but you just gotta listen for a minute and that will give me a download in my platform. So if you've listened for a minute, you're making my dreams come true, and I'm truly grateful for you. So thank you, thank you, thank you for being here with me today. The last month or so for me has

Life updates and lessons

SPEAKER_01 1:05

been chocker block. I feel like I've been popping and dropping and running all over town. I've been to events, I've been traveling, I've been to Sydney, I've been to Byron Bay, I've had late nights, I've had early mornings. It has been all systems go. And honestly, I'm truly grateful for this because for this quarter of the year, I had a massive goal to attend more events. And I can absolutely tick that off and say, I have been attending some incredible events. But I think when you have these busy periods, as good as they are, and as exciting as it is to put yourself out there and connect with new people, you can certainly feel this sense of tiredness or exhaustion, right? When you're having these big, big weeks and you're tired, you know that there is a period of rest coming up, whether it's a weekend or once things quietened down, you know that after that crazy period, you're gonna get some rest. A few weeks ago I did an episode on the book Visualize by Maya Raichura, which if you haven't listened, go back and have a listen. It should be two episodes ago from this episode. And I've had that book sitting on my bedside table ever since because I've been creating some social content. If you're not following me on TikTok or Instagram, go and give me a follow right now. But I've just been having a look at the book, going back and forth, reading some quotes, and I opened up the page to a chapter where the author talks about living

Visualise by Maya Richoora seasons method

SPEAKER_01 2:32

seasonally. And she has three seasons that she says we should all live by. And I read that page, and you know, like when Oprah says she had an aha moment, I had that. I was like, I am living seasonally. This is my season, and I wanted to bring you an episode today and talk about it because I think it's going to be a game changer for you. She

The 3 seasons of life

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refers to living in three seasons. So a season of hibernation, a season of growth, and a season of harvest. So when you're in your hibernation season, you're kind of like a bear, you know, they go and hibernate in winter, he sleeps it off. You're taking time to rest, to recharge, and when you're resting, it's resting both your mind and your body. When you're rested, you're then gonna have the capacity to move on to your growth season. Your growth season is when your energy starts to return. You're feeling excited, your enthusiasm is building, you're feeling creative, and you're ready to start testing, experimenting, putting yourself out there again and moving towards the next season, which is harvest. Harvest is the season when you have rested and now you've got the energy to power forward. You've had your growth season where you've learned your skills, you've finessed your goals, and you are ready to execute. You're making money, you're making big moves, you are ticking off your goals, and you are full power in your harvest season. When I read this page, I really had that aha moment. I was like, yes, I can look back at the last six, seven months, six, seven, if you know what I mean, and I can see where I've had all of those seasons. So I think back to December and November, and that was my season of harvest. I was full power. November and December were huge for me at work, huge for me outside of work. I was attending events, I had Christmas parties, I had so many social things. December, especially, is a big time of the year for most people. So I was out there getting amongst it, and I also ticked off a couple of my goals from 2025. So November and December were absolutely my harvest. January rolled around and it knocked me for six. I was not it. I was tired, I was emotional, I couldn't handle anything, I was just exhausted, and I really did not understand why I felt like that. And if you've been following my goals, you know Chinese medicine and acupuncture is a big goal of mine this year. So I started that back in January, and my acupuncturist said to me, She's like, You're so tired, you're so burnt out, what's going on? Why do you feel this way? And I was frustrated because I was like, Well, it's January, it's the new year, I'm trying to be productive, I want to start a podcast, I've got so much I want to do. And I was mad, I was so frustrated with my body that I was so tired and so emotional. I was really angry that I felt that way. And my acupuncturist said to me that in Chinese medicine or Chinese culture, they don't celebrate the new year until February. So for them, December is still big, January is their month of rest, and then they start their new year in February. And she said to me, she's like, Grace, this is your time for rest. You need to rest in January. And I just was mind blown. I was like, What? Why has no one ever told me this before? January for rest, and if you think about it, it makes so much sense because December is a crazy month. In Australia, it's summer. So on top of everything that's going on, all your Christmas celebrations, winding up for the end of the year, you've got hot summer. It's sweaty, we're going to the beach, days are long, it's a wonderful time of the year, but it sucks the life out of you. So why the hell in January was I trying to go after my goals and find this energy when I had none left. So, very much inspired by my acupuncturist, I took January to rest and I very much extended this into February. I made sure I had some time off work, I took it really slow, I had a couple of saunas, I did some yoga, I did a couple of massages, I journaled a lot, I did a lot of tarot card reading, and I just laid low. A few people said to me, like, are you okay? You're having a mental breakdown or something. And I was like, No, I'm just hibernating. Let me hibernate. And I kind

Why rest is key

SPEAKER_01 7:05

of like had this vision in my head of like, it was like a slingshot. You know, like when you want to slingshot like a rock, you put the rock in the slingshot and it's gotta go back slowly so that you can fling it really far forward. And that's what I was visualizing for myself in my hibernation is that if I could go back, back, back, back, back and rest, recharge, re-energize, it would let me shoot forward really fast and really far towards my goals. So I just owned it. I was like, I am resting. I was reading, I was taking it easy, I was in bed early, I was not catching up with no one, I was not out and about. I was horizontal for a lot of January and February, and I have no regrets. After my rest, March rolls around and I published the first episode of my podcast, and then my growth phase began. And I've certainly been in this growth phase ever since, and I'm still right here. So for me, this growth phase is really about experimenting before I'm excellent. I saw that quote on Pinterest: experiment before you're excellent. And that's what I'm doing with this podcast, with editing it, with posting it, with TikTok, with Instagram. I'm really just experimenting. Spoiler, but I don't actually know what I'm doing. I'm not a qualified podcaster. Actually, I don't know that you can be a qualified podcaster, but you know, I'm just a girl trying to figure things out. So I'm experimenting. I'm learning, I'm just having a go. And that's what this phase is. It's not about being excellent, it's about experimenting. And that's what I'm definitely doing. I feel like I'm 10 episodes in at this point, and

10 episodes update

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I've definitely learned a few things. I sort of know what works well on my TikTok, not really sure what works well on my Instagram. I feel like I'm nailing a few episodes, and I think there's some episodes that I have that I'm getting a lot more listens than others, and they're kind of like trickling in. So I'm like, oh, I think it's to do with how I'm naming the episodes and the content that I'm writing and the length of the episode. So I feel like I'm still experimenting, I'm still figuring things out, but this is my growth season. And if you want to really know what's coming next for me, the tarot cards allege that July and August are gonna be big for me. So I'm kind of assuming I'm gonna be in my growth phase until July, August, and then I reckon things are just gonna pop. So stay tuned. But I'm in my growth phase right now. What phase do you feel like you're in? Or if you kind of feel lost, can you intentionally pick a phase that you feel ready for? And all these different seasons, they can look quite different. So hibernation

How to Hibernate

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perhaps looks different for you than it does for me. Maybe it's just taking a period of rest, but it doesn't have to be rest in terms of laying horizontal. You know, maybe when you go for a walk, you don't listen to music or a podcast. You just walk in silence and you have active rest. Maybe when you drive to work, again, no music, just actively rest. Or if you catch public transport, just rest. You don't have to be resting by laying down. You can rest by just sitting, having quietness, hearing your thoughts. That can be rest too. Maybe your hibernation looks like saying no to events. If someone asks you, oh, do you want to be my plus one for this event? Say no and say, I'm in my rest period, and I know that if I stay home on this Saturday night, I am gonna feel really good for it. So can you say no to some things? A polite no. I am very guilty, I hate saying no, but let me tell you, when you're at home on a Saturday night in your jarmies at 7 pm, oh what a place to be. It feels bloody good when you're in your hibernation phase, that's for sure. Growth phase can also look pretty different for each person. I actually think growth

How to have a growth season

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phase is the most exciting because I feel like it's in between, you're feeling inspired, you're reaching for the stars. Growth is definitely my favorite phase. So things that you can be doing in your growth phase are making the first step. So maybe your goal is to join a gym, get fitter. So you do that. You sign up for the gym, you start a new workout routine, maybe you start meal prepping, maybe you start seeing a nutritionist or a personal trainer, maybe you start doing something new, take a dance class or an art class, or maybe you want to start dating again, so you just make an online profile, maybe you sign up for a race or a running event. Just start making small moves. Maybe you want to get back into reading or get back into an old hobby or connect with some old friends. Start by taking the first step and lay the plans. That's the key part of your growth phase. And then when you're ready to

How to have a Harvest season

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roll, harvest comes around, you're energized, you've practiced things, you know what you're doing, you've got the skills, and you're ready to full power. Harvest can mean being busy, attending events, working hard, maybe working longer hours, traveling, whatever it is that you're working towards and you're executing, just be in that phase. And I think when you are intentionally in your harvest, I know I said when you're in your hibernation, say no. When you're in your harvest, say yes. When someone invites you to something, say yes. When you're offered an opportunity, say yes. You never know what saying yes could lead you to. And because you are in this place of harvest where you're energized, you're excited, you are your best self, and all systems are going. That is the perfect time to welcome in new opportunity. And whatever you're connecting with, that's gonna find you at your peak, your best self, your full power. It's a great place to find new connections. However, after harvest, you can often feel burnt out and exhausted. So that's when you guessed it, we're heading back to hibernation, and you can live in that cycle. That cycle of harvest, hibernation, growth, it can be over a few weeks, a few months, a few years. Like I said, for me, I did my harvest, hibernation, growth in a period of six or seven months, and then kind of like I guess that's what I'm heading in again. I started my hibernation in January, growth in March, and then hopefully July, August, I will hit my harvest. And you know what? I think that this is a very natural way of living. And hear me out here, but in the olden days, I love the show Viking. If you haven't seen the show Viking, check it out. But it was obviously back in the days of the Viking, and there's this scene where I don't know, like two villagers are agreeing to meet and maybe have a battle, but they say, I'll meet you in two moons time, and that really stuck with me. I was like, oh my god, imagine like not having a calendar, not having a phone, and you're just like, I'll just see you in a couple of moons time. Like, humans were made to live seasonally, live by nature. And back in those days, whatever food you were eating, that was based on the season. You know, you had to lay your seeds down, have your hibernation, allow them to grow, and then you'd have your harvest. So you just ate whatever was in season. And I think it's like an insane way to live. And when you look at nature, I think of a tree, right? I have these trees in my yard, and every winter they look dead. They got no leaves on them, they're just like sticks, and you could literally walk up and snap a branch off. But they're in their hibernation. Come summer, they're back, they're full harvest, they are beautiful, they've got limes on them, they're looking great. Nature lives the same way. Nature lives seasonally, and humans back in the day lived seasonally too, and I think we've moved away from that. And that's a whole nother layer is that when you have a goal, can you align your goal to the seasons? And it doesn't have to be summer, winter, autumn, spring, can it be harvest, growth, hibernation? Can you look at mapping out your goals for the year with those things in mind and add that as a layer? And I think that's really powerful then because if you have a goal and you know that there's gonna be a time when you need rest, a time you need to work, and then a time you need to execute, you're gonna have a way better chance at making those goals feel good but also happen. I think as well, you've got to have patience. And that's what living seasonally is, is that you've got to have the patience when you're in your hibernate and your growth, ready for your harvest. And to take it back to the example of people in the olden days, you know, when the farmers sowed their seeds, they weren't standing looking at the seeds saying, Come on, grow, grow, grow. And I think we're guilty of that. You think like, oh, you set a goal, come on, I've got to do it now, now, now, now, now. But actually, you've got to be patient, you've got to water it, you've got to let it rest, you've got to let it grow, and then it's ready for the harvest. My final note that I would like to leave you with on this topic is that you need to be a different version of yourself for each of these seasons. The grace who is in her hibernation is very different to the grace that is in her harvest. And that is absolutely okay. No way can you be the same version of yourself. And don't let people make you feel guilty for that. You know, people that will say when you're in your hibernation period, what's wrong, why don't you want to come? Tell them I'm hibernating right now, mate. F off. If that's what you've got to say, tell them I'm hibernating. That version of you in hibernation is very different to your growth and harvest person. And that's okay. Let yourself lean into each season and just see what you need to do, who you need to be, what habits you need to have, and take the pressure away. Don't feel like you've got to show up and behave in the same way as your harvest versus your hibernation. And I think as well, especially when

Don't compare your Hibernation to someone's Harvest

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you're on social media, keep in mind when you're seeing the highlight reel of someone's life and seeing their TikTok about how great their life is and how they're traveling business class and then doing all the things, and you're feeling jealous, that is their harvest. You don't know the growth and the hibernation that went behind that. And especially if you're in your hibernation right there and then, it's gonna feel a bit shit to look at someone in their harvest. Just remember, for your harvest, you've gotta have your growth, you've gotta have your hibernation. They are all equally important and will lead you exactly where you need to be. I hope this message of living seasonally has found you at a time that you need it the most. When I record these episodes, I really envision people listening to them in the future. Because when I listen to a podcast, yeah, I do have a few that I listen to regularly, but quite often I go out seeking a podcast on a certain topic. You know, maybe I want to learn about the law of attraction or I want to learn about tapping or meditating. I will go out there and search for it. And I feel like quite often episodes you listen to that are juicy and insightful, they're like four or five years old. So I really have that intention and I hope that I layer each episode with that energy that this will find you when you need it the most. Whether it's May 2026 or three or four years from now, trust that when you're hearing this, that is when you need it. So start living seasonally, make the change, and tell me your life doesn't get a whole heap better. Thank you so much for listening today. Like I said, we're on the road to a thousand downloads, and if you're listening to this in the future, fingers and toes across that we've had a million downloads by then. I'm aiming high. I am having a fabulous day. I actually went and had a massage this morning, and while I've been recording this, I've been sipping a ginger beer. I'm in my pajamas, I've got my heated rivalry pajama shirt on, I've washed my hair, I've had a full body shower, I've scrubbed. I am feeling fresh and I'm ready for the week. Not sure why I had to tell you that I've just had a shower, but you know what? Everybody loves a clean podcaster. And I always think when I record these episodes, a lot of people have been saying to me, you've got to do video, you've got to do video. You know what? I'm not ready for that because I sit here with my legs crossed, I put down the blind so it's dark, I'm kind of sweaty because it's a bit hot in here, I like cross my legs and I just like sit all curled up. And a lot of the things that I'm saying, I find shutting my eyes is the best way to just like speak authentically because I do write notes, but I just hate reading them. I don't want to be like, and you should live seasonally because I just want to flow, I just want to let the vibes roll, I want to let the fucks fly, you know, like I just want to speak authentically. So I hope you can appreciate that, but I'm gonna have to get better at it because I will do video eventually. That is certainly, I think it's kind of a goal maybe by the end of this year to be able to do video. Like I said, I'm experimenting, so stay tuned. You might get to see my face eventually. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you have a beautiful day, and as always, love you bye.