Rest Is Not Failure: A Gentle Word About Toxic Productivity

There is a quiet pressure many of us carry—an unspoken belief that our worth is measured by how much we produce. If we pause, slow down, or say “not today,” guilt creeps in. We feel behind, lazy, or disposable. This is the subtle harm of toxic productivity: it convinces us that rest is something we must earn, rather than something we are designed to need.

Toxic productivity doesn’t always look dramatic. Often, it wears a respectable face. It looks like answering emails late at night “just to stay ahead.” It sounds like ignoring your body’s signals because someone else “has it worse.” It tells us that exhaustion is a badge of honor—and that stopping is weakness.

But constant output is not the same as meaningful purpose.

Even God did not design life to be a nonstop grind.

In Ecclesiastes 3:13 (KJV) we are reminded:

“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”

Notice what’s included in the gift: enjoyment. Not endless striving. Not depletion. Not proving ourselves. Enjoyment, nourishment, rest.

Even sacred work has a boundary. Rest is not a reward for being productive enough—it is woven into the rhythm of life itself.

If you are tired, you are not failing. If you need to slow down, you are not weak. If you feel burned out, it does not mean you lack discipline—it means you are human.

You are allowed to step back.
You are allowed to say “this is enough for today.”
You are allowed to be valuable even when you are not producing.

Rest does not erase purpose—it restores it.

May you give yourself the same grace you would so freely give to others. And may you remember that your worth has never been dependent on your output.

Resources:

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Scripture by YouVersion Bible App

I Finally Took a Vacation: Why Rest Is Essential for Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

After many years of staying home and taking staycations or little 3 days trips in Ohio, I finally took a real vacation!  I knew that I had to take my trip before June or after August due to my husband having several scout trips planned for the summer. 

I had taken a bus trip in the early 2000s so I searched for the company that I used that time and did not find it.  Instead I found Anderson Coach & Travel  so I decided to look at the trips they offered.  I decided upon the 8 day Island Hopping Tour in Georgia with stops in Kentucky and the Carolinas.

“The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.” Psalm 121:7-8

I packed the best that I could for the trip using accuweather.com and the forecasts for our destinations.  I live in Ohio and we have a joke that if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute.  I wasn't sure if Georgia would be like this or not. 

The tour was sold out so it was a packed bus and my pickup point was the last stop.  We pick our seats in advance.  I like to sit near the front and I was paired with a really nice lady named Janice.  We had plenty of time to get to know each other with the hours of travel ahead of us. We hit it off and hung out together for the duration of the trip from early morning breakfasts to stopping in shops to find souvenirs.  At dinner one night, someone asked if we were mother and daughter.  It just so happens that Janice reminds me of my late mother with her friendly and fun personality.  

Our bus driver Craig and our tour director Barb were absolutely fantastic.  I don't like driving and I do a lot of planning for my paid job so being able to buy a trip where someone does the driving and takes care of the details is perfect for me. Craig deserves a gold star for navigating Atlanta and Charlotte traffic which were both brutal.  Oh, Craig & Barb also surprised us with stops at not just one but two Buc-ees! 

We had a good mix of people on our trip.  A majority were retirees enjoying their life after work. There were several people who had health challenges requiring use of canes or other mobility devices. Janice and I were usually among the first to board the bus. Having the aisle seat, I helped people either holding a bag or cane as they used the handrails the climb the steps to board the bus. Our bus driver did his best to drop off or park to minimize extra walking for those with walking challenges.

The weather was great for the majority of the trip with sun and warm temperatures. Two days were chilly, windy, and cloudy and coincided with stops on St. Simon Island and Jekyll Island.  We had indoor activities, for the most part, on St. Simon.  On Jekyll Island, it started to mist when it was time for our boat ride to see the dolphins. The weather was better at home that day but I got to see dolphins where I was! Our evening in Jekyll Island was supposed to culminate with dinner and shopping at a beach village similar to Easton Towne Center in Columbus.  By that time, it was pouring rain and even the hardcore shoppers didn't want to shop. Everyone was cold, tired, and ready to go back to the hotel.  I opted to buy food from the little market at the hotel while others gathered at the hotel bar over drinks and a menu for a local pizza place.  

Eight days went by quickly and I was back home.  My husband picked me up and filled me in on the routine he and Patty established while I was away.  After her illness, our cat is now on Royal Canin Urinary S/O calming food, both wet and dry.  Jon had to go back to his scout event. After a long day on the bus, I was ready for bed where Patty joined me for the night.

I had no idea how much I needed this vacation until I was on it.  I was super stressed out at work before my trip and I finally relaxed.  I decided to make a few changes to my home routine to give myself more time before work or other activities in the morning but getting up 10 minutes earlier.  My first day back at work, I stayed relaxed and calm even during an outage near the end of my shift. For the most part, my workers stepped up and were accountable. 

Anderson is starting to release trips for 2027 and my plan is to find one and take it!  If it works out, Janice and I have talked about traveling together.  I am so blessed to have seen God's beauty He created in the United States and to have pictures to remember it by.

Resources:

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Links to Going on Faith and other Santini Serenity Blog posts within the post.

How Stress Affects Your Cat’s Health: Patty’s Story and What We Learned

For the past few weeks, our sweet cat Patty hasn’t been herself—and it’s been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.

It started with what seemed like a simple urinary infection. We took her to the vet, got antibiotics, and felt relieved when her symptoms cleared up pretty quickly. During that first visit, though, the vet noticed excess glucose in her urine and mentioned the possibility of diabetes. Naturally, that worried us, so we went back the following week for bloodwork… only to find out everything looked completely normal. A huge sigh of relief.

Then came the curveball.

About a week later, Patty’s symptoms returned, and we were back at the vet again—this time for a longer stay and more extensive testing. That’s when we got the real answer: urinary crystals. Tiny, sharp crystals that make going to the bathroom incredibly painful—like passing shards of glass. Hearing that explained the blood in her urine and her obvious discomfort, but it didn’t make it any easier to process.

Now she’s on another round of antibiotics, a special calming diet, and temporary medication to help her relax while her body heals.

And here’s the part that really made us stop and think…

The vet mentioned stress.

Stress? Patty? Our laid-back, easygoing girl? It didn’t seem to add up at first. But the more I sat with it, the more it made sense.

We tend to think of stress as something personal—something that lives quietly inside us as we juggle responsibilities, health issues, and the general weight of life. But what I’ve come to realize is that stress doesn’t always stay contained. It spills over. It shifts the energy in our homes in subtle ways we don’t always notice.

And our pets? They notice.

Cats, especially, are incredibly intuitive. They pick up on changes in tone, routine, and even the unspoken tension we carry. Looking back, I had been dealing with my own health challenges related to environmental issues at work, and while I may not have said much out loud, the stress was there. And somehow, Patty felt it too.

A stressed human can unintentionally create a stressed home.

Maybe it shows up in small ways—less playtime, a disrupted routine, a little less patience at the end of a long day. To us, those moments might seem insignificant. But to a cat, they can feel like instability. And when cats feel unsettled, they communicate the only way they know how—through behavior and, sometimes, through physical symptoms.

What looked like a medical issue alone may have had an emotional layer we didn’t expect.

The good news? This connection works both ways.

Just as our stress can affect them, our calm can comfort them. Slowing down. Sitting quietly together. Keeping routines predictable. Offering affection without expecting anything in return. Even taking better care of ourselves can create a sense of safety for them.

One of my favorite moments each day is still the simplest one—sitting down and feeling Patty curl up in my lap. It’s grounding, for both of us.

This whole experience has been eye-opening—not just emotionally, but financially, too. And while I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it’s been a powerful reminder for Jon and me.

Taking care of ourselves isn’t selfish. It’s part of taking care of everything—and everyone—we love.

Patty doesn’t need us to be perfect. She just needs us to be present, aware, and gentle.

And maybe… we need that for ourselves, too.

Resources:

Scripture Image:  YouVersion Bible App

Copilot M365 & ChatGPT - SEO optimization

When the Office Makes You Sick: Recognizing the Signs of Sick Building Syndrome

I debated whether or not to write about this. It feels vulnerable to admit you’re not feeling well in a place you’re supposed to simply “power through.” But if sharing my experience helps even one person pause and say, “Wait… maybe it’s not just me,” then it’s worth it.

Since we returned to a hybrid schedule at the Columbus office, I’ve noticed a pattern. Every shift I work there, I don’t feel well afterward. Headaches. Fatigue. Just an overall sense of feeling off.

There was extensive remodeling done, including drywall work, and the dust has felt never-ending. The best cleaning lady we ever had took another job, and while I wipe down my own desk and even bought a small air purifier for my space, I can only control so much. If dust isn’t being removed throughout the building — through proper dusting, vacuuming, and ventilation — it lingers. It circulates. It settles… and then rises again.

In full transparency, my home environment isn’t perfect either. But I do my best. And I notice I feel different there.

Then there’s the water issue. One day I filled my water bottle at the filling station and the water tasted like dirt. Not slightly off — noticeably earthy. The water in the building is often brown. You can see it when washing your hands and even in the toilet bowls before anything else is added. I now use a filtered water bottle, but I know I’m not drinking nearly enough while I’m at the office. At home, we have a whole-house purification system and filtered refrigerator water, so I’m used to clean, clear drinking water. It’s hard to ignore the difference.

For a while, I questioned myself. Was it stress? Allergies? Just getting older? But I started learning more about something called Sick Building Syndrome.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) describes a pattern where people experience headaches, fatigue, irritated eyes or throat, difficulty concentrating, or general malaise that improves once they leave a particular building. There isn’t one single diagnosable illness attached to it. It’s more about environmental stressors — especially indoor air quality — that affect people over time.

And here’s what struck me: dusty environments and water issues are often quieter contributors.

Dust isn’t just “dirt.” After remodeling, drywall particles and fine particulate matter can linger in the air if not thoroughly cleaned and properly ventilated. Dust can carry allergens, mold spores, and chemical residues from building materials. When it’s continually recirculated through HVAC systems, people breathe it in all day long.

Water issues can add another layer. Discolored or contaminated water may point to plumbing problems, sediment, or corrosion. Moisture problems in buildings can also create conditions where mold or bacteria grow — even if you can’t immediately see it. Sometimes the first sign isn’t visible damage. It’s people not feeling well.

What makes this so frustrating is that the symptoms are easy to dismiss. They’re vague. Non-specific. You start to question yourself.

But when the pattern is consistent — when you feel noticeably better once you leave — that matters.

This isn’t about blame. It’s not about being dramatic. It’s about recognizing that the spaces we spend hours in every day impact our bodies. Air quality, dust control, water quality, ventilation — these aren’t cosmetic building issues. They affect energy levels, clarity, hydration, and overall well-being.

If you’ve been feeling “off” in a specific environment, I gently encourage you to pay attention to patterns. Notice when symptoms improve. Advocate kindly but clearly. Protect your health in the ways you can — whether that’s using filtration, staying hydrated, or raising concerns.

At the end of the day, buildings are meant to shelter and support us — not quietly wear us down.

If sharing this helps someone feel less alone or prompts a needed conversation, then writing it was worth it.

Resources:

ChatGPT - SEO optimization and details about SBS

YouVersion - Scripture Image

The Wisdom of Accountability: Guiding Others Toward Responsibility

In our most recent Plain City Writing Group meeting, we were given a writing prompt to write a relationship scene.  I hope you enjoy this scene with Wanda, the WAF project manager.

Wanda has worked very hard over the last three years as the project manager for the Web Application Firewall (WAF) initiative.  Unfortunately, her coworkers don't share the same work ethic and aren't very supportive.

The WAF team sees it as Wanda's responsibility to manage end user tickets from "cradle to grave" which often includes opening tickets although her coworkers have the ability to open tickets as well.  The WAF admin is particularly finicky and wants her to "spoon feed" reports to him, convey his work notes to the customer instead of using "additional comments" to interact directly with the end user, and perform all follow-up to confirm any actions taken to remediate the WAF block fixed the customer issue. There are also times when he'll request emergency meetings or bring up concerns that require Wanda to write business justification reports to present before the WAF committee for review and ruling.

At the urging of her department director, Wanda worked with the team who manages the ticketing system to build a specific request form that end users, or WAF team members, can use to submit WAF issues.  The ticketing team coded in directions for the WAF admin as a reminder to "use additional comments if you need further information from the end user."  This request form recently went into production.  Wanda updated documentation previously written for the WAF team on how to open a WAF ticket to reflect how to use this new request form.  Wanda wrote a document that was reviewed by the communications team and began working on how to get it distributed to the consortia members.  It was decided to shorten the communication so that it can be included in the next edition of the consortia newsletter.  

Wanda's director asked her to work with the WAF Admin to have the error messages that customers receive if their activity is blocked updated to include the link to the new request form.  Since access to WAF is locked down, Wanda cannot make these updates herself.  The WAF admin has ghosted her. Wow, even him throwing a hissy fit that changing the blocking message requires a vote by the WAF committee would have been better than ghosting. 

Honestly, Wanda expected resistance and pushback from the WAF Admin and WAF team at some point. in this journey.  While the WAF request form is meant to provide a better user experience for the customer, it also makes opening WAF issues easier for WAF team members as well.  All members of the WAF team should be held accountable, not just Wanda. She is also pushing the envelope with the coded instructions reminding the WAF Admin how to communicate directly with the end user.  After three years of transcribing the WAF Admin's work notes for the customer, scheduling emergency meetings, writing business justifications when he threw a hissy fit and being belittled in front of the WAF team, she's had enough. Supporting WAF should not be entirely on her shoulders!

Wanda has the wisdom to know she cannot change people but will stand her ground by holding her coworkers accountable.  She will not continue to spoon feed team members who have access to the same resources as her.  The customers (end users) have access to this new request form; hopefully, the consortia newsletter blurb serves to educate them about this improved user experience. 

Will the WAF Admin change the blocking message as requested?  Will he throw a fit and require that it a vote by the WAF team?  We will see what the week ahead has in store.

Resources:

Writing Prompt Courtesy of Anja, leader of the Plain City Writing Group

Scripture Image from YouVersion Bible App

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Grateful Reflection Despite Challenging Times

There are seasons in life when gratitude feels almost impossible. When we’re stretched physically, weighed down emotionally, or wrestling with spiritual uncertainty, the idea of being thankful can feel hollow—like a demand we can’t meet. In those moments, gratitude isn’t the first instinct; survival is.

The last several weeks have felt like this for me.  Work stress has been sky-high and I haven't been sleeping well. I suppose it is no surprise that I ended up sick with the sinus-nasal variant of the winter cold plaguing folks this time of year. As my health was restored, I experienced an issue with my vehicle; a high temperature warning which I'd never seen before.  I got safely to my AA meeting and, afterward, went to a shop to have my coolant checked.  A kind man assisted me; we did have to wait for steam to dissipate so he did not get burned opening the coolant reservoir.  I was able to make it safely to our local mechanic where I left my key in the drop box and my husband Jon picked me up. I had to replace the radiator; that wasn't on my birthday wish list!

And yet, there’s a quiet truth we often rediscover only after the storm passes: gratitude isn’t a feeling we wait for. It’s a posture we choose.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 — New International Version (2011) (NIV)

Hard times have a way of narrowing our vision. Pain pulls our attention inward. Fatigue makes even small tasks feel monumental. Fear convinces us that the future is fragile. In these moments, gratitude doesn’t come naturally. It’s not supposed to. We’re human, and being human means we feel the full weight of our circumstances.

But being human also means we have the remarkable ability to choose how we meet those circumstances.  

I can look back on these past couple of weeks with gratitude - my illness was only a few days and just a cold; not something more serious like pneumonia.  A car repair is never something one wants but I'm grateful that I remained safe, that the kind man who filled my coolant stayed safe, and my husband provided me rides so I wasn't walking in the streets because of uncleared sidewalks.  I also had several friends tell me to reach out if I ever need a ride to the gym in the future.

Living gratefully in difficult times isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s not about minimizing our struggles or forcing ourselves into a false positivity. Instead, it’s about staying open—open to the possibility that life still holds beauty, meaning, and connection even when we’re hurting.

Gratitude becomes an act of courage.

It’s the decision to look for light when darkness feels easier.
It’s the willingness to acknowledge small gifts when big answers haven’t arrived.
It’s the quiet resolve to keep our hearts from closing, even when they’re bruised.

When we choose gratitude—not as a reaction, but as a way of being—we begin to see life in its fullness. Not just the joys, but the lessons. Not just the victories, but the resilience forged in struggle. Gratitude doesn’t erase hardship, but it transforms how we move through it.

It reminds us that even in the hardest chapters, we are still connected to something larger than our pain:
• the people who walk beside us
• the moments of unexpected kindness
• the strength we didn’t know we had
• the hope that flickers even when we feel depleted

Gratitude is not a one-time choice; it’s a daily one. Some days it comes easily. Other days it’s a whisper we barely manage. But each time we choose it, we reclaim a bit of our power. We remind ourselves that life is not only what happens to us—it’s also how we respond.

And in choosing to live gratefully, we choose to live fully.  As I approach my birthday, I am grateful for my family and friends plus kindness from unexpected strangers.

Resources:

Quoted Scripture Psalm 46:1

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Quicker to Praise, Quicker to Thank: Cultivating Gratitude and Encouragement Every Day

It’s so easy to notice what’s wrong.  One of my work teams absolutely makes me crazy with their constant criticism, nit-picking, lack of accountability....I could go on but I'll stop.

But lately, I’ve been thinking about a simple challenge after seeing a recent quote.

"Let us be quicker to praise than to find fault. Let us be quicker to thank others than to complain.  -- Desmond Tutu"

That one shift can change the atmosphere in a room, the tone of a conversation, and even the condition of our hearts.

Sometimes fault-finding doesn’t look harsh. It can sound like:

• “Why didn’t they…?”

• “They never…”

• “This always happens…”

• “I’m so tired of…”

And while those words may feel harmless in the moment, they can slowly drain our joy. Aside from draining joy, it can also feel like life is being sucked out of you.  They can also discourage the people around us—especially the ones who are trying.  

Praise doesn’t mean ignoring problems or pretending everything is perfect. It simply means we choose to notice what’s good first.

A little praise can go a long way:

• “Thank you for helping.”

• “I appreciate you.”

• “You did a great job.”

• “That meant a lot to me.”

Encouragement is powerful. It builds connection. It brings warmth where criticism might bring distance.

Complaining makes us feel heavier. Gratitude makes us feel lighter.

When we thank others, we remind ourselves that we’re not alone—and that there is still goodness around us, even on hard days.

And gratitude is also a form of humility. It says, “I see what you did,” and “I don’t take you for granted.”

In full disclosure, especially with the one work team, this will be easier said than done but I'm going to make an effort not just for the betterment of the team and our work but for myself. 

Resources:

Quote from grateful.org

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