Lasagna Wisdom on Slowing Down: Even Lasagna Needs Time to Rest

Burnout rarely announces itself. It doesn’t always arrive as collapse or crisis. More often, it creeps in through efficiency, productivity, and the quiet belief that stopping equals falling behind. Leaders, caregivers, partners—anyone carrying responsibility—are especially vulnerable to this mindset.
 
Lasagna offers a different truth.
When lasagna comes out of the oven, it is technically finished, but it is not ready. The heat is still redistributing. The layers are unstable. If you cut into it immediately, everything spills. The structure dissolves. What could have been satisfying becomes messy and disappointing.
 
Leadership burnout works the same way. You can assemble vision, strategy, goals, and people with care. But without rest, the structure doesn’t hold. Meetings blur together. Decisions feel heavier. Creativity dries up. Patience thins.
 
Slowing down isn’t failure. It’s the moment when things settle into place.
Sometimes rest looks productive—reflection, journaling, planning. But often it looks deceptively simple. Binge-watching your favorite TV series without guilt. Taking a long walk with no destination. Sitting in silence and letting your thoughts drift instead of forcing answers.
 
Burnout isn’t a sign you’re doing leadership wrong. It’s a sign you’re skipping the pause that makes leadership sustainable.
 
Let the lasagna sit—nothing great holds together without patience.
Sam The Lasagna Lady®