Let the rest, REST!

Let the rest, REST!

7/14/25 Let the Rest Rest

🌾 Pick One or Two Dimensions to Water Deeply — Let the Rest Rest

A Real-Life Reflection for the Equine-Assisted Practitioner Who is Building a Business, and Trying Not to Burn Out in the Process

By Delena Kay Austin | Wisdom Ranch

There was a time I thought I had to do it all.

If you’re reading this, maybe you’re there right now. Your eyes are on the vision, your heart is full of passion, and you're hustling to get your equine-assisted business off the ground. Or maybe your business is off the ground… but you’re starting to realize you’ve created something a little too heavy to hold alone.

I see you. I’ve been both.

And here’s what I’ve learned:

You don’t have to be balanced in every area of life to be well. You just have to be intentional.

🧭 My Story (and Maybe Yours Too)

I started Wisdom Ranch like many others, learning models, scheduling sessions, and doing what I thought I was supposed to do. I offered coaching, ran programs, booked clients, and filled up my calendar. It looked successful from the outside, and I was good at it.

But I wasn’t living my life mission. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure what it was.

I’ve spent my entire life as a caregiver, a teacher, a fixer. And it caught up with me. Somewhere in all of the doing, I lost the being. I started to dread sessions. I craved time alone. I found myself longing for the barn—not to run sessions—but to groom a horse, clean a stall, or breathe.

This year, everything shifted.

For the first time in a long time, I got intentional about how I wanted to feel in my business… and in my life. And I realized something powerful:

You can’t grow in every direction at once. Sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for yourself is pick one or two dimensions to water deeply, and let the rest rest.

🌱 The 8 Dimensions of Wellness (and Why You Don’t Need to Master Them All Right Now)

If you're not familiar with the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, here they are:

  • Emotional
  • Physical
  • Financial
  • Spiritual
  • Social
  • Occupational
  • Environmental
  • Intellectual

They’re all important. But it is not possible to work on them all with the same intensity all the time. I believe we have seasons for intensive work in the Dimensions of Wellness.

Right now, I’m focused on:

  • Emotional wellness — healing from the weight of years spent caring for everyone but myself.
  • Financial wellness — building a sustainable business model that doesn’t require constant output from me.
  • Physical wellness — taking walks, moving my body, and giving myself what I need without guilt.

The others? They’re not forgotten. They’re just in maintenance mode.

Balance doesn’t mean doing everything equally. It means doing what matters most in this season.

🐴 Your Business Should Serve Your Life — Not the Other Way Around

As equine-assisted practitioners, we often build businesses that reflect our deep desire to help, hold space, and heal.

But without boundaries, that desire can become a trap.
We start saying yes to every client, running every event, staying up late to fix the website, posting, scheduling, launching — and slowly, we drift away from the life we wanted this work to create.

If your business feels like a monster instead of a mission… It’s okay to step back and recalibrate.

Ask yourself:

  • What is my vision for this business?
  • What kind of life do I want my business to make possible?
  • Which wellness dimensions are calling for my energy right now?
  • Which ones can rest without guilt?

🤝 You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

One of the most healing decisions I’ve made this year was hiring Christina and Heather. They support the business in ways I couldn’t do alone, and honestly, shouldn’t be doing alone.

I used to feel like I had to be the one on every call, in every inbox, holding every thread. Now, I trust the team to carry the mission forward in their brilliant ways. And I get to focus on what I love: writing, creating curriculum, podcasting, and reconnecting with my dogs and maybe some horses, not just as co-facilitators, but as companions.

Letting go isn’t giving up. It’s growing into a business that reflects your actual needs.

💛 Final Thoughts: Give Yourself Permission

So here’s your permission slip, friend:

Pick one or two dimensions to water deeply. Let the rest rest.
Don’t try to bloom in every direction; root down in what matters most right now.
Your joy is not a luxury. It’s the soil your whole business grows from.

You’re not behind. You’re just in a new season. And you get to build accordingly.

With love and truth from the barn,
—Delena


🌾 Water What Matters: A Reflection Worksheet

Companion to the blog: “Pick One or Two Dimensions to Water Deeply — Let the Rest Rest”

🐴 Step 1: Define Your Season

What does this current season of life feel like?
(Choose any that apply or write your own.)

☐ Healing
☐ Rebuilding
☐ Transition
☐ Expansion
☐ Rest
☐ Grief or recovery
☐ Focused creation
☐ Simplifying
☐ Burnout recovery
☐ Other: _______________________

🧭 Step 2: Reflect on the 8 Dimensions of Wellness

For each dimension below, rate from 1–5:

DimensionMy Energy in This AreaHow Urgent Is This Right Now?Notes or ExamplesEmotional1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Physical1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Financial1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Social1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Spiritual1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Occupational1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Environmental1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5Intellectual1 2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5

💡 Use this to spot which areas feel empty and which are okay on cruise control.

🌱 Step 3: Choose Your Focus Areas

Based on your reflections, what are the 1–2 dimensions you want to water deeply right now?



Why do these feel most important in this season?
(Write a few sentences.)

🌙 Step 4: Name What Can Rest (For Now)

What dimensions can go into maintenance mode — without guilt?

☐ Emotional
☐ Physical
☐ Financial
☐ Social
☐ Spiritual
☐ Occupational
☐ Environmental
☐ Intellectual

What might “maintenance” look like for those areas?
(One small habit, boundary, or gentle action to keep it from being neglected entirely.)

🔐 Step 5: Define Your Boundaries + Support

What boundary do I need to protect my energy right now?
(Example: “No more evening calls.” “No social media after 7 PM.”)

What’s one task I can delegate or get help with?
(Example: “Ask a VA to post updates.” “Let a team member run the group call.”)

💛 Final Reflection:

“My business is here to support my life — not drain it.
My joy is the soil everything grows from.”

What would a successful, peaceful next month look like for me?