The Cost of Constant Hustle: What My Capricorn Moon and Chronic Illness Taught Me About Slowing Down
Ambition nearly broke me before rest healed me.
In 2009, I was running on pure drive, trying to work through heartbreak. By 2013, I was carrying the weight of losing my dad. And by 2016, I was stepping into my first leadership role. I didn’t realize it at the time, but toxic stress was already creeping in. I’d push until I was sick for a week, or end up having an anxiety/asthma attack because I didn’t know how to stop.
Later, I learned my Capricorn Moon had a lot to do with why slowing down felt impossible. Capricorn Moons are wired to work — and if we’re passionate about something, forget it. We tie our worth to achievement, productivity, and results. We feel safest when we’re building or chasing the next goal.
It’s a gift… but also a trap.
When I was younger, I used to roll my eyes at those signs that said “stress is a silent killer.” I wondered why adults were so stressed out, honestly. But toxic stress really is a silent killer if you don’t get a handle on it.
Stress vs. Toxic Stress
Not all stress is bad. In small doses, stress can help — it pushes you to finish a project, prepare for a big presentation, or get out of danger. That kind of stress is temporary, and once it passes, your body has a chance to reset.
Toxic stress is different. It happens when the pressure never lets up — when there are no breaks, no recovery, no time for your nervous system to come back to baseline. And it doesn’t just come from work. It can build from financial worries, caregiving, relationship struggles, or even the constant “good stress” of chasing goals.
When stress becomes chronic, your body stays locked in survival mode. That means your system is flooded with cortisol and adrenaline day after day. Over time, that overload starts to break you down — your health, your energy, even your joy.
That’s when stress shifts from being a motivator to becoming destructive. And that’s the kind of stress that nearly broke me.
The Hidden Price of Stress
Toxic stress doesn’t just mess with your mind — it hits your body too. When your nervous system stays in overdrive, the hormones meant to protect you start breaking you down. Over time, this can lead to:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Heart disease
Autoimmune conditions
For me, the wake-up call came as chronic illness: diabetes and asthma. When I found out two years ago that I had diabetes, that’s when I knew I had to put my health first.
Rest as Rebellion
As a Capricorn Moon, hard work feels like home. But passion doesn’t make you immune to burnout. Even “good stress” needs an off switch.
In a culture that glorifies overwork, choosing to rest is an act of rebellion. Rest isn’t laziness — it’s choosing yourself over proving yourself.
How I Finally Learned to Slow Down
“You don’t have time to rest” is a lie. Rest can take one minute or a whole afternoon. Here’s what works for me:
Ritual Rest – An epic bath with candles, salts, sound healing, and masks for face, hands, and feet. It forces me to stay still.
4-7-8 Breathing – Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. A few rounds and I feel my whole system shift.
Nature Breaks – A short walk outside, sitting by the pool, or even scrolling nature photos if I can’t get outdoors.
Visual Meditation – Calm app or VR guided meditations — like a mini vacation for my brain.
Sound Healing – Whether crystal bowls live or a playlist at home, the vibrations drop me into deep rest.
Laughter Therapy – Rest can be joy, too. A show that cracks me up, or time with people I love.
Spa Days – Nothing resets me like a spa day with a sauna, steam room, and massage. It’s one of the few times I let myself fully relax and receive.
The Lesson My Capricorn Moon Needed
The cost of constant hustle was high for me — my health, my joy, my peace of mind. My Capricorn Moon will always love a challenge and a to-do list, but I’ve learned that rest isn’t the enemy of ambition. It’s the fuel that sustains it.
For years, I worked to prove myself to people who doubted me, mocked me, or wanted me to play it safe. Yes, I built a career. But at what cost? If I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: you are worthy no matter what you do. You don’t have to prove a damn thing.
And if you thought I’d fully learned this lesson by 2025, the answer is no. Earlier this year, I was sick for an entire month — probably from toxic stress. That was my wake-up call. So this year, I chose something different: I took three months off from my small business. Not a “working vacation,” not half-rest, half-stress — real rest. For the first time, I didn’t fill the downtime with projects that drained me, even if they felt easier.
And it’s changed me. I don’t feel like that girl in survival mode anymore, the one desperate to prove herself. Maybe it’s because I finally don’t feel like I have to prove anything. Maybe this season isn’t about proving at all. It’s about choosing what makes me truly happy — not what feeds my ego, not what earns approval, but what brings me peace.
Rest isn’t a luxury or a reward. It’s survival. It’s wisdom. And for me, it’s the only way forward.
