Courtney Carver on Gentle Rest: How to Stress Less and Live the Life You Want

Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Erik Fisher

Business, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Careers, Education

4.5 • 875 Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Courtney Carver, author of Rest More, Stress Less: How to Live the Life You Actually Want, shares her transformative approach to prioritizing rest and reducing stress. Courtney, a simplicity and decluttering expert, discusses how rest is not just a reward but a necessity for productivity, creativity, and overall well-being. In this conversation, we explore: • The Importance of Rest: Courtney explains why rest should be prioritized, not as a reward, but as an essential part of life and work. She discusses how our productivity and creativity improve when we take time to rest. • The Three Seasons of Gentle: We dive into the book’s three-part structure: Rest, Less, and Rise. Courtney explains why rest is the foundation that allows us to simplify our lives, reduce stress, and ultimately rise into the life we truly want. • Breaking Free from the Busyness Trap: Courtney reveals how our society’s overemphasis on constant productivity can lead to burnout, and how intentionally doing less can lead to more meaningful results. • The Power of Decluttering: We discuss how simplifying our physical environment by letting go of excess stuff can ease mental clutter and reduce decision fatigue, making space for more peace and joy. • Energy Management and Chronic Illness: Courtney shares her personal experience managing multiple sclerosis and how counting “spoons”—a way to measure limited energy—can help in making mindful choices about how we use our time and energy. Courtney’s approach to living with less, embracing rest, and prioritizing what truly matters offers practical solutions for anyone feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. Her insights provide a roadmap for living a life with more meaning, purpose, and peace. Learn more about Courtney and her work at bemorewithless.com, and find Rest More, Stress Less wherever books are sold. Connect with Erik: LinkedIn Facebook Bluesky This Podcast is Powered By: Descript Descript 101 Castmagic Ecamm Podpage Rodecaster Pro Top Productivity Books List Make sure to support the show by checking out the sponsors! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	This podcast is brought to you by e-cam.
0:02.4	I've been using it for years as my secret weapon because nothing else comes close to
0:06.3	e-cams quality and ease of use.
0:08.3	For recording my podcast, for leveling up my Zoom calls, for delivering polished presentations,
0:15.0	or for creating those engaging tutorial videos.
0:17.8	It's like having a full production studio at my fingertips, and you can find out
0:21.7	more by going to eCAM-E-C-A-M dot com slash beyond the to do list, and you can get 15% off your
0:30.3	first payment with promo code BTT-D-L. Again, head on over to e-cam.com slash beyond the to-do list and use my promo code, BTT-D-L. Again, head on over to eCAM.com slash beyond the to-do list and use my promo code,
0:41.0	BTTDL, to get 15% off your first payment. Hello and welcome back to Beyond the To Do List, a podcast about productivity.
1:06.4	I'm your host, Eric Fisher, and I'm excited to welcome to the show Courtney Carver.
1:10.7	She's the author of Rest More, Stress Less, How to Live the Life You Actually Want, and the creator of, and the creator of the Be More with Less movement. In this conversation, we talk about how to slow down and prioritize rest, not just as a luxury, but as an essential part of productivity and
1:30.2	creativity and life. Courtney explains the three seasons of gentle, rest, less, and rise,
1:37.7	and how simplifying your life by reducing stress and decluttering can help you show up more
1:43.5	fully to the things that matter.
1:45.6	So if you're feeling overwhelmed or burnt out or you need a fresh perspective on how to take
1:50.6	better care of yourself and your energy, this conversation with Courtney Carver is for you.
1:58.1	Well, it is my privilege to welcome to the show, Courtney Carver.
2:02.2	Courtney, welcome to beyond the to-do list.
2:04.9	Hi there. I'm happy to be here.
2:07.3	I was super excited to see your book and the email come through into my inbox.
2:13.1	Gentle, rest more, stress less, and live the life you actually want.
2:17.1	I mean, that's perfect. This isn't
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Erik Fisher, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Erik Fisher and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.