Rest is not the reward you earn after the work is done, it is the input that makes the work possible.

In the final episode of the June Summer Sustainability series, Karin walks you through why most solopreneurs are not actually resting (they are collapsing), the four types of rest a small business owner needs and how each one gets depleted, and a three-layer rest protocol — daily, weekly, and seasonal — that builds on itself.

You’ll also hear three reframes for when rest feels wrong, lazy, or unearned, and leave with a one-week rest experiment you can start tomorrow. This episode closes a three-part arc on building a more sustainable summer as a microbusiness owner. Pull up a seat at the table and let’s get into it.

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References

1. Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD — Sacred Rest and The 7 Types of Rest Framework

Dr. Dalton-Smith’s research-based framework on the seven types of rest is the conceptual foundation for the four-types-of-rest section in this episode.

https://www.ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/

2. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang — Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less

Pang’s research-grounded book examines the work habits of high-performing scientists, writers, and entrepreneurs, demonstrating that deliberate rest is not opposed to productive work but is a core component of it.

https://www.strategy-business.com/article/Rest

3. Tony Schwartz — The Energy Project (Harvard Business Review)

Schwartz’s widely cited Harvard Business Review work on energy management establishes the case that strategic recovery produces better business outcomes than continuous work.

https://hbr.org/2007/10/manage-your-energy-not-your-time

4. American Psychological Association (APA) — Burnout, Recovery, and Decision Quality Research

The APA’s ongoing body of research on burnout among self-employed workers and small business owners documents the measurable cognitive and decision-making costs of inadequate recovery.

https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress

5. Cal Newport — Slow Productivity and Deep Work

Newport’s ongoing research and writing on slow productivity, deep work, and the cognitive costs of always-on communication informs the framing of rest as a quality-of-work strategy.

https://calnewport.com

6. National Institutes of Health (NIH) — Sleep and Cognitive Function Research

The NIH’s research on the relationship between sleep, cognitive function, and decision-making provides the scientific foundation for the physical rest layer of this episode.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important

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If you want a place to keep building, alongside other solopreneurs and microbusiness owners doing the same work — come join us in The Growth Table Small Business Collective. We are building these things right alongside you with monthly workshops, a growing library of practical resources, peer support, and more all in a private community off social media. Head to GrowthTableSBC.com