The founder's dilemma: does peace bring rest, or does rest bring peace?

Most of us believe that we should rest only when we find peace: after the project is launched, after the funding is secured, after the chaos subside. But what if that’s backward? This question has been at the forefront of my mind. for the last six months as I have navigated the transition from consultant to founder (building Iyashi Wellness Centre , pivoting business models, and chasing the next deadline); I have found myself physiologically unable to rest.

My mind races, my body is tense, and the quiet moments feel more like a waiting room for the next task than a space for recovery.

This experience led me to a fundamental question: Is rest a luxury afforded by stability, or is it the non-negotiable input that creates stability in the first place?

Too Stressed to Rest

The feeling of being unable to switch off is biological. When you are constantly in problem-solving mode, your body is dominated by the sympathetic nervous system, our fight or flight mechanism. A 2017 study in Psychoneuroendocrinology highlights how chronic stress leads to elevated levels of cortisol, a hormone that keeps us hyper-alert. Your brain, perceiving constant threats such as a missed deadline, a difficult email or financial uncertainty, inhibits the transition to the parasympathetic nervous system, our rest state.

Image from Google

In this state, your body is physically unable to prioritize recovery. You are biologically primed for action. This is the classic chicken-and-egg problem: you need peace to activate the parasympathetic state, but your activated sympathetic state prevents you from feeling peaceful.

This is the trap I, and so many founders, fall into. We are waiting for external calm before allowing internal rest, not realizing our internal state is actively resisting it.

Rest as an Action, not a Result

The emerging consensus in neuroscience and psychology suggests that rest is a key part of working hard. Luckily, rest can be initiated by a conscious choice. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that even small microbreaks i.e. pausing for a few minutes during the workday; can significantly improve focus and reduce fatigue.

These breaks can become your small, deliberate acts of defiance against the tyranny of the to-do list.

By choosing to rest even for a moment, you are sending a signal to your nervous system that you are safe. This act can begin to regulate the sympathetic response and allow the parasympathetic system to come online. It is in this state that our brains begin to problem-solve as has been shown by research from the University of Southern California that our brains are highly active during rest, consolidating memories, and engaging in creative problem-solving.

If science shows that our brains does some of it's most creative work during periods of rest, shouldn't the next logical question be: how we access this state when we are running on fumes?

When you are a founder chasing deadlines and juggling priorities, the idea of rest can feel like a luxury you can’t afford.

Next week, in Part 2, we will move from the why to the how.

I will share four evidence-based, practical strategies for reclaiming rest and building resilience, even in the middle of a storm.

--- I write regularly about the intersection of mental health, entrepreneurship, and sustainable leadership. Follow me for more insights, and I look forward to sharing Part 2 with you next week!