Are You Running While You Are Resting? Assessing If Your Rest Practice is Escapism
In our cultural obsession with busyness, rest is often misunderstood—as if slowing down is a betrayal of drive, impact, and worth. Many of us—leaders, organizers, wellness practitioners—understand the necessity of rest not just as recovery but as a foundation for sustainable action. Yet, two questions often come up in this work: When does rest become a means of escapism? How do we discern the difference?
So let’s operationalize each term. Escapism is a form of avoidance. It is a way to disconnect, to numb, or to push away discomfort rather than tending to it with compassion or curiosity. Rest, on the other hand, is about restoration and reconnection - a homecoming to our wholeness. It is an intentional practice of renewal that allows us to return to ourselves—our bodies, our emotions, our wisdom—with greater clarity.
The Tension Between Rest and Avoidance
The line begins to blur when resting shifts from being a tool for replenishment to a means of withdrawal. Consider this: Are you re-upping on your energy and capacity, or are you using rest as a way to evade difficult emotions, decisions, or responsibilities? As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches, "Life is only available in the here & now. The past is already gone, and the future is yet to come…there is only one moment for me to live…The present moment." If our rest practices take us further from the present rather than deeper into it, they may be veering into escapism.
For example:
Taking a nap because your body needs restoration = Rest.
Taking a nap to avoid facing a challenging conversation or responsibility = Escapism.
Engaging in a sound bath to deepen self-awareness and connection = Rest.
Using a sound bath to continuously check out from the present moment = Escapism.
How to Tell the Difference
If you’re wondering whether your rest practices are truly nourishing or leaning into avoidance, consider these questions:
What is my intention? Am I engaging in this practice to care for myself, or am I using it to postpone something uncomfortable?
Do I feel more connected to myself afterward? True rest should leave you feeling more present, more aware—not more disconnected.
Does this form of rest help me process or just postpone? Rest should create space for reflection and integration, not just delay confronting what needs attention.
Am I integrating rest into my life, or is it becoming my primary mode of being? Rest is meant to support engagement, not replace it.
The Role of Rest in Healing and Leadership
Rest is not meant to be a temporary refuge from reality but a practice that strengthens our ability to engage with it. For leaders, healers, and change-makers, rest should be a space where we gather our energy and insight, not a hiding place where we relinquish responsibility. Of course, there are times when we genuinely need to withdraw—to process grief, to heal from burnout, to sit with the unknown. But even in these moments, rest should be an act of intentional retreat, not permanent escape. Howard Thurman captures this well: "Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace." Rest, when approached with presence, can help us rediscover that forgotten joy and reconnect to the depths of our being. The key is balance: allowing ourselves the deep nourishment of stillness while remaining conscious of when we may be using rest to avoid the very things that need our attention.
So, the next time you find yourself seeking rest, ask yourself: Am I resting to return to myself, or am I resting to run from something?
The answer may reveal more than you expect.
Reflection Question:
Where in your life is rest serving as a tool for renewal, and where might it be a way of avoiding something deeper?
