Netflixing and Nerding Out

The Founder’s Guide to Rest That Actually Works

Hey there, Erin here! This week’s blog is all about ……………..

Sorry, I went to send an email and got distracted, then spent another 12 minutes scrolling social media. Then I got a message from someone I didn’t want to respond to, which snapped me back into work mode. F*ck.

The zone out.

You know it. I know it.

It’s happened probably 14 times trying to write this blog this week. My mind is in a weird space… if you’re not into writing, though, you probably still know what I’m talking about.

I bet you’ve had these happen:

Ever start driving, then all of a sudden you’ve parked your car, but you don’t even know how you got there?

What about unlocking your phone to send an email, only for it to be 40 minutes later and you’re now late picking your kid up from wherever you were supposed to? Then get mad at yourself because it’s been 40 f*cking minutes. Like HOOOOWWWWWW?

The worst of the worst, for me, watching a show, zoning out only then to rewind and zone out again missing that SAME part. Again HOWWWWW?

The problem isn’t just distraction or feeling tired. It’s unintentional or unstrategic rest, and it’s wrecking our energy to create. Not all rest is created equal. You might think you’re resting, but there a huge difference between recharging and zoning out. That mistake can lead to huge consequences.

…like taking 4 days to write this d*mn blog.

Entrepreneur burnout doesn’t usually scream at you while it’s happening, it’s a slow leak of energy, which is why it’s so hard to prevent because you don’t usually see it until it's too late.

Here’s the difference: Rest and recovery are NOT the same thing.

You hear it all the time:

• Just read 5 minutes per day

• Meditate for 5 minutes per day

• Take a 10-minute walk

Why is it so much easier to get lost for 40 minutes scrolling through social media than plan 5 minutes of active rest (aka recovery)?

Often, we confuse distraction with recovery, but they are very different. We need both.

Active vs Passive Rest: WTF is the difference?

Passive Rest = numbing out.
TV. Instagram. Doom-scrolling. Naps. Basically, mental white noise.

Active Rest = recharging with intention.
Creative hobbies. Journaling. Light movement. Reading for fun. Visioning sessions.

Think of it like this… you are totally over your project you are working on, so you grab your phone and scroll social media. You aren’t looking for anything in particular other than a dopamine hit. Active rest could be scrolling LinkedIn and actively networking or commenting on posts, OR it could be logging into Substack to find a good, quick 5-minute read. A different, more fulfilling dopamine kinda hit.

Both phone grabs, both social scrolling, but two totally different intentions.

Scheduling rest is so meh, I get it. It’s totally not sexy, and it leaves no room for spontaneity. But before you can be spontaneous and trust yourself to actually rest, you have to schedule it to start a habit. (You may, or may not, have had to do this with other things in your life…)

The Guy With the Headlamp (AKA: My New Rest Role Model)

For four months straight, every morning on the way to drop my daughter off at school, we saw the same guy in the same truck. He’s there every morning waiting for the house that’s under construction to be unlocked.

It’s EARLY, as in the first bell for my daughter’s school rings at 7:30am. So, EARLY.

But every morning, there was the guy in his truck with a little headlamp on, reading a book. Every. Single. Morning.

What a psycho, jk. I actually thought, “This guy has it figured out.” Ha! Whether he’s early to beat traffic or just to read his book, or whoever is letting him in is always late. It doesn’t actually matter, because either way, he wasn’t ever on his phone when we went by, he always chose to read his book.

Active Rest: nailed it.

Creativity Needs Input, Not Just Output

You’re an entrepreneur, and creativity needs space. We can’t just output only, we MUST input. I could use an accounting example, but we both know you’d f*cking hate that.

An easy way to incorporate active rest if you don’t know how is what I like to call The Creative Switch. It’s all about doing the opposite thing of what you’re working on.

Try this:

If you’re writing, go read someone else’s blog—just to read. Not to dissect.
If you’re a photographer, scroll a few landscape photography blogs or flip through a fashion mag.

It’s a reset, not a chore.

The key? Don’t take a break from zoning out by zoning out more. Here’s the easy way to remember what to do: just do something. That’s it, that’s the trick. It’s taking a 5 or 10-minute break of active rest to reset yourself.

I find myself doing this in my businesses, too. It’s like knowing I need to be working on something and totally avoiding it, or diving in and working on one thing, knowing I need to be working on the other.

Sure, why not redo my entire “About Me” page when I know I need to create next month’s email marketing calendar?

It’s about using rest in a way that’s actually restorative. Sometimes the zone out is totally necessary, and sometimes it’s because we are just avoiding something.

The problem is once you’ve realized you’re zoning out or working on the wrong thing, is the ability to hold yourself accountable and snap the f*ck out of it. It’s time to be honest, do you need to zone out or do you need actual restoration instead?

My Creative Reset: Watercolors & Vision Boards

Speaking of zoning out, I actually now only have Instagram and Substack on my phone. I do still get caught scrolling and losing track of time.

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to do something creative weekly, and I’ve stuck to it. I’ve swapped to monthly vision board journaling, and while I’m still scrolling social media at night, it’s become a lot less thanks to watercoloring.

What started as an idea for me and my daughter has now turned into my nightly unwind restoration ritual.

Here are some of my creations based on Emily Lex’s Watercoloring books.

It’s been honestly perfect for reminding me of my patience and going with the flow. Unfortunately, I can’t turn any brush strokes into Bob Ross’s famous birds, but these watercolor workbooks have been the perfect active rest for me.

Since it’s best to start with lighter colors first, I usually do those and then have to let everything dry…a true lesson in patience. Luckily for me, that means I get to work on it tomorrow, which continues to build my new habit of active rest in the evenings.

It’s resting with intention and creativity without pressure. It’s been exactly what I need.

Think about your work week, you probably have some days you feel SO productive, and you probably have another day that’s full of meetings. Time and time again, my husband and I look at each other and just say, “Where did the day f*cking go?” “Why do I feel like I did nothing?”

That is JUST like that feeling of driving somewhere, but not remembering a single thing about how you got there. THIS is when you should smack yourself in the face, JK. This is when it’s time to rethink your rest.

Reality Inventory: Rethink Your Rest

Step One: Reflect on your week so far.

1. What days were full of energy?

2. What days felt like a fog?

3. Did you use any active rest? How did it go?

Step Two: Ask yourself 3 questions about your day today:

1. What drained me today?

2. What filled me up today?

3. What kind of rest was my default? Did it work?

Step Three: Reset the plan.

Take what you learned and adjust. No need to be perfect.

Just remember, just do something, even if it’s noticing. When you start to zone out, notice it, then see if you can refocus. If you can’t it might mean it’s time for a different type of rest.

Final Thought: Rest Isn’t a Reward, It’s a Requirement

Rest isn’t earned. Rest isn’t a luxury. Rest is a necessity for life and leadership. Rest is Netflix and nerding out on your next creative switch.

So, here is your permission slip to take the nap, take the walk, or take the opportunity to grab that matcha lemonade and journal about what’s next.

Give yourself permission to take a break when your brain needs it, because you aren’t avoiding the work when you do it. You are becoming the version of yourself that can do it better in the future.

You are courageous. You are capable. You are strong enough to choose rest without guilt. It’s time to build rest that fuels your next YES.