Rest ≠ Stagnation: Why Integration Is the Hardest Work You’ll Ever Do
Let’s start with the hard truth: slowing down can feel like falling behind. And for practice owners and leaders who are used to building, fixing, and fighting fires, rest doesn’t just feel foreign — it feels dangerous.
But here's the kicker: rest is not stagnation. It’s integration. And integration is messy, emotional, and honestly, harder than any to-do list you’ve ever tackled.
In this episode of the Culture Focused Practice Podcast, I get into why so many of us resist rest — even when we desperately need it. I break down the cultural crap we’ve absorbed (rest = lazy, hustle = worth), and what happens when we finally stop moving: the self-doubt, the grief, the ego crash of not being needed 24/7.
There’s also the identity high of problem-solving. (You know what I’m talking about.) That dopamine hit from fixing stuff and proving your value? Yeah, it disappears when the fires are out. And in that silence? Things get loud.
For systems thinkers and visionary leaders, rest can feel like getting benched. But here’s the thing: we need space for things to settle. Synthesis doesn’t happen in chaos. It happens in stillness.
So how do you know if you’re resisting rest?
You might:
Keep tweaking systems that are already working.
Start fixing problems that don’t exist.
Convince yourself your hypervigilance is “just strategy.”
Sound familiar? Yep. Me too.
The solution isn’t to grit your teeth and “do nothing.” It’s to shift how you frame the pause. Rest is productive in its own way — it creates the space for clarity, creativity, and actual sustainability. Without it, you’re just piling bricks on a foundation you never let settle.
I wrapped this episode with three reflection prompts to help you dig into your relationship with rest:
What part of your worth is tied to output?
What scares you more: burnout or boredom?
Whose pace are you trying to match?
If these questions hit a nerve, you’re not broken. You’re a leader living in a hustle-glorifying world that doesn’t teach us how to rest with intention. That’s exactly what we’re exploring Inside the Living Practice — a membership space for values-led practice owners who want to lead with humanity and structure.
Come join us. Integration doesn’t have to feel so isolating.
👉 www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership
About the Author
Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is a gently-candid consultant who’s been in the trenches of group practice ownership since 2017. With a hearty blend of depth, irreverence, and a solid dash of humor (or so she hopes), Tara helps practice owners navigate the can-be-messy process of hiring, culture-building, vision generating, people-y issues, and all the other things that keep you up at night. When she’s not consulting, she’s probably wrangling her animals or homeschooling her kids—because why not add more chaos to the mix?
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