During a recent workshop I led on burnout and resilience, someone raised their hand and said:
“Not all of us can just take a sabbatical and fly to India.”
And she’s absolutely right.
The room laughed—but it was that knowing kind of laugh. The kind that says, “Whew, I wish.”
For context: A few years ago, I actually did take that sabbatical. I left my corporate job, traveled to India, and studied holistic healing practices that transformed my relationship with rest and resilience. I had never felt better in my entire life!
But I know most people can’t just walk away from their jobs or responsibilities.
Still, that doesn’t mean we have to settle for burnout.
It just means we have to redefine what rest can look like—right here, right now.
Real-World Rest: Small But Powerful Practices
Here are a few creative ways people in my community are reclaiming rest, even in the midst of real life:
🛏️ The local hotel getaway.
A friend of mine is a mom with young kids. Once a quarter, she books a hotel within driving distance for a solo weekend. She reads. She sleeps. She gets a massage. She’s close enough in case of emergency, but far enough to reset her nervous system.
📋 The “I feel restored when…” list.
Make a list of things that actually restore you—long baths, walking in nature, laughing with friends, sitting in sunshine, turning off your phone. Then post it somewhere visible. That way, when you’re tired or overwhelmed, you don’t have to think. You just pick something.
🧘🏽♀️ Mini pauses throughout the day.
You don’t need an hour to feel a shift. Even a 2-minute breathing break can ground you, reset your energy, and regulate your nervous system. One deep exhale can be a portal back to presence.
These micro-moments of rest matter. But sometimes, the body and spirit need more.
When You’re Ready to Go Deeper: Why Retreats Are Radical Rest
There’s a reason retreats are powerful.
Unlike vacations—which can be jam-packed and exhausting—retreats are designed for healing. They offer structure, support, intention, and often, community.
Some retreats are silent.
Some focus on yoga, or meditation, or creativity.
Some are spiritual. Others are playful.
Some are held in local centers, others in beautiful destinations around the world.
But at the heart of every retreat is a simple truth:
You deserve time and space to rest, reconnect, and come home to yourself.
If you’ve been curious about what a retreat actually is, here are a few places to explore:
And if you’re a woman of color who’s been carrying too much for too long…
I invite you to join me this March in Barbados.
It’s called the Rejuvenation Retreat——a luxury, soul-nourishing experience where we’ll rest, breathe, reconnect with joy, and be held in sisterhood in a stunning Black-owned villa overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Together, we’ll melt into soothing massages, flow through gentle yoga, sink into healing sound baths, and set sail on a sunset cruise—each moment designed to replenish your mind, body, and soul.
🌺 Learn more here.
Rest Isn’t a Reward. It’s a Requirement.
You don’t need to earn your rest by hitting a breaking point.
You don’t have to fly across the world to find peace (though you’re welcome to 😉).
You just need to start listening to your body.
What would it look like to rest this week?
Not crash… but truly restore?
You deserve that.
Zee Clarke is the author of the book, Black People Breathe (Penguin Random House). She has been featured in many leading publications including ABC, Fortune, Forbes, CNBC, Ebony, Essence, and Fast Company.
She is a Harvard Business School graduate who applies holistic healing practices to corporate environments. Zee leads transformative workshops on mindfulness, breathwork and stress management tools at organizations such as Google, Visa, AMC Networks and more.
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