“Switching the mind off completely” – Understanding the psychology of rest in coaches

•Coaches report that resting involves both sleeping and resting while awake.•Resting while awake involves not thinking about work and reduced cognitive demands.•Resting while awake also involves engaging in personal (i.e., non-work) activities.•Barriers to rest include being contacted for work at any time.•Coaches receive little education about how to rest effectively.