Rest is Resistance: Tricia Hersey on taking time for self-care
I’ve been contemplating “rest” recently as part of my exploration of self-care. I talk a lot about slowing down, tuning in, noticing. Yet how often do I think about actually stopping?
How often do we really rest?
This contemplation was inspired by the work of Tricia Hersey, after an interview I heard with her on Glennon Doyle’s fabulous podcast ‘We can do Hard Things’. I’ve been thinking about the importance of rest, of winding down, of taking a break, and wondering what it looks like for me.
Have you noticed that people will often ask “are you busy” rather than “how are you feeling”? Like being busy is more important than wellness?
Tricia’s ideas, as an activist and a performance artist, is that resting is increasingly becoming a political act. The more we measure our success based on productivity, the more we add to an unsustainable, unbalanced way forward for ourselves and our communities.
As an act of defiance and liberation, Tricia naps. She says no to work and incorporates moments of rest throughout her day. For many years she has worked to encourage people to rest and slow down.
On her website, The Nap Ministry, she says:
“This work is saving the lives of so many and saved my life. This work should be respected as a balm for all of humanity. Find ways to connect back to your body and mind. Find ways to intentionally slow down. Find ways to reimagine and snatch rest right now. It is your divine and human right to do so. WE WILL REST!”
With her words and voice in my head, I begin to ask myself about my relationship to work and rest. Do I feel guilty when I sit down on the couch and rest? Do I feel a day is not complete without working hard? What does rest look and feel like to me?
And you. Could you rest more? Of course not, I might hear you say, especially right now. Who has time to rest when Christmas is this near? When a New Year is soon to begin?
How can we make time to rest?
You don’t have to turn this into something big, like a holiday or a weekend away.
It could be as small as making a cup of tea and actually sitting down to drink it without distractions. Last night I put the dinner in the oven and lay on the couch for 10 minutes while it was cooking.
Little moments make a big difference. Try it. And let me know how you get on.
Taking time to Rest this Holidays
We are taking some time out between the 23rd December and the 9th January 2023 to rest and recover. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and manage to carve out moments of joy and connection in all the chaos.
We’ll be back in January with a specially designed programme that allows you to explore how creativity can help you rest and reconnect as part of your self-care. For more details check THIS out
