‘Artwork by unknown artist, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, September 2021.
Power naps are my thing. But I am as conditioned by capitalism and its demands to produce as much as anyone, so it’s been something of a guilty pleasure. Until now. F*ck ‘guilty’; or even ‘pleasure’: I’m starting to agree with Tricia Hersey that rest is a human right.
Back in 2016, US-based Hersey, activist and author of ‘Rest is Resistance’, found herself overwhelmed by the myriad demands on her time, body and mind. She responded to this state of exhaustion by napping whenever and wherever she could – or could not. A University student, as well as working parent, she slept anywhere and everywhere on campus. She told lecturers that she may not submit work as expected because she was prioritising rest (in her case, napping). Hersey talks of resting through guilt. Moreover, it’s not the kind of rest taken in order to become more productive. It’s not even rest for rest’s sake: it is rest for liberation.
Hersey’s manifesto is that rest is a form of resistance against white supremacy and capitalism, systems that thrive on the exhaustion and overwork of individuals, particularly those marginalised by these systems. ‘Grind culture’, she calls it. I suggest that a culture of ‘busyness’ also exacerbates ‘grind culture’. Said differently, it seems that busyness has become associated with worth, making rest even more elusive. Rest is paramount though, says Hersey. Not just for physical inactivity but as a radical act of reclaiming one’s humanity and challenging the structures that demand constant productivity and deny basic needs.
I find this pretty compelling. Maybe it also supports you to stop, whatever that looks like and however long it lasts.Â
Biography
Rakhi Chand (MBACP Snr Accred)
Rakhi is an online therapist, supervisor and writer based in the Peak District. She is in the final stages of her PhD at Manchester University, examining the career progression experiences of racially minoritised women in healthcare leadership.