Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto

by Tricia Hersey

I also plan for open time that will emerge when I am not spending hours a day scrolling. It must be replaced with intentional rest, opportunities to connect, moments of studying, journaling, and daydreaming.

We are resting not to do more and to come back stronger and more productive for a capitalist system. Rest is not a luxury or a privilege.

Therefore, we cannot wait until we are told it’s okay to rest. No one will tell you this. You will have to make space for yourself and others around you to rest. Resting is not a state of inactivity or a waste of time. Rest is a generative space.

Your bodies don’t belong to capitalism, to white supremacy, or to the patriarchy. Your body is a divine temple and a place of generative imagination. A place of healing and freedom.

I’m less interested in the repetitive and curated world of social media. I believe we would be closer to our rest goals if we weren’t always connected by technology.

I did not land upon this rest idea from a privileged place. When I started resting to save my life and connect with my Ancestors, I was a poor, Black, queer women in graduate school on student loans with thousands of dollars in debt.