To be unapologetically rested is my resolution this year

I’ve been so tired lately. This deep-set exhaustion has wound its way to what feels like my very core. For two obvious reasons: the stress of being overworked and losing multiple family members over the last six months. And I’m sure, countless others that got lost in the frantic busyness. 

The non-stop go takes a toll. So, a few months ago, I decided to take a few weeks off over the holidays. I had all these lofty plans. Finish two certificate courses, create/edit digital content, start writing again. Basically, I wanted to take time off to work some more. But I didn’t do any of it (except write this of course). For some fortuitous reason, both my certificate courses had tech issues waiting to be resolved until after the holidays. This, I decided, was an obvious sign that life has found a way to slow me down whether I want to or not. 

It's been a struggle though. I feel this incessant need to do something paired with this persistent anxiety that I’m wasting precious time. A few years ago I was mulling over this same topic. I seem to constantly find myself at the crossroad between productivity and rest. Choose one, and I repeat the cycle. Choose the other, and I have to learn how to break it. 

Radical somatic therapist @pat.radical.therapist tackles this very tension in her micro-thesis about rest, “The Politics of Rest: Why Your Exhaustion Sustains Oppression & Why We Struggle”:

There’s a lot to unpack in this quote. These systems of oppression intentionally established and continue to thrive on disrupting the natural patterns of life. This disruption and corresponding trauma have not only weaved itself into our DNA but into the DNA of society, especially for BIPOC and other historically excluded groups. Everyone I know feels some level of exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, and other residual emotions. 

The exhaustion is everywhere, “Tiredness of life: the growing phenomenon in western society,” and, “Why we’re more exhausted than ever.” What strikes me most about these conversations is how superficial the inquiry is. Only focusing on the individual suffering and discontent that leaves a gaping hole where the larger question should go: How and why can so many people feel this overwhelmingly tired of life? 

@pat.radical.therapist goes on to say, “Capitalism cannot survive if we rest. It needs us to stay exhausted, disconnected from our bodies, and constantly striving…Your body has learned that stopping isn’t safe, and the systems around you reinforce that lesson every single day.” Embedding our exhaustion into the larger oppressive frameworks of colonialism and capitalism is a crucial take. It removes the responsibility from us individuals and places it where it rightly belongs: At the feet of these oppressive systems. Though it may not completely remove our feeling of helplessness, since tackling this issue can feel so large and impossible, it gives us a realistic starting point to begin addressing the root cause of our exhaustion.

Through this lens, rest is an action. It is a revolutionary act, “Rest isn’t passive – it’s a declaration that you will no longer allow your body, your time, or your energy to be stolen,” concludes @pat.radical.therapist. These kinds of radical reframes are critical to begin unlearning ingrained societal norms. 

So, rest. Rest unapologetically as much as you can. Encourage others to rest. Support others when they’re resting. And resist the incessant pull of productivity. I can’t think of a better resolution for the New Year.