Rest Is Resistance

To my friends in the nonprofit world, carrying the weight of the world, showing up in big and small ways, despite everything happening to us and around us.

I offer this gentle reminder: Prioritize rest.

Choose you. Choose stillness.

The past few weeks (and months) have been incredibly heavy. Very heavy...

And I know you already know this, but...

You can't pour from an empty cup.

Sometimes, we feel the bottom, and still we do what we've been conditioned to do: we push through.

Today, I invite you to practice the sacred pause.

Pause.

Make time to refill. Not only when you're on E, but as a regular, loving act of self-preservation and collective care.

Your rest is not selfish. It models what is possible for others. When we prioritize rest, we invite others to do the same. We normalize wellness, slowness, and care as community values.

As I often remind myself and others: The only people who benefit from our depletion are the oppressors.

They want us tired. They want us empty. They want us too weary to resist.

Too exhausted to show up for self and others.

The System Was Designed This Way

This pressure to be constantly productive, especially in mission-driven work, is not accidental.

Hustle culture is rooted in capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy, systems that measure our value and worth by output instead of our humanity or collective well-being.

For Black, Brown and marginalized people, the pressure to keep pushing is compounded by the need to prove our value in spaces not built by and for us.

In the nonprofit sector, this often shows up as overwork, burnout disguised as dedication, and self-sacrifice mistaken for effective leadership.

But here's the truth: You are not a machine. You are a whole human being.

We must disrupt these systems not only through advocacy and programming, but through how we care for ourselves and each other.

Our liberation is connected. So is our rest.

Rest Is Resistance.

When we choose rest, we reclaim time, agency, and dignity.

Rest is not a reward. It is an act of resistance in a world that demands our exhaustion.

When we rest together, we heal together.

We challenge the systems that tell us we are only as valuable as what we produce.

Pause.

Say it out loud: "Rest is not a privilege. Rest is a human right. I don't have to earn rest." - The Nap Ministry's Rest Deck

6 Ways to Practice Rest (Even When It Feels Impossible)

1. Small Pauses

Rest doesn't have to be a full day off, though that's wonderful too.

Take 5-10 minutes between meetings to stretch, breathe, or step outside. Block off 15 minutes to lie down, hydrate, or simply be.

2. Honor Your Body's Cues

Pay attention to signs of fatigue, irritability, or disconnection. These are your body's gentle (and sometimes loud) nudges that you need to rest.

Pause. Listen. Adjust.

Take what you need. Unapologetically.

3. Unplug Without Guilt

Set boundaries around availability, even in your mission-driven "impact" work. Let people know when you're off and unavailable. DND is also a good tool available on most "smart" phones.

Trust me, the world will not fall apart while you rest.

And if it does, it wasn't sustainable anyway.

You are worthy of rest. Always.

Not after the next deadline. Not after the next crisis. Not when you've earned it.

Now. Today. For you and for us all.

4. Rest in Community

Create rest circles or shared quiet spaces where folks can pause together, virtual or in person.

It could be 30 minutes of collective stillness, journaling, or music.

Resting together reminds us: we're not alone in needing to slow down and pause.

5. Normalize Rest in Your Workspaces

Start meetings with a grounding breath, a pause, or moment of silence.

Encourage your team, colleagues, and even friends and family, to take real breaks and model it yourself.

When we affirm rest for others, we create a culture where slowing down is safe and valued.

Let's begin to recognize and reward rest as a vital part of how we show up — whole, well, and present.

6. Find a Rest Accountability Partner

Choose someone you trust to gently check in with you about your rest, not to pressure or judge you, but to lovingly remind you that you deserve it.

Offer the same care in return by supporting their rest, too.

It's not about perfection or keeping score; it's about mutual care and connection.

A simple, yet powerful, reminder we offer each other: "We dont have to do it all. Let's make time to take a breath, a sacred pause."

We are not machines, we are human beings, deserving of rest.

Rest is resistance, restoration, and remembering who we are!

Pause. Start small. Start now.

Take the time you need to recharge, for yourself and for others.

Peace and love,

Arlene