“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” — Audre Lorde
The world is moving fast, and it feels like every day there’s something new happening. Lately, though, it seems like the news keeps getting heavier. Rights being stripped away. Families being separated. Rising costs making it harder for people to get by. Mass layoffs. The list goes on and on, and sometimes it can all start to feel like too much.
The bad news is everywhere. A family member or friend texts you about something that happened. You open social media and immediately see another headline. You turn on the TV hoping to unwind, and there it is again. Sometimes it feels impossible to escape.
Maybe you’ve caught yourself asking, How is all of this happening? Or maybe you’ve wondered, What can I even do? Should I be doing something? Those questions can leave you feeling overwhelmed, guilty, or helpless. If you’ve felt that way, you’re definitely not alone.
And that’s before we even think about our own lives. Work deadlines. Family responsibilities. School. Financial stress. Relationships. We’re carrying our own challenges while trying to process everything happening around us.
So, What Do We Do?
For me, the answer isn’t pretending the world isn’t on fire or ignoring what’s happening. It’s giving myself permission to step away for a little while.
Not forever. Just long enough to breathe.
Because the truth is, you can’t figure out your next steps if you never give yourself a chance to rest. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t solve the world’s problems while you’re running on empty. Sometimes it’s okay to step away from the headlines for a few days. Sometimes it’s okay not to know every single thing that’s happening the moment it happens.
What Does “Rest as Resistance” Mean?
Rest as resistance isn’t about avoiding reality. It isn’t pretending problems don’t exist or hoping they’ll magically go away. It’s about choosing to pause so you can reset your mind before jumping back in.
The phrase “Rest as Resistance” was coined and popularized by Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto. Through her work, Hersey invites us to see rest as a form of healing, liberation, and reclaiming our humanity.
The phrase itself challenges the idea that our worth is determined by how much we produce or consume. We live in a world that constantly tells us to keep working, keep scrolling, keep responding, and keep going. Choosing to rest pushes back against that pressure. It reminds us that our minds and bodies weren’t meant to constantly absorb stress, fear, and information without a break.
Rest isn’t giving up. It’s preparing yourself to keep going.
What Can Rest Look Like?
The good thing about rest is that it doesn’t look the same for everyone. It doesn’t have to mean taking a vacation or disappearing for a week. Sometimes it’s found in the small moments.
Rest might look like:
- Putting your phone on Do Not Disturb for a few hours.
- Taking a break from social media or the news for a day or two.
- Reading something that’s entertaining instead of informative.
- Sitting in silence or practicing meditation.
- Going for a walk.
- Picking up an old hobby or trying a new one.
- Spending time with people who make you feel grounded.
- Simply giving yourself permission to genuinely rest.
You may be tempted to check the news or reopen those apps, and that’s okay. In those moments, remind yourself that you’re taking a break for a reason. Walk away from your phone and choose something that brings you peace instead.
Why Rest Matters
When we give ourselves permission to rest, we create space to think more clearly. We feel a little lighter, we make better decisions and we show up more fully for the people we care about, our work, and ourselves.
The problems don’t disappear, but we return to them with a clearer mind and more energy to face them. Instead of feeling consumed by everything happening around us, we’re able to focus on the things we can control and the actions that truly matter.
The world isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. There will always be another notification, another deadline, another headline waiting for us.
But we don’t have to meet every moment exhausted.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is give ourselves permission to pause, reset, and remember that rest isn’t something we have to earn. It’s something we need.
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