In a world that demands constant output and endless productivity, the simple act of rest is resistance has become revolutionary—especially for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Rest is more than a break from work; it is a powerful act of resistance against systems that have historically dehumanized, overworked, and overlooked the mental health of our communities.
The Historical Weight of Rest Denial
To understand why rest is resistance, we have to confront history. Black, Brown, and Indigenous bodies have been systematically commodified and exploited for labor—enslaved, colonized, industrialized. From plantation fields to factory floors, our worth has long been measured by how much we can produce, endure, and survive.
This trauma didn’t disappear with emancipation or civil rights legislation. It morphed. It showed up in wage gaps, longer work hours, lack of access to mental healthcare, and cultural narratives that glorify hustle while shaming rest.
Generationally, we’ve been taught to keep going. To grind harder. To “make it” against the odds. But at what cost?
This constant push has left many Black, Brown, and Indigenous people burnt out, anxious, and struggling with internalized beliefs that rest equals laziness. When the world is not built for your peace, choosing to rest is a radical declaration that you are human, worthy, and whole.
Rest is Resistance for Mental Health
Mental health is not just about therapy (though therapy is deeply valuable). It’s also about lifestyle. Rest supports mental health by allowing our brains and bodies to process stress, restore balance, and regulate emotions.
Chronic sleep deprivation and overwork have been linked to depression, anxiety, and a host of physical illnesses. Yet, rest is often positioned as optional or earned—something you get after you prove your worth.
For Black, Brown, and Indigenous folks, this mindset is dangerous. We face a compounded level of stress due to racism, discrimination, microaggressions, and socioeconomic inequity. When you add generational trauma and the pressure to outperform stereotypes, it creates a mental health crisis hiding in plain sight.
Rest is the body and mind’s natural healing process. It tells your nervous system: “You’re safe now.” But safety isn’t always guaranteed for us. So we must create it, fiercely and intentionally.
Systems Don’t Love Us—But We Can Love Ourselves
Capitalism wasn’t made with Black, Brown, and Indigenous liberation in mind. Its foundation was literally built on our backs. The system profits when we believe we must be exhausted to be worthy. So choosing rest is choosing to break free. Black, & Brown therapists play a crucial role in helping communities reclaim peace and heal from the pressures of systemic oppression.
But rest doesn’t always mean sleep. It can be anything that nourishes your soul and reclaims your time—taking a walk without your phone, saying no without guilt, meditating, napping, laughing with friends, cooking slow meals, or doing absolutely nothing.
There is no productivity checklist for rest. There doesn’t need to be.
As the Nap Ministry, a movement founded by Tricia Hersey, teaches: “Rest is a form of resistance because it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy.” It’s a portal to freedom. When we stop, we remember. We remember who we are outside of what we do.&
Breaking Cultural Norms Around Rest
Let’s be honest: sometimes the pressure doesn’t come from outside—it comes from our own communities. Many of us were raised in homes where rest wasn’t encouraged because survival wasn’t optional. Our elders didn’t always have the luxury to rest, so they taught us to outwork our oppression.
But we can honor their sacrifices while breaking those cycles. We don’t have to inherit their exhaustion. For many, adult therapy can be a space to unlearn these internalized messages and explore new ways of being—ways that center rest, healing, and balance.
Creating a new narrative means giving ourselves and each other permission to slow down. It means calling out grind culture when it’s harming us. It means re-educating our communities that rest isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.
Equally important, child therapy can help the next generation develop healthier relationships with rest and self-worth early on, preventing the cycle of burnout before it starts.
And sometimes it means letting go of guilt when you choose to pause, even when there’s more to do.
Because there will always be more to do. But there will not always be you.
Rest as Reclamation
When we rest, we reclaim time. We reclaim peace. We reclaim our mental and physical health. We reclaim our imagination—because when you’re constantly surviving, dreaming becomes a luxury.
Rest creates space for joy. And joy is just as revolutionary as protest. Black, Brown, and Indigenous joy, in a world that tries to erase it, is a profound form of resistance. Whether that looks like dancing, creating art, playing with your kids, or just breathing deeply without fear—it matters.
Through individual therapy, we gain the tools to protect that rest and joy. Our rest fuels our resistance. It allows us to show up whole. To advocate for justice with clear minds and open hearts. To resist not just for ourselves but for future generations.
Creating Sacred Rest Practices
So how do we integrate this into our daily lives, especially when the world keeps spinning.
- Set Boundaries with Intention
Say no to extra work, toxic relationships, or energy-draining habits. Boundaries are acts of self-love. Sharing your experiences in group therapy can provide the support needed to uphold those boundaries. - Create Rest Rituals
Build small moments into your day that are just for you. Morning stillness. Midday naps. Evening wind-downs. Make them non-negotiable. - Unlearn the Guilt
Remind yourself daily: I do not need to earn rest. My rest is not a reward. It is a right. - Honor Ancestral Healing
Rest in their name. For the ancestors who couldn’t. For the generations that will.
Rest in Community
You don’t have to do this alone. Gather with friends who get it. Normalize collective care and mutual slowing down.
The Future We’re Dreaming
Imagine a world where Black, Brown, and Indigenous people are thriving, not just surviving. A world where our mental health is a priority, not an afterthought. A world where we rest because we know we are enough.
We can’t wait for that world to be handed to us—we have to build it. And rest is one of our bricks. Not just once a year on a mental health awareness day, but every day in small, sacred ways. For continued guidance on how to navigate rest, contact us at Coral Heart Counseling to work with one of our compassionate and knowledgeable therapists.
As Audre Lorde said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
So today, take a breath. Turn off the noise. Lay down the burden. You are not lazy. You are not falling behind. You are resting. And in that rest, you are rising.
