Review by Tibbs Weir
“You are worthy of rest. We don’t have to earn rest. Rest is not a luxury, a privilege, or a bonus we must wait for.”
If you are someone who, like many of us, struggles to spend time resting without a sense of guilt then I particularly recommend the new bestselling book ‘Rest Is Resistance’ for you.
The author, Tricia Hersey, movingly shares her life stories, and how they made her realise the importance of rest and practicing regular restfulness in her life.
In fact, she recommends you read the book whilst resting – I would also suggest reading it in small bursts, to help form a habit of regular restfulness.
But the book goes beyond freeing up the mind, to allow you to take the rest you deserve.
In a world that celebrates working people to exhaustion, and a system that treats people as expendable, making regular time to rest is an act of defiance.
Hershey explains how she took group action to push back against capitalism and racism through rest.
Sounds like a pipe dream?
Not for Hershey.
She set about creating a culture of restfulness as a way of caring for her community – by creating an organisation called the Nap Ministry, which gathered people to take naps together.
Now, I can’t imagine something less restful than being in some church hall full of people all snoring away – but when Tricia talked about the impact on her community, I couldn’t help but feel moved.
Imagine if you lived in a society of people who felt well rested and allowed you to be the same!
The idea could not be more urgent.
Workers are being threatened with sanctions for daring to push back against being so overworked and underpaid; the retirement age is already higher than the average life expectancy for West Dunbartonshire; inflation and recession are pushing many to juggle two or more jobs; the Covid pandemic continues to take its toll on our mental and physical health.
So, find yourself your comfiest chair, bed, or – hell, the floor if you have to -and relax.
Whether or not it will make the world a better place, it’ll definitely make you a happier person – and that’s a great place to start.
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