When Resting Isn't Enough

Feeling rested isn’t an easy experience to achieve. For some of us, our lived experience of being black women in this country prevents us from feeling equipped or even safe enough to create effective rest practices. Did you know there’s been a lot of research that confirms the exhaustion we, as black women, feel isn’t all in our heads? When resting isn’t enough to transform your life, however, here are some things to consider. 

Psalm 127:2 reminds us it’s useless to work so hard, from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat. We know if we don’t work, we don’t eat. It’s the grind culture aspect of working that creates a sense of anxiety that aids our exhaustion. Engaging in practices that promote mindfulness (deep breathing, centering, singularly focused tasks) helps to clarify what is within our control to change while staying present and avoiding excessive worrying and irritability. 

Hebrews 10:25 encourages us to get together for the sake of community and to build each other up. In our culture, being “strong” means we have convinced ourselves to avoid vulnerability, keeping our emotions under lock and key, and making things happen even when our bank account is in the red. That mindset can be lonely. Getting together with other like-minded folks invites us to disarm ourselves, to trade hustle for genuine connection. Have you ever witnessed the shift that happens when black folks start playing dominoes or spades? Or when Wobble starts playing on the loudspeaker? We forget everything and just be. That’s the blessing of the community. 

You know the two things I just mentioned in the paragraphs are considered rest? Mental rest. Sensory rest. Spiritual rest. Emotional rest. And social rest. The concept of rest is expansive. Check out Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith, and Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey. Your whole life will thank you.