The book Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey explores the transformative power of rest as an act of political resistance and spiritual healing, focusing on themes such as The Healing Power of Rest, The Critique of Capitalism and White Supremacy, and The Importance of Community Care and Self-Care. It challenges the grind culture that capitalist and white supremacist systems impose and advocates for rest as a fundamental act of rebellion and a pathway to individual and collective well-being.

This guide is based on the 2024 Aster edition.

Content Warning: This book addresses the systemic impacts of racism, white supremacy, and capitalism, including discussions of labor exploitation, health disparities, enslavement, and racist violence. It also delves into personal narratives of exhaustion, grief, and trauma.

Summary

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto advocates for reclaiming rest as a transformative act of resistance against the grind culture and emphasizes the need for self-care, community support, and imagination as tools for liberation. This guide is divided into five sections: Preface and Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

In the Preface, the author shares a personal narrative about the transformative power of rest, framing it as an act of defiance against systemic oppression, capitalism, and white supremacy. She recounts her journey of embracing rest amidst the demands of a hectic graduate program and various life stressors, and she links this practice to a broader historical context of cultural trauma and resistance within the Black community. The author highlights the influence of her family legacy, particularly her grandmother’s practice of resting her eyes, as a form of resistance and spiritual listening. She also articulates the Nap Ministry—an organization Hersey founded that champions the liberating power of naps—as a collective call to prioritize rest, viewing it as a radical and healing act that counters the dehumanizing grind culture, promotes self-care, and reconnects individuals to their intrinsic worth and divinity. Through this movement, the author advocates for a communal shift toward valuing rest as essential for liberation and well-being while challenging the capitalist narrative that equates productivity with worth.

In the introductory chapter, Hersey emphasizes the revolutionary act of rest as a means to combat the dehumanizing effects of capitalism and white supremacy. She describes rest as a spiritual, physical, and psychological necessity and highlights its role in resisting the oppressive systems that exploit human bodies and diminish their worth. Hersey narrates personal experiences and societal observations to underscore how grind culture perpetuates exhaustion by overlooking human needs and spiritual well-being. She advocates for a collective reclamation of rest, viewing it as essential for healing, liberation, and reconnecting with one’s inherent divinity. Through the tenets of the Nap Ministry, she calls for a reimagining of societal norms, while calling for the embrace of rest as a form of resistance, healing, and a pathway to rediscovering one’s true self and dismantling systemic oppression.

In Part 1, Hersey shares intimate narratives, particularly of her family and community, which illustrates how systemic pressures and societal expectations have led to chronic overwork and exhaustion, particularly in Black communities. Hersey advocates for redefining rest as a fundamental, divine right, and challenges the notion that rest is a luxury or merely a means to enhance productivity. She emphasizes the need for collective healing and liberation through rest, urging readers to reject grind culture’s dehumanizing pace and to embrace rest as a means of reconnecting with one’s humanity, spirituality, and community. Hersey provides practical advice on integrating rest into daily life, while highlighting its significance as a form of self-care, community care, and a step toward dismantling oppressive systems.

Furthermore, in Part 2, Hersey emphasizes the power of dreaming and daydreaming as crucial aspects of rest and resistance against the grind culture. She shares personal anecdotes and historical references to illustrate how systemic oppression and grind culture have suppressed the ability to dream and imagine alternative realities. Hersey advocates for the reclaiming of DreamSpace as a form of liberation, where individuals can connect with their ancestors, envision worlds free of oppression, and tap into their inner wisdom and creativity. She highlights the importance of creating spaces and practices that nurture dreaming, such as collective napping experiences, and stresses the role of dreaming in healing, community building, and challenging the capitalist framework that prioritizes productivity over well-being. Hersey calls for a cultural shift toward valuing rest and dreaming as radical acts of self-care and resistance and encourages readers to embrace the power of their imagination to foster change and liberation.

Additionally, in Part 3, Hersey explores the concept of resistance as an essential aspect of rest, positioning it as a counter to the oppressive forces of grind culture, capitalism, and systemic injustices. She draws on historical examples of resistance, particularly the American maroons (enslaved Africans who escaped enslavement and formed their own communities), to illustrate how reclaiming autonomy and creating alternative spaces of freedom are acts of defiance against oppressive systems. Hersey emphasizes the spiritual and political dimensions of rest as a form of resistance and advocates for a conscious disengagement from the productivity and efficiency demands of capitalist society. She shares personal strategies and practices to integrate rest into daily life and highlights its transformative potential to reconnect with one’s soul, foster creativity, and imagine new possibilities of existence beyond the constraints of grind culture.

In the last part of the book, Hersey emphasizes the transformative power of imagination as a tool for liberation from the oppressive demands of grind culture and systemic inequalities. Drawing inspiration from Afrofuturism and figures like Harriet Tubman, she encourages a radical rethinking of rest, not as a luxury but as a subversive act of self-care and resistance. Hersey advocates for creating intentional spaces of rest and reflection where individuals can connect with their ancestors, dream, and tap into their inner wisdom. She stresses the importance of community care and interconnectedness in resisting and reimagining the capitalist ethos that prioritizes productivity over well-being. Through personal anecdotes and theoretical reflections, Hersey calls for a collective reimagining of a world where rest is prioritized as a fundamental right, urging readers to reclaim their time, creativity, and power by embracing rest as an essential element of resistance and liberation.