Book Review: Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey (published Oct 2022)

Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey is a fervent plea to contemplate how our productivity and worth are intertwined. The premise of the manifesto is that we are divine beings who need to be reminded that we are enough. She argues that the toxic productivity culture that we are immersed in is dictating the pace of our lives. Until we become aware of the insidious nature of “grind culture,” it will continue to own our time and energy. Practicing rest is one way to resist the dominant narrative, connect with our true selves, and, ultimately, thrive. 

Tricia Hersey is an artist, poet, theologian, and activist who attributes rest and forming the “Nap Ministry” to saving her life. She was a working mother in a Master of Divinity program at Emory University when she began taking short naps daily on campus and back at home. Through her studies and her family history, she recognized the connection between the founding of the United States, the emergence of capitalism, and the forced labor of her ancestors.

According to Hersey, this book is “a testimony and testament of my refusal to donate my body to a system that still owes a debt to my Ancestors for the theft of their labor and DreamSpace” (Preface of book). In those moments of reprieve, she was able to reorient herself, calm her nervous system, and even daydream. This manifesto argues that rest is a form of resistance because “it disrupts and pushes back against capitalism and white supremacy.” Hersey acknowledges that we all suffer from the toxicity of capitalism and white supremacy (even the planet itself). Thus, rest is one way to dismantle and detox, but it must be intentional. 

Some of the questions she asks throughout the manifesto:

• Are you curious enough to try rest?
• How can you resist the constant pull of grind culture in your daily life?
• Can you slow down more? Can you do less?
• What does intentional rest and care look like to me?

Several chapters offer tips and suggestions for rest, but Hersey maintains that there is no quick fix. Instead, rest is a journey inward, to remember who we are at our core. Those who intentionally rest, they are the ones who able to imagine a different future. 

I found Hersey’s book invigorating. She writes with passion and purpose. I too was a young mom as a graduate student, and I often felt that I was not enough. In those days, I thrived on pushing myself to the limit, but the body can only take so much stress. Prioritizing rest has become foundational for my mental and physical health. For me, rest is going to bed early so I can get up before everyone else to stretch, eat breakfast, and journal. Rest is walking my dog daily and limiting my time on social media. Rest may look different for you. I encourage you to read Hersey’s book and contemplate how you too can use rest practices to push against the stresses of the modern world. 

                                                                             Jennifer Metten Pantoja