Rest Without Guilt: Why Doing Nothing Might Be Your Most Productive Choice | Ep. 81

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Rest is revolutionary—especially for those of us whose ancestors could only dream of it. This eye-opening episode confronts the unspoken guilt many feel when taking time for themselves and reveals why doing absolutely nothing might be the most productive choice you can make.

The truth is simple yet profound: we need rest to function. We need stillness to create. We need moments of nothingness to refill our wells. For Black women especially, claiming rest isn't just self-care—it's reclaiming a birthright.

Whether you're struggling with burnout, feeling guilty about taking breaks, or simply curious about rest as resistance, this episode offers permission to embrace stillness. Share this essential message with someone who needs it, especially the Black women in your life who deserve rest without apology. Don't forget this week's wellness tip: stay hydrated—it's a simple yet powerful way to support your body while embracing the revolutionary act of rest.

Episode Resources:

• Negro Women to Be Put to Work - Greenville, North Carolina, 1918
• The Feminine Urge to Take A Gap Year: Reclaiming Rest, Creativity, and Freedom in a World That Never Stops

Related Episodes:

• Wellness for Black Women ft. Aseanté Renee | Ep. 37
• Dream, Rest & Play ft. Colored Girls Liberation Lab Founder, Jenn Roberts | Ep. 26
• A Free Woman's Journey to Love & Liberation: In Conversation with EbonyJanice Moore | Ep. 51

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Episode Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne (00:00):
Hey friend, welcome back to the show.
I'm so happy that you're here,thank you for tuning in and, if
you haven't already, be sure torate and review the show and
share the podcast with a friend.
Before we jump into today'stopic, I want to share a quick

(00:23):
wellness tip that aligns withthe episode, and that is drink
more water and stay hydrated.
Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches and poor digestion.
Hydration fuels the body andmind, so drink your water,
friend.
This is a simple yet essentialreminder to prioritize your

(00:46):
wellness while resting.
And, on that note, let's jumpinto today's topic why doing
nothing is sometimes the mostproductive thing you can do.

(01:13):
The guilt of resting.
That's not a guilt I ever wantto experience.
You know the saying or thecolloquialism I am my ancestors'
wildest dreams, or we are ourancestors' wildest dreams.
I think in some ways, that'svery true.
For some of us, our ancestorscould only dream of rest.
They truly didn't know restotherwise.

(01:34):
And me, I take every possibleopportunity to rest as often as
I can, and I encourage others todo the same, particularly and
especially Black women.
Did you know that once upon atime there were flaws in the

(01:55):
Deep South against Black womenresting?
Because so many of them weregiving up their housekeeping
jobs and nanny jobs becausetheir men had joined the Army
and the Air Force and otherbranches of the military and
they no longer needed to work toafford to live.

(02:17):
And so in the Deep South, theypassed these laws to require
these Black women to work,regardless of the status of
their partners.
Resting is my birthright, andso many brilliant Black women,
from Trisha Hersey to so manymore, talk about the importance

(02:37):
of resting, of laying down andof dreaming.
Even my friend and mentor,ashante Rene, on a previous
episode of this podcast,wellness for Black Women, talked
about the importance of restingand putting down the cape.
Resting is a natural part of thecreative process.
There is no creativity withoutseasons of rest, and I hate to

(03:02):
get spiritual and religious, buteven God rested child.
So what makes you think thatyou are undeserving of rest or
that you should feel guiltyabout needing some time to
yourself to recoup?
We can talk about productivityall day, these corporate spaces,

(03:23):
our jobs all day.
These corporate spaces, ourjobs.
Even in our personal lives.
We love to talk aboutproductivity, but I need us to
reframe that and recognize thatwe need rest to function.
We need rest to be re-inspiredfor our creative practices.
We need rest to give our bodiesand our minds a break from the

(03:46):
grind.
There is power in stillness andthere's nothing wrong with it.
Give yourself permission torest without guilt.
Encourage the people in yourlife, especially Black women, to
rest without guilt.

(04:07):
One of my biggest desires andbiggest goals and biggest dreams
is to be a part of my mother'sability to rest without guilt.
I don't want her to becommitted to the story of not
being able to rest and not beingable to have some control and

(04:27):
autonomy over her time.
I want her freedom as much as Iwant my own.
I don't feel guilty about that.
I don't feel guilty abouttelling women to dream, to rest
and to play, just like we did ina previous episode of the
podcast with Jennifer Roberts,who is the founder of Color
Girls Liberation Lab.

(04:49):
I don't feel guilty abouttelling Black women that we
deserve softness as much as anyother woman, even if the
cultures we grow up in tell usand show us that we don't.
In a previous episode of thepodcast with Ebony Janice Moore,
who is the author of All theBlack Girls Are Activists and

(05:12):
the creator of Dream YourselfFree and so many other powerful
and meaningful offerings.
She talks a lot about softnessand how she had to create
softness in herself so that shecan then go on to spread the
good word to other black womenabout inviting softness and
knowing it intimately in our ownlives.

(05:34):
And I tell you what this systembenefits from your exhaustion.
This system benefits frombeating you down and making you
feel weary, and I want to remindyou that that does not have to
be your truth.
I invite you to rest withoutguilt.

(05:55):
I invite you to seize the powerof stillness.
I invite you to give yourselfpermission to rest.
Share this episode with afriend who needs to hear it and
if you needed this message andthis reminder today, I hope you
soak it in and listen to it asmany times as you need.

(06:16):
To Be sure to try out thisweek's wellness tip and let me
know how it impacts you.
All right, friend, thanks fortuning in to another short but
sweet episode.
If this episode resonated withyou, please be sure to tell a
friend.
To tell a friend and to rateand review the show wherever
you're listening to it right now.
Thank you for lending me yourtime, your energy and your ears.

(06:40):
I appreciate you for being here.
Have a great rest of your dayor night and I'll catch you on
the next episode.
Bye.