Screw the Hustle—Take a Nap (Why Rest is a Radical Act)

You’re Not Lazy—You’re Just Tired (And Capitalism Is Gaslighting You)

I don’t know when I first learned to feel guilty for resting.

Maybe it was watching people brag about running on three hours of sleep like it was an Olympic sport.

Maybe it was the way society treats exhaustion like a personality trait—because if you’re not busy, do you even exist?

Maybe it was the quiet belief that if I just pushed a little harder, maybe—just maybe—I’d finally be enough.

Whatever it was, I spent years believing that rest was something I had to earn. That slowing down was only acceptable if I had a bulletproof reason. That I needed to prove my exhaustion before I could deserve a break.

So I drank more coffee. I stayed up later. I convinced myself that my body was fine while it sent me warning signs like a car about to break down on the motorway.

But here’s the truth I wish I’d learned sooner:
Rest is not a reward. It’s not something you have to justify.
It’s survival.

And in a world that glorifies burnout, choosing to rest is a radical act.

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Why We Feel Guilty for Resting

Hustle culture has done a spectacular job of convincing us that:

• More hours = more success

• Rest is for the weak

• If you’re not constantly moving, you’re falling behind

We hear it in the phrases people throw around so casually:
❌ “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” (Okay, but… that might happen sooner if you never rest.)
❌ “You have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé.” (Sure, but where’s my personal chef and team of assistants?)
❌ “Winners don’t quit.” (Actually, winners know when to take a damn break.)

So we push harder. We ignore our bodies. We convince ourselves that we’ll rest after everything is done—except the to-do list never actually ends.

We wake up tired.
We go to bed wired.
We tell ourselves we’ll slow down later.

But later never comes.

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Rest Isn’t Lazy—It’s Fuel

I used to believe that resting meant falling behind. That if I wasn’t constantly productive, I was somehow wasting time.

But have you ever noticed that some of your best ideas come when you’re not forcing them?

• Like when you finally step away from your desk and suddenly remember the thing you forgot?

• Or when you take a shower and suddenly solve a problem you were stuck on for hours?

• Or when you lie down for a nap, and your brain is like, “Hey! Let’s think about every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done!” (Okay, not every resting moment is helpful.)

The point is: Your brain needs rest to function.

• Naps boost creativity.

• Breaks improve focus.

• Doing nothing is often when everything clicks.

Hustle culture makes us feel like we have to keep going at all costs, but that’s how people end up burnt out, bitter, and questioning their life choices at 2 a.m. while Googling “Is it normal to feel dead inside?”

Spoiler: It’s not. You probably just need some damn rest.

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Rest Is Rebellion

Taking a nap when the world tells you to keep grinding? That’s radical.

✨ Saying “I’m allowed to rest, even when there’s more to do” is an act of self-trust.
✨ Choosing ease over exhaustion is an act of rebellion.
✨ Protecting your energy is a statement: I am not a machine. I refuse to burn myself out to meet impossible standards.

You don’t have to hustle harder.
You don’t have to earn the right to rest.
You don’t have to feel guilty for listening to your body.

You are allowed to slow down. To breathe. To pause.

Because your worth isn’t measured by how much you do—it’s in who you are.

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So here’s Your Permission Slip

If you needed a sign to stop pushing through exhaustion—this is it.

💤 Take the nap.
💤 Log off early.
💤 Give yourself what you actually need.

And if anyone dares to question you? Just look them dead in the eye and say:

"Rest is a radical act. I’m reclaiming mine."

Then go take that nap. You’ve got nothing to prove.

With love,

Salwa