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

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

Snag a discount on Aliya’s favorite brands using these Referral Codes

Theme Music:
She No Dull Beat by Nana Kwabena
Festivities in Belize by RAGE Productions

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome and Wellness Tip: Hydration
• 3:30 The Guilt of Resting
• 4:32 Historical Context of Rest Denial
• 6:26 Reframing Productivity and Rest
• 8:21 Embracing Softness and Stillness
• 9:31 Episode Closing and Call to Action

Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne: 1:22

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 to rate and review the show and share the podcast with a friend. Before we jump into today's topic, I want to share a quick wellness tip that aligns with the episode, and that is drink more water and stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches and poor digestion. Hydration fuels the body and mind, so drink your water, friend. This is a simple yet essential reminder to prioritize your wellness while resting. And, on that note, let's jump into today's topic why doing nothing is sometimes the most productive thing you can do.

Aliya Cheyanne: 2:35

The guilt of resting. That's not a guilt I ever want to experience. You know the saying or the colloquialism I am my ancestors' wildest dreams, or we are our ancestors' wildest dreams. I think in some ways, that's very true. For some of us, our ancestors could only dream of rest. They truly didn't know rest otherwise. And me, I take every possible opportunity to rest as often as I can, and I encourage others to do the same, particularly and especially Black women. Did you know that once upon a time there were flaws in the Deep South against Black women resting? Because so many of them were giving up their housekeeping jobs and nanny jobs because their men had joined the Army and the Air Force and other branches of the military and they no longer needed to work to afford to live. And so in the Deep South, they passed these laws to require these Black women to work, regardless of the status of their partners. Resting is my birthright, and so many brilliant Black women, from Trisha Hersey to so many more, talk about the importance of resting, of laying down and of dreaming. Even my friend and mentor, ashante Rene, on a previous episode of this podcast, wellness for Black Women, talked about the importance of resting and putting down the cape.

Aliya Cheyanne: 4:50

Resting is a natural part of the creative process. There is no creativity without seasons of rest, and I hate to get spiritual and religious, but even God rested child. So what makes you think that you are undeserving of rest or that you should feel guilty about needing some time to yourself to recoup? We can talk about productivity all day, these corporate spaces, our jobs all day. These corporate spaces, our jobs. Even in our personal lives. We love to talk about productivity, but I need us to reframe that and recognize that we need rest to function. We need rest to be re-inspired for our creative practices. We need rest to give our bodies and our minds a break from the grind. There is power in stillness and there's nothing wrong with it. Give yourself permission to rest without guilt. Encourage the people in your life, especially Black women, to rest without guilt.

Aliya Cheyanne: 6:05

One of my biggest desires and biggest goals and biggest dreams is to be a part of my mother's ability to rest without guilt. I don't want her to be committed to the story of not being able to rest and not being able to have some control and autonomy over her time. I want her freedom as much as I want my own. I don't feel guilty about that. I don't feel guilty about telling women to dream, to rest and to play, just like we did in a previous episode of the podcast with Jennifer Roberts, who is the founder of Color Girls Liberation Lab. I don't feel guilty about telling Black women that we deserve softness as much as any other woman, even if the cultures we grow up in tell us and show us that we don't. In a previous episode of the podcast with Ebony Janice Moore, who is the author of All the Black Girls Are Activists and the creator of Dream Yourself Free and so many other powerful and meaningful offerings. She talks a lot about softness and how she had to create softness in herself so that she can then go on to spread the good word to other black women about inviting softness and knowing it intimately in our own lives.

Aliya Cheyanne: 7:31

And I tell you what this system benefits from your exhaustion. This system benefits from beating you down and making you feel weary, and I want to remind you that that does not have to be your truth. I invite you to rest without guilt. I invite you to seize the power of stillness. I invite you to give yourself permission to rest. Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it and if you needed this message and this reminder today, I hope you soak it in and listen to it as many times as you need. To Be sure to try out this week's wellness tip and let me know how it impacts you. All right, friend, thanks for tuning in to another short but sweet episode. If this episode resonated with you, please be sure to tell a friend. To tell a friend and to rate and review the show wherever you're listening to it right now. Thank you for lending me your time, your energy and your ears. I appreciate you for being here. Have a great rest of your day or night and I'll catch you on the next episode. Bye.