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Rest Like It Matters—Because It Does!

Hello, hello, les amis! it’s been a while – I had to take a break because, honestly, the world is going nuts!

Let’s get straight to the point of this post: Rest isn’t a luxury; rest is resistance. It’s survival. And right now, in the middle of winter, when nature (that we so often ignore) is showing us the way to slow the f* down, while the world spirals deeper into chaos, we need to remind ourselves: it’s okay to rest. In fact, it’s necessary.

We’re living through a time of pure madness. Every headline is more unhinged than the last, and the exhaustion? That’s not an accident. The people in power want us tired, broken, and too overwhelmed to think straight. Because when we’re burned out, we don’t resist. We don’t fight back. We don’t have the energy to question, to analyze, to push back against what’s happening.

And yet, here we are.

So what do we do? We rest. Not as a passive escape, but as a deliberate act of defiance. We rest to think clearly. We rest so that we don’t lose our sense of reality. We rest to stay grounded, stay human, and stay present —for ourselves and for each other.

Winter is Screaming at Us to Slow Down

Nature gets it. Trees are conserving their energy. Animals are hibernating. The world isn’t rushing to bloom—it’s waiting, restoring, preparing. But humans? We’ve been programmed to believe we have to keep pushing, keep working, keep grinding 24/7. That’s the system talking. That’s capitalism, white supremacy, and fascism wrapped up in a neat little package, designed to keep us running until we drop. No. More.

“In the winter, I plot and plan. In the spring, I move.“
– Henry Rollins –

How to rest when the World Feels Like It’s Burning

🔹 Ditch the news and social media — at least for a while, or pick one platform that feels gentler. I chose BlueSky for now.

🔹 Sleep more. I used to be a night owl, but I recently shifted my schedule, and it works so much better. Listen to the rhythm of the light, embrace this season.

🔹 Connect with kind souls. Build your community, online, in person, slowly but surely. Find like-minded, gentle people who support and uplift each other.

🔹 Focus on your loved ones. Learn and rest together. My kids and my current partner are a big part of my resistance. We talk about tough topics, share ideas, rethink how we consume, and figure out how we can support each other better.

🔹 Enjoy the silence. (Not just the Depeche Mode song—though, let’s be honest, it’s a good one). Even five stolen minutes of quiet here and there can restore your mind.

🔹 Write it out. Thoughts, fears, anger, hopes—whatever is in your head. Writing brings clarity, and clarity is survival right now.

🔹 Feed your soul. Art, a good K-drama, animals, music — whatever reminds you that joy still exists.

🔹 Don’t overdo it at work. Slow down. Do the minimum needed, not less, not more. At least for this season.
The system will take everything if you let it. Don’t let it.

We don’t have to prove our worth through exhaustion. We don’t have to justify our need for rest. And we sure as hell don’t have to play into a system that relies on our burnout.

And most importantly — we don’t do this alone. Community is everything. Now more than ever, we need each other. The systems in place want us isolated, scared, and disconnected. That’s how they win. But if we build community, show up for each other, and refuse isolation — that’s how we fight back!

So if you’re tired, if you’re struggling, if you’re feeling like nothing makes sense anymore — pause. Not as a reward. Not as “self-care” in the way capitalism tries to sell it to us. But as a radical, intentional act.

Rest, because they want you too exhausted to resist.
Rest, because winter is showing us how.
Rest, because your survival matters more than your productivity.

We’re in this together. Stay safe, stay human, and please, get some f*cking rest.

With love and courage,
Helene

Books I like about Rest:
*Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto By Tricia Hersey*
*Rest is Sacred By Octavia F. Raheem*

Your Turn:
What about you? What books or practices have helped you embrace rest and align with the natural rhythms of the seasons?

Drop your recommendations in the comments—I’d love to know what helps you slow down and resist the burnout machine.

Blog Post cover photo by Yaroslav Shuraev