Taking A Break Isn’t Lazy It’s Liberation For Black Women This Season

As the year draws to a close, many individuals face mixed emotions, particularly Black women leading movements, nonprofits, classrooms, and corporate environments. The holiday season often brings joy intertwined with fatigue. It involves cooking, caretaking, and navigating family reunions, ultimately highlighting a struggle between festive engagement and exhaustion. In a society that frequently demands labor while negating rest, the holiday period transforms into a form of understated resistance. It allows for a brief retreat from relentless productivity. As Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry articulates, “Rest is a form of resistance,” and it indeed represents a fundamental right. During the holidays, self-care becomes not solely personal but also political. Activist Audre Lorde's reflection on self-preservation as an act of resistance underlines this sentiment. For Black women, prioritizing healing reflects a necessary shift in survival terms. The Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM) emphasizes that wellness is a collective responsibility. This holiday season, taking time for oneself is essential; rest is not weakness, but a wise and strategic act for survival.