Reshape our relationship with rest

It began with a dream, or rather, a series of them. Tricia Hersey was running on empty. A graduate student juggling two jobs and raising a six-year-old son, she found herself teetering on the edge of collapse. Sleep was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Her relentless schedule left her physically depleted and spiritually adrift. Then, something extraordinary happened one night: she dreamt of her grandmother and mother, who seemed to whisper an urgent message: rest. The dream kept recurring frequently.

“At first, it felt counterintuitive,” says Tricia, in an exclusive interview to Friday, on the sidelines of the recent Emirates Airline Festival of Literature where she was a speaker. “In a world where productivity is celebrated and burnout worn as a badge of honour, slowing down can seem like failure.” Yet, Tricia leaned into it. “I decided to slow down and see what happens,” recalls the author of Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto. “If I fail out of school, so be it.” But instead of failure, she found healing, clarity, and a life-altering revelation. Rest, she realised, had the ability to change her life.

Thus, the Nap Ministry was born; a radical movement that’s challenging deep-seated cultural beliefs about rest, labour, and self-worth. What started as a personal survival mechanism has evolved into a global community, with thousands tuning in to Tricia’s message of rest as a powerful, liberating act.

The Nap Ministry isn’t about taking long naps for the sake of it. It’s about confronting the toxic systems - capitalism and patriarchy among others - that equate human value with productivity. Tricia’s studies in theology helped her connect the dots between her personal exhaustion and a much larger historical context.

“I started reflecting on the legacy of labour and exhaustion that my ancestors endured,” explains the author, dressed in a splendid black, yellow and pink dress, her braided hair running past her shoulders. “I didn’t want to continue that cycle.” Rest, she realised, was a way of breaking free; a spiritual practice and a form of healing.

Her time in Morocco during a stint with the Peace Corps reinforced this understanding. She witnessed how the culture valued rest, with afternoon siestas shutting down life from 1 to 4pm. “At first, it felt strange,” she recalls, with a laugh. “But then I began to appreciate the beauty of it; the family time, the slower pace. It was a revelation.”

It is not for nothing that napping is a deeply ingrained practice in many cultures worldwide, offering both physical and mental benefits. In Spain, the siesta is a cherished tradition where people take a midday rest to recharge. Similarly, in Japan, inemuri, the practice of napping in public or at work, is seen as a sign of dedication rather than laziness. In many Middle Eastern and Latin American countries, too, short afternoon naps are common, especially in hot climates where rest helps counter midday fatigue.

In a society addicted to busyness, Tricia’s message is both urgent and revolutionary: rest is not laziness. Rest is an act of defiance. It’s a way to say no to toxic systems that strip us of our humanity.

“Our worth isn’t tied to how much we accomplish,” Tricia says. “Internalised capitalism makes people believe they have to prove their value through constant doing. But the truth is, you are enough simply because you exist.”

For the American poet and performance artist, rest is a multifaceted practice. It can be a nap, yes, but it can also be setting boundaries, saying no, detoxing from social media, or simply taking a long bath. “It’s about reimagining what rest looks like and giving yourself permission to slow down.”

How did taking long pauses and resting change her life? I ask.

“It was unbelievable,” she says, leaning forward earnestly. “The personal transformation I experienced when I embraced rest was undeniable.” Her migraines disappeared. Her health improved. Her grades soared, not because she was grinding harder but because she allowed her brain and body to recalibrate. “I’d read 200 pages, take a nap, and ace the quiz,” she says with a laugh. “Rest made me a better student, a better mom, and a better human being.”

Her fascination with how rest affects the brain led her to dive deep into neuroscience, which only reinforced what her body had already told her: rest isn’t just a break; it’s a generative state.

“When you rest, your body heals, your brain processes information, and you connect with what truly matters,” she explains. “It’s not about doing nothing. It’s about recalibrating so you can focus on the things that really matter.”

Science supports the benefits of napping. A 10-30-minute nap has been found to improve alertness, memory, and mood without causing grogginess. Studies show that napping reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and enhances cognitive performance.

The human brain isn’t wired for continuous output. Studies show that our cognitive abilities fluctuate throughout the day, with energy levels dipping post-lunch; a phenomenon known as the “afternoon slump.” This natural decline in alertness is tied to our circadian rhythm, the internal clock regulating sleep and wakefulness.

While a full night’s sleep is irreplaceable, research suggests that a well-timed nap can mitigate sleep debt, improve mood, and enhance learning. A NASA study on military pilots and astronauts found that a mere 26-minute nap increased performance by 34 per cent and alertness by 54 per cent. Similarly, a University of California, Berkeley, study revealed that a short nap could boost problem-solving skills and creativity, making it a powerful tool for those in high-pressure or creative fields.

Tricia’s message to take a well-deserved rest is both simple and profound: rest is our birthright. It’s a reclamation of time, of worth, of humanity. It’s a radical act in a world that wants us to hustle until we break. “Rest is resistance,” she says. “It’s about reclaiming our humanity and saying, ‘I am enough, just as I am.’”

Rather than a sign of laziness, strategic napping is a performance-enhancing habit. In a culture that prioritizes efficiency, perhaps the smartest move is to rest before we burn out.

Tricia Hersey offers practical tips to incorporate rest into your life:

1. Set boundaries with technology: “Social media is stealing our time and disconnecting us from ourselves,” she warns. Limiting screen time is a crucial first step.

2. Focus on healing: Many people overwork to avoid dealing with trauma or to prove their worth. “Rest allows us to sit with ourselves and process what we’re feeling,” Tricia says.

3. Reimagine success: We’ve been taught that success means working non-stop, but that’s a lie. True success, she insists, is about balance and alignment.

4. Embrace community care: This isn’t just about self-care; it’s about community care. “We thrive when we care for each other collectively,” Tricia notes. “Individualism is a lie.”