Burnout isn’t a personal failure—it’s a predictable outcome of systems designed to extract as much as possible from our bodies and minds. In our modern world, so many of us have a deep sense of isolation, exhaustion and disconnection. Dominant culture messages that pathologize interdependence, rest, pleasure, emotional awareness and compassion can fuel self criticism, neglect and dissociation, leaving us overworked and alienated from ourselves and each other. Understanding and disentangling from these messages can profoundly impact the choices we make about our work and with who -- and how -- we spend our time. This can positively impact our levels of energy, motivation, quality of relationships and clarity of purpose. Cultivating more aligned guiding principles, body awareness, nervous system regulation, and compassion are effective ways to shift out of chronic stress responses and into a state of greater ease and presence. 

 

In her book Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey reframes rest not as a luxury, but as a radical act of defiance against capitalism, white supremacy, and grind culture. She explains that through rest—especially intentional rest like naps, stillness, daydreaming, or even quiet moments of reflection—we begin to reclaim access to our creativity and intuition. Hersey calls this the “portal to the dreamspace.”

 

"Dreaming is a form of future-making."

 

If you're interested in reflecting on topics related to burnout, here are a few questions inspired by Rest Is Resistance:

 

What if my life didn’t revolve around work?

 

Is my work deeply meaningful to me or is it simply how I pay the bills?

 

What aspects of my work bring me energy and align with my values? What aspects of my work are draining?

 

What does joy look like on my terms?

 

What would a world look like where care is more important than productivity?

 

Further resources: 

Book: Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey (2022).
 

Podcast: Tara Brach, PhD. tarabrach.com/podcastPodcast: How to Survive the End of the World, adrienne maree brown and Autumn Brown . endoftheworldshow.org