Rest is the Work (and Other Lessons Learned from my Favorite Animal)
If you know me or follow me on social media (shameless plug: @iamshaylawalker on Instagram and TikTok), you likely know that I LOVE koalas and have been collecting them for almost 10 years. The tradition started in 2016 when I invited a guest speaker to one of my social work classes. Among the many off-topic anecdotes he shared that class period, my favorite was when he advised my students to find something meaningful to collect. He gave an example of his mentor collecting turtles because “the only way they can get anywhere is by sticking their neck out.”
I, too, wanted something meaningful to collect, and after intentional reflection and research, I landed on koalas. Koalas can teach us many things, but most importantly (at least for this blog post), they can teach us a thing or two about rest.
REST IS THE WORK
Koala lovers and caretakers will tell you that koalas sleep. Like, a LOT. This is primarily due to their diet. A koala’s primary source of nutrition is the eucalyptus plant. Eucalyptus plants are generally poisonous to most animals, including koalas. However, as babies, koalas are fed small doses of processed eucalyptus plant to develop an immunity to it. As they grow, koalas sleep for the majority of the day (think 19-20 hours) to help them process the dangerous toxins.
I was sharing this with a colleague and mentor when he replied, “rest is the work.” In other words, we must learn to rest. Rest helps us process life’s toxins. Some examples may include compassion fatigue, perfectionism, burnout, criticism, microaggressions, our sense of urgency, systemic injustice, and others. Rest pushes back on systems that assert that productivity = value. Instead, rest prioritizes what we need over what the system tells us we should be doing.
Rest is the work in the sense that we are working to unlearn the narratives that feel forced on us. For example, many of us have been socialized and conditioned to believe that rest is lazy and unproductive when, really, rest is an essential resource.
REST IN THE WORK
You may have gleaned that rest is pretty important to me. I live and breathe rest, and rest is the foundation of my social media platforms (to the extent that I’m even considering branding myself as “The Rest Dr”). But while rest is imperative, it is not an excuse to not work. Rest is not avoidance or procrastination.
I don’t know about you, but I have a glacier of student loans, a mortgage, credit card debt, and a lifestyle that I enjoy and don’t particularly want to compromise. From this financial standpoint alone, I need to work. I maintain full-time employment while growing my business as a professional speaker, facilitating workshops, delivering keynotes, and providing ASWB-approved continuing education courses. Although I absolutely love what I do, I have learned to disagree with the sentiment, “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” As someone who experiences burnout as her baseline, I know that if you love what you do, you will never feel like you are working, but you most certainly are. Too much of anything is bad for you (ex., chocolate, wine, need I go on?).
Rest is not the absence of work, but instead, we have to learn to rest within the work. Examples of resting in the work may include:
Setting appropriate boundaries with work
Going to work on time (not early) and leaving on time (not late).
Honoring the times you are supposed to work without working for free (ex., using your vacation time and sick leave; no more working on the weekends if you work a M-F 9-5).
Taking your work email and work apps off your personal device. If something is that urgent, there should be a system in place to alert you that doesn’t require you to check your email every hour.
Recognizing that a blank space in your calendar does not always mean you are available. The goal is “booked and balanced,” not “booked and busy.”
Learning to delegate
If your plate is full, ask someone else to do it. You do not have to be everyone’s end-all-be-all, go-to person all the time. Other capable people would likely thrive if given the opportunity.
Taking breaks
How long have you been sitting behind your computer? When was the last time you got up and stretched, used the restroom, or ate something? Intentionally building in body scans and then immediately responding is a learned skill that has so many benefits. If it feels unnatural to you, try setting an alarm for every 30-45 minutes. When your alarm rings, do a body scan. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Ready to take a step away for a minute? The breaks don’t have to be long, but they should be regular.
Reframing thought patterns
Prioritize progress over productivity. Being “productive” to me means being super efficient, fast-paced, and knocking things off my to-do list. I’ve equated “productivity” with “urgency,” but they are not the same. So when I feel pressured to be productive, I instead prioritize progress. How can I make progress today? What is one thing I need to work on? This creates a realistic and natural flow compared to one that gushes out adrenaline (and then shame if I don’t meet my self-imposed expectations).
Instead of saying that rest is for the lazy and unproductive, recognize that rest is for people who are tired of being exploited for what they can produce over who they naturally are.
Instead of saying “I don’t have time to rest,” say “I’m choosing not to operate under depletion,” or “I’m choosing to take care of my needs first.” If you are a people pleaser, remember, you are also a person who deserves to be pleased.
WORK WHILE YOU REST?
Okay, I’m not going to lie. This section threw me for a doozy. In my high-achieving mind, I immediately thought working while I rested meant multitasking: checking email while watching TV, scrolling on social media while taking a walk, listening to an academic non-fiction book on my commute home after a long day on the job… But no ma’am. This is not what I mean by working while you rest. Instead, working while you rest means creating systems to work so you don’t have to.
So, since we’re on the topic, can I tell you a secret? I mentioned earlier that I provide ASWB-approved continuing education courses for social workers nationwide. All of my courses are on-demand, virtual, and asynchronous (essentially, they are self-paced). Participants register when they are ready and complete the three-hour course within 30 days of purchase. I designed my courses this way because 1) I know how challenging it is to reschedule clients or take time off to attend live, synchronous continuing education courses, and 2) I was looking to develop passive income.
There, I said it. Cat’s out the bag. I created the courses, recorded them, submitted them for approval, and now my only/biggest responsibility is promoting them. And here’s my secret’s secret: most of the content I create (i.e., social media posts, blog posts, LinkedIn posts, emails, etc.) is drafted in advance and scheduled for release later. I like to have at least two weeks of content prepped and scheduled because if I ever don’t feel like working, I won’t have to. I have systems in place that run so I can rest.
Call to Action
Ready for the full circle moment? Do you remember me sharing that I've been collecting koalas for almost a decade? Well, I didn’t start collecting them because they symbolized rest. I started collecting them because they symbolize resilience (i.e., using what was meant to harm them [eucalyptus] for their good). It wasn’t until a year or two ago that I started viewing them as symbols of rest as well. Rest has fueled my resilience, and it can fuel yours, too. When we tap into our innate power, our autonomy, we have a renewed sense of control.
If this resonates with you, if you agree, if you feel seen, or if your spirit whispers “yes!” please continue your rest journey. You are not in this alone, and what I am sharing works. I am a testament to that!
If you want to learn more, I encourage you not only to follow me on social media (@iamshaylawalker on Instagram and TikTok), but please consider booking me for your next event. Whether you are a leader, a working professional, a caregiver, or simply a community member who feels this message should be shared, please visit my Contact page to book a consultation. I would love to chat about how we can share this message with others.
FAQ:
Q: I definitely want to learn more, and I see on your Speaker page that you have several types of workshops. Which workshop category best fits this content?
A: Great question! I would probably encourage you to explore rest within the Critical Self-Reflection and Restorative Healing workshops. Depending on your audience, we could also explore rest within the Strong Black Woman context (or Superwoman Ideal if the audience is of diverse racial backgrounds). The best thing to do would be to schedule a consultation because I curate unique workshops for every event I do. No two workshops are the same (unless specifically requested)!
Q: What do you mean by “rest is the work?”
A: Rest isn’t a reward you earn after you finish something. Rest is a resource that we should utilize as we work. Because rest seems so unfamiliar to many of us, we need to do the work to learn how to rest. “Rest is the work” means prioritizing rest just as much (if not more than) our other tasks and responsibilities.
Q: How is “rest in the work” different from time off?”
A: “Rest in the work” is resting while working. “Rest in the work” is about pacing, pausing, and practicing rest as we accomplish tasks. Resting in the work may include taking breaks, staying hydrated, eating when hungry, and honoring your values and needs throughout the day, and not just when your day is coming to an end.
Q: Is rest simply permission to do less?
A: Not necessarily. Rest isn’t about just “doing less.” Rest is about capacity, not capability. Rest is about balance. Rest is internally driven and based on your values and needs rather than externally influenced by how people or society say we should function.
Q: I am a people-pleaser. How can I set boundaries without feeling guilty?
A: Honesty moment: You may always feel guilty when setting boundaries, at least at first. But rest says that you are deserving of healthy boundaries. To manage your guilt, it helps to remind yourself that resting is a value-driven decision. Setting boundaries does not mean that you care about others less; it means that you care about yourself also.
