On Sleeping While Black
So it’s been a couple weeks since I last wrote and that’s largely because Black History Month for people like me, is a whirlwind. There’s the events that we produce, the brands that we consult with, the efforts that we support and then the last minute requests for us to engage which creates an unsustainable amount of connection, which then requires a healthy amount of rest. For Black Americans, there’s an unspoken, nasty relationship with sleep and a lack of agency over our rest due to enslavement, which still exists in a weird capitalism-based grind culture. I dont’ like it so I don’t do it although I have events from now through November working late nights almost every weekend, here’s some of my thoughts and tactics about rest.
If you don’t stop yourself, your body will. Grind culture sucks, feeling pressure to unreasonably press on sucks and if you don’t stop to take care, your wellness will suffer. We’ve all heard the stories about stress being the pathway to all types of illnesses. I’ve found that intentionally designing my rest (and training for hard times) have kept me healthy in times of intense effort.
The Nap Ministry. Naps are the goat and one of my secret weapons to productivity. I went to Art Basel one year and stumbled on a nap exhibit which talked about the history of Black American rest which rocked me. The mere idea of an adult nap used to make me feel irresponsible, like the professional world was leaving me behind, when in reality it was just anxiety induced by social conditioning. The truth is, the email will be fine and if it’s that pressing they’ll call you and even then you can just call them back after the nap.
You’re free, take the time. Take the trip, take the walk, take the day anytime you think to do so. No one will save you from yourself, nor will they deeply care that you took the time and if they are good people, they’ll encourage you to do so. If you struggle with this one, think about how fast they’ll move to replace you, so before all that, take all the time you reasonable can.
Rest can sometimes feel like a luxury when in reality it’s a God-given right, you’re designed with rest as a principle feature. Get the rest whenever you can, however you can within good reason and also if that’s a struggle, figure out the times of day that can be a life hack for you. I wake up at 5:30am and work so I can get a midmorning or afternoon nap and I love Saturday mornings because no one needs me and I can just focus on things I’d like to so I can rest when I need to.
As a wise poet once wrote, “If you’re tired, be quiet and go to sleep, heaux.” I hope you take those words to heart and when you’re done, I’ll see you outside!
