Productivity, Capitalism, and Why Rest Feels Illegal

Let’s talk about productivity. Not the cute “I got a lot done today” kind, but the capital-P Productivity that capitalism raised us on.

The kind that whispers (or yells), “If you’re not doing something useful, you’re wasting time.”
The kind that makes stillness feel itchy.
The kind that convinces us our bodies should be optimized, monetized, shrinking, growing, and improving… always.

Some of us don’t just struggle to rest mentally, our physical bodies get uncomfortable when we stop. Tight chest, jittery legs, racing thoughts, an urge to grab the phone, clean something that doesn’t need cleaning, or “at least be productive” while resting. That’s not a personal flaw. That’s conditioning.

When Being Still Feels Unsafe

If slowing down makes you anxious, restless, or straight-up uncomfortable, that is intentional and by design. You’re living in a system that trained your nervous system to associate safety with doing.

Capitalism doesn’t just influence how we work, it shapes how we see ourselves. Productivity becomes a moral value. Rest becomes something you have to earn. And if you grew up being told you had to work twice as hard just to break even? That pressure lives in your bones.

So when you finally stop moving, your body says,
“Wait… are we allowed to do this?”

That’s internalized capitalism. That’s productivity anxiety. That’s your fight-or-flight kicking in because you’re not “producing” anything.

The Five-Hobby Nonsense

Remember when it was going viral that you should have five different hobbies?

One to make you money.
One to make you skinny.
One to keep you creative.
One to improve your mindset.
One to build your brand.

Like… what kind of shit is that?

When did joy become an unpaid internship?
When did rest need a return on investment?
When did simply liking something stop being enough?

If we’re forced to constantly grow, improve, monetize, and optimize when do we get to be content? And if we’re not constantly leveling up, does that make us mediocre human beings? Or, wild thought, are we allowed to just be?

Do We Have to Earn Our Existence?

Somewhere along the way, many of us absorbed the belief that our existence has to be justified. That we need to earn our place in the world through output, success, or sacrifice.

But let’s be clear: you are not a machine.
You are not a brand.
You are not a factory for constant production.

Your worth is not measured in emails sent, bodies changed, money made, or titles earned.

Enter: The Nap Minister 💤

This is where Tricia Hersey, also known as the Nap Minister or Nap Bishop, changed the game for me. Tricia Hersey is a performance artist, theologian, and the founder of The Nap Ministry, which she started in 2016. Her work is rooted in a radical truth: rest is not self-care for better productivity it is resistance.

Resistance against grind culture.
Resistance against capitalism.
Resistance against white supremacy.
Resistance against systems that dehumanize us by demanding endless output.

She teaches that exhaustion is not a personal failure, it’s a systemic one. And for Black folks and other marginalized communities, rest isn’t indulgent, it’s reparative.

After learning about her work, I made rest as resistance my 2023 New Year intention. Not hustle less so I could hustle better, but rest because my humanity deserved it. Honestly, this choice changed my life!

What Rest Cost Me and What It Gave Me Back

Accepting rest as resistance gave me permission to leave a job that was harming me, even though it looked good on paper. High status. High stats. High expectations. And I was dying inside. It also gave me the clarity to leave relationships that were draining me dry. It’s bad enough many of us were taught we have to work two times harder just to break even. Told we must be successful. Climb the ladder. Prove ourselves. But to what end? I was tired. I was burnt out. And I resented the whole damn world for it.

Rest didn’t make me lazy, it made me honest.

Capitalism and the Lie of Constant Doing

Capitalism loves productivity because productivity creates profit. It thrives on competition, efficiency, and constant growth. And sure, it’s fueled innovation and technology, but it’s also taught us to tie our self-worth to output.

That’s how we end up feeling guilty for resting.
That’s how being “unproductive” triggers anxiety.
That’s how rest starts to feel like failure.

Technology was supposed to free us. Instead, it turned us into always-on, hyper-accessible, self-optimizing bodies for the market.

And the contradiction? The more “efficient” we become, the more exhausted we are.

If Rest Feels Hard, That Makes Sense

It’s uncomfortable to be unproductive because:

• Our culture links worth to busyness

• 
  Social media keeps us comparing and performing

• Our nervous systems are stuck in survival mode

• Rest triggers guilt, anxiety, and “I should be doing something” thoughts

Your body isn’t rebelling against you, it’s responding to years of pressure.

Reframing Rest (Without Capitalist Spin)

Rest does not need to be productive.
You do not need to optimize your downtime.
You do not need to deserve rest.

Sometimes rest is just… stopping.
Laying down.
Staring at the ceiling.
Taking a nap because your body asked for it.

That’s not laziness. That’s listening.

Final Thought

Choosing rest in a system that profits off your exhaustion is a radical act.
Choosing contentment in a culture obsessed with growth is rebellion.
Choosing to believe your existence has value, even when you do nothing, is liberation.

You don’t have to earn your right to be here.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is lay down and refuse to perform. That might be the most productive thing of all.