Finding Ease with Starting a New Job
and the power of taking rest from labor
A few weeks ago I started a new job at Appalachian State University in the University Libraries’ Special Collections & Research Center. It’s a really great opportunity to work with some one-of-a-kind materials and my new colleagues have been lovely.
But starting a new job at a new institution has been A LOT! The first week was filled with so much information, systems, and people that by the end of each day, I felt absolutely exhausted. This allowed me rediscover the joy, and sometimes necessity, of naps. A couple times that week, I put on my workout clothes after coming home from work intending to do some sort of movement practice, only to accidentally fall asleep on the couch. While I was disappointed that I missed out on moving my body, I know that my body required a different kind of medicine.
I’m not typically a nap person. Usually a nap for me comes on when I’m sleep deprived or sick. But, as you may already be aware, regular naps can be incredibly beneficial to our health. Napping can improve performance, boost our memory, and help us face frustration according to the Cleveland Clinic. So these days, I’m embracing my desire for a little extra rest.
Some even see napping as a form of resistance. In her book, Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, Tricia Hersey challenges readers to push back against capitalism and white supremacy by reconnecting with our power to take rest. If we focused less on productivity and more on napping and day dreaming, Hersey believes that would lead to more healing and justice.
On this post-Labor Day week, what would it be like if we centered rest rather than labor and day dreaming rather than hustling? I’m not quite sure but I think we would all feel more joy, freedom, and ease.
How about you? Do you intentionally take time for rest? What does centering rest look like for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments or by zipping me a message.