Nobel Conference Lecture - Rest as Portal for JusticeOctober 2 at 1:45–2:30 p.m.

Nobel Conference Seventh Lecture

Rest as Portal for Justice
Tricia Hersey
Founder, The Nap Ministry

What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine-level pace -- feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its own relentless benefit.  In my lecture, I hope to place an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. I believe our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. My Rest is Resistance framework is a call to action, a battle cry, a field guide, and a manifesto for all of us who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of grind culture. 

Rest is a portal for justice. We are enough. The systems cannot have us. We must rest. We Will Rest!