Resisting the Grind: thoughts on 'Grind Culture' and cultivating presence

In my Sociology of Mental Illness course I teach at Roosevelt University we've been reading Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey of the Nap Ministry. The book discusses rest as an act of resistance and a way of reclaiming power in our most basic humanity.

Throughout the book, there is an ongoing and welcome critique of ‘Grind Culture’, which I'm sure we've all tasted in some form in our daily lives, especially those of us navigating the hustle and bustle of city living.

Grind Culture is the ‘sleep when you’re dead' mentality of always hustling and making sure that every waking moment is filled with some ‘productive’ activity. We embody grind culture when we feel that any act must be for something other than itself. Grind Culture pushes us to strive for efficiency and self-optimization so that we may ‘perform’ better in the culture. But is this actually conducive to our well-being and flourishing as human beings?

I'll share two quotes from 'Rest is Resistance' below that really hit home for me:

“All of culture is in collaboration for us not to rest. This includes: K-12 public education, higher education, faith and religious denominations, medical industry and not-for-profits, activist organizations, corporations. Even those who claim to be a part of the wellness industry are pushing hustling, grinding, capitalism, girl boss, competition, and co-opting the work of Indigenous practices for clout and money.”

&

"When you are exhausted, you lack clarity and the ability to see deeply. Your intuition and imagination are stifled by a culture of overworking and disconnection. You must be open to go deep into the cracks to examine and to understand. It may take years to fully crack open and it will be a lifetime of practice, care, and creativity. It's your life, body, and community; therefore, it is yours to hold, protect, love, and care for. Exhaustion will not save us and will only lead us further into the clutches of grind culture. Rest is shape-shifting and wants to hold our hands as we usher in a well-rested world. It's about more than naps and is a full-on pushback and political statement against the systems that want to see us constantly moving, doing, and going in a frenzy. When we tap into the power of our bodies, we understand that our bodies are a miracle, a legacy and a place of extreme power. The foundation for love and reclamation."

When discussing these passages in class, it became clear that at some point in our lives, each one of us learned to internalize the rules of grind culture and align ourselves with them. If we played by these rules, we would be rewarded with happiness and financial success (so we were told). But in aligning ourselves with the values of grind culture, we were giving up a way of being in the world that is grounded in the truth that we are enough as we are and that rest is not a privilege, but a birthright.

In our discussion, we imagined on the whiteboard this transition as a portal from the ‘real world’ to the ‘grind world’.

From the perspective of ‘grind world', taking time to rest only serves the purpose of being more productive in grind world. Even the phrase ‘taking time' implies a scarcity of time that should be devoted solely to productive activity. But from the perspective of the ‘real world’, there is only abundance, rest needs no justification, it asks of you no guilt or shame for partaking, and absolutely does not require any privilege to indulge in.

Of course, there are those of us that are privileged to have more free time for rest, but according to Tricia Hersey, this is neither here nor there. Rest must be cultivated regardless of circumstances. The process of liberation requires it.

As I deepen in my own rest and stillness practice, I am starting to see how much of a disruption and resistance it really is to the grind culture. How empowering it is to do absolutely nothing but be in your own presence in a culture that is constantly disrespecting basic boundaries to squeeze the productivity out of you! Not to mention the generative and live-giving nourishment that rest provides.

Finding ways to carve out space for rest and supporting clients in reframing ideas around what rest looks like has become central to my clinical practice and one-on-one work. Combining a core rest practice with personalized herbal, nutritional, and lifestyle recommendations, provides an powerful foundation for a renewed sense of presence and aliveness in your body.

If this is something you're working on and could use a little extra support, feel free to reach out! And definitely pick yourself up a copy of Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey! It is a wonderful and necessary read.

some herbs to support you in recovering from and resisting the grind…

• Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Fresh Milky Oats (Avena sativa)
• Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)
• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
• Chamomile (Matricaria spp.)
• Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis)
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum, G. tsugae)
• Linden (Tilia spp.)

Feel free to try out our Peace Portal Bitters, Underworld Potion, Cool Wave Tea, and Reishi Mushroom Extract which contain a lot of these herbs and can definitely be supportive in cultivating a sense of rest and presence in your life.

Of course, I want to emphasize that you don't need herbs to cultivate rest. Rest is free! But when our nervous systems are stuck in overdrive, herbs can help our bodies remember what it feels like to return to a state of rest.