Because for many of us, rest has always felt like rebellion.
Let’s be honest: Nigerians don’t rest.
We only recover.
Even our vacations look suspiciously like work.
You’ll see someone on “holiday” still replying emails with “sent from my iPhone” energy.
Aunties will visit family abroad and spend two weeks cooking for people who told them to come and “relax.”
And even when we finally lie down, our brains start asking nonsense questions like,
“Have you called that cousin?”
“Did you defrost the chicken?”
“What exactly are you doing with your life?”
We’ve mastered the art of being tired but still productive about it.
It’s Not Laziness We Fear It’s Guilt
Somewhere along the line, we learned that slowing down means you’ve dropped the ball.
That you’re unserious.
That you’re “doing nothing with your life.”
At home in Nigeria, the pressure is visible Lagos itself moves like a caffeine overdose.
And abroad? The pace is quieter, but somehow heavier.
Bills, deadlines, winter blues, invisible performance we carry it all like inheritance.
So when we finally stop to breathe, the silence starts to itch.
We begin to feel like we’re wasting time.
Because nobody ever taught us that being still is also a form of progress.
We Come From a Culture of Endurance
Our mothers never said, “I’m taking a break.”
They said, “Let me just manage.”
Our fathers didn’t rest; they waited for death to convince them.
Even church taught us that hard work is next to holiness.
And so, generation after generation, we’ve perfected endurance but never learned ease.
We say “God will strengthen me” instead of “I need to sit down.”
We say “It is well” instead of “I’m overwhelmed.”
And somehow, we think grace means pushing through what should’ve been paused.
No wonder we’re all tired in beautiful fonts
Rest Is Not a Reward It’s a Right
Rest isn’t what you earn after suffering.
It’s what keeps you human while you live.
Because this hustle we romanticise? It doesn’t end.
Even in the diaspora, the script just changes accent.
You’re chasing deadlines instead of diesel.
School runs instead of NEPA light.
Still the same story a different location.
But here’s the truth:
The world won’t collapse if you take a nap.
Your destiny won’t dissolve if you say “no.”
And your worth isn’t determined by how many plates you’re spinning.
A Quiet Revolution
Maybe our generation’s rebellion isn’t louder music or bigger parties.
Maybe it’s rest.
Maybe it’s saying, “I’ll sleep, and the world can wait.”
Because rest is how we break the cycle.
It’s how we honour the people who couldn’t afford it.
It’s how we teach our children that life isn’t only to be survived it’s to be lived.
So this weekend, instead of adding one more thing to your to-do list, try subtracting one.
Don’t just recharge unplug.
You deserve rest that doesn’t have to be justified.
📣 What does rest look like for you and do you ever really feel rested?
Share your thoughts or moments of stillness using #EgogoReflections.
