In our work at Naqsmist, summer is always a slower time for incoming work. When these slow periods happen, we prioritize time to rest and recuperate for the busier months ahead. But this is also where fear and guilt have the chance to set in. The fear instilled in us by colonial systems tells us that if we take a step away, everything will fall apart. Colonial models tell us that when we have down time, it means we aren’t working hard enough, and should find something to fill that gap. Colonial ideals of productivity mean constantly striving to make more work for ourselves. But if we practice Cultivating Safe Spaces, we know that well-being means letting go of this need to constantly perform, that taking time to practice well-being actually makes us better workers as well as more well-rounded people. We know that if we take the time and space to rest and fill our cups, what we come to contribute will be more focused, insightful, and thorough, and that we won’t get burned out along the way. 

It can be hard to step away when things aren’t going the way we hope, or we don’t feel that we are as “successful” as we should be. It’s easy to fall into the belief that we can always be doing more, that our contributions aren’t enough, and that if the work is done, we must be missing something. Even at Naqsmist, where we know we have to walk the walk of Cultivating Safe Spaces, this can feel uncomfortable because of what we have been conditioned to believe about our worth and how it’s tied to our output. But when we force the work, it isn't coming from a place that honors what we know: that prioritizing and honoring ourselves means knowing when to step back. This isn’t to say that we should let things fall off the side of our desks, but a call to prioritize systems that allow us to step away without fear. This isn’t about doing the bare minimum, it’s about maximizing our time and automating systems so that we can honor the human in us and not just the worker. 

The last couple months at Naqsmist have been hard. Our small team has been pushing to keep Naqsmist going and to further the vision of Cultivating Safe Spaces. But to keep pushing without reflection introduces the risk of burnout, of disconnection, and a loss of the vision of Naqsmist and Cultivating Safe Spaces as a whole. Sometimes we have to consciously force ourselves to slow down, because it feels like giving up, like we aren’t giving enough. But we also know that part of the work we’ve been doing to automate systems was designed to give us this space. A summer slow-down period, like we are taking this August, is a time to refocus, recharge, and strategize so that we are prepared when things get crazy again in the fall. We recognize that every work place doesn’t allow this freedom and flexibility, but there is still a lesson to be learned about how we value ourselves within these systems. Next time you have to take a step back from work, ask yourself “Am I taking the time to rest and recuperate, or am I letting fear and guilt overshadow my need to rest?