You can't rest without feeling guilty. You can't take a sick day without apologizing. You can't say no without a twelve-paragraph explanation justifying why you're unavailable. You can't sit still without your brain immediately generating a list of everything you should be doing instead. And you think this is just how you are. Responsible. Conscientious. A hard worker. Someone who takes things seriously. But here's what actually happened: You were conditioned. Systematicall

You're doing everything right. The morning routine is locked in. You're journaling, meditating, using the right face oils, buying the ethically sourced sage. You've got the therapist, the supplements, the boundary scripts saved in your notes app. You're performing wellness like it's a fucking Olympic sport. And you're still exhausted. Here's why: Self-care got colonized. What started as a radical actBlack feminists and activists insisting that rest is resistance in a system

If you're always the one listening, fixing, holding space, and managing everyone's emotions while yours get dismissed as "too much," you're not empathetic. You're not kind. You're not a good friend, daughter, partner, or coworker. You're being exploited. And the fucked up part? They've convinced you that this is a virtue. That being the person everyone vents to makes you special. That your ability to absorb everyone's chaos without ever burdening them with yours is what mak