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