In this episode of Just Rest: Burnout Tips for Everyday Radicals, host Nicole Havelka sits down with Dana Tenille Weekes — lawyer-lobbyist, creative and voice behind The Rest of Us podcast — to talk about what rest actually is (and isn’t), how burnout reshaped Dana’s life, and why conversations about rest feel so hard and a little as political violence escalates.

We acknowledged that we are recording the podcast in a moment of incredible political and social pain in the United States — including the recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration enforcement agents in Minneapolis. which have sparked widespread protest and grief nationwide.

In this vulnerable and unfiltered conversation, Dana and Nicole explore:

• Dana’s burnout story
• What rest did to the nervous system
• Why rest matters right now
• Rest as liberation (not resistance)
• Rest in organizational culture
• Practicing liberating rest

Dana’s definition of rest — deeply connected to your agency and truth — reframes tired clichés about self-care into something political, perceptive and embodied. By relearning how to feel, name, and act from our truths, rest becomes a practice of liberation even in times of upheaval.

Whether you’re navigating burnout, activist fatigue, nervous system overwhelm or just trying to stay honest with yourself about how exhausted you really feel — this one’s for you.

“U.S. witnessed many ICE-related deaths in 2026. Here are their stories” by Ali Harb on AlJazeera News

“Renee Macklin Good, murdered by ICE, was a prize-winning poet. Here’s that Poem,” by Jonny Diamond in Literary Hub.

Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey

“Want to be Respected? Tell People How You Want to Be Helped. Part 1” The Rest of Us Podcast with Host Dana Tenille Weekes

“Want to be Respected? Tell People How You Want to Be Helped. Part 1” The Rest of Us Podcast with Host Dana Tenille Weekes

Dana’s Organization Recommendation: Torch Literary Arts

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Do you feel like you are constantly "behind," racing against a clock that never slows down? For many revolutionary leaders and creators, time feels like an extractive resource that is always running out. This pressure isn't a personal failing—it is the result of colonial time, a system designed to sever our connection from the land, our bodies, and our natural rhythms to serve toxic capitalism.

In this episode of Just Rest, Nicole Havelka talks with Indigenous-Time Ecologist Ixchel Lunar about the radical practice of decolonizing time. Ixchel shares their journey from high-stakes political activism and tech-culture burnout to finding liberation through ancestral wisdom and somatic healing. If you are ready to stop "spinning plates" and start living in a more relational, spiral, and cyclical rhythm, this conversation offers the roadmap to move from an adrenalized state to a place of deep, restorative flow.

Ixchel Lunar Ixchel Lunar is an Indigenous-Time Ecologist, writer, and ancestral medicine guide known for decolonizing Time. They help multi-passionate creators and revolutionary leaders break free from the capitalist grind to reclaim time, realign energy, and reconnect with creative flow. Blending ancestral wisdom, modern neuroscience, and somatic practices with the technologies of personal cosmology—including the Mayan Cholq'ij, Human Design, and Astrology—Ixchel guides visionary misfits in reshaping their relationship with Time, creativity, and their innate rhythms. A former vice-mayor and activist, they champion decolonial leadership and Indigenous land stewardship, offering transformative guidance for those seeking liberation beyond the clock. Their trauma-aware, culturally rooted approach helps people move through burnout and cultural disconnection by returning to ancestral reverence, relational ritual, and cyclical spiral Time.

Key Takeaways

• De-adrenalizing the Body
• Colonial vs. Decolonial Time
• Flow Begins with Rest
• The Power of Nepantla
• The Seven Types of Rest

"Dear Rest Rebels: You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You’re living in a moment that asks for new rhythms. Time is not your enemy. Just remember how to listen."

Support the Work: In honor of Ixchel’s time today, consider supporting The International Mayan League.

Learn more about Just Rest at https://defythetrend.com/

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Are you starting your year with a long list of ways to "fix" yourself? For many world-changers and radicals, the transition into January is often met with the heavy pressure of New Year’s resolutions that focus on getting smaller, working harder, or "improving" a body that was never broken. This episode of Just Rest explores how to dismantle the "shame spiral" of traditional resolutions and instead move toward intentional rest and self-valuation.

Host Nicole Havelka sits down with Malik Turley to discuss the stark contrast between the 24/7 hustle culture of the US and the people-focused, relaxed rhythm of Valencia, Spain. We dive into why diet culture is a tool of control and how claiming your right to take up space is a radical act of resistance. Whether you are looking for burnout tips for everyday radicals or a more sustainable way to navigate the "grind," this conversation offers a new perspective on aligning your time with your humanity rather than your output.

Malik Turley is the founder of the Tapas Movement and a veteran "change instigator" who spent 20 years creating movement spaces where women can inhabit their bodies without self-loathing. As a certified yoga therapist, movement instructor, and dance teacher, Malik has dedicated her career to pushing back against gym cultures focused on competition and shrinkage. Recently, Malik moved from the Chicago area to Valencia, Spain, a transition that has deepened her understanding of systemic rest and the cultural differences in how we value people over production. She continues to teach and write about movement, joy, and the intentional practice of Shabbat.

Key Takeaways

• Intentional vs. Accidental Rest
• Diet Culture as a Control Mechanism
• The Radical Power of a Single Task
• Stop the "Push Through" Mentality
• Systemic Rest Lessons from Spain

To all the Rest Rebels listening: You have value every single day, regardless of your resolutions or the amount of space you take up in the world. This week, we invite you to take up space unapologetically.

Support the Work: In honor of Malik’s time today, consider supporting World Central Kitchen or a local food pantry in your own neighborhood.

Learn more about Just Rest at https://defythetrend.com/

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Thank you to the people who helped make this show happen.

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A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.