How ‘Rest Clubs’ Help Gen Z Fight Burnout and Mental Fatigue

For many adults, taking a midday break feels like a luxury. In New York, Reiki practitioner Maaliyah Symone is trying to make rest a shared activity through Club Rest Stop, a free social club for exhausted people, particularly members of Gen Z.

The club invites busy urbanites to meet once a month with one purpose: to unwind together. Symone said many people complain about burnout but do not know how to rest by themselves. “We were taught pretty much everything else in school except how to rest,” she said. “We’re always taught how to be productive, how to do more, and how to achieve more. But how do we do that if we’re all burnt out?”

Each gathering takes a different approach to rest. Events are typically held in public parks and begin with a short presentation from Symone or a guest specialist. Participants then spend personal downtime in a calm setting. The sessions cover seven dimensions of rest: physical, mental, sensory, creative, emotional, social and spiritual.

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We were taught pretty much everything else in school except how to rest. We’re always taught how to be productive, how to do more, and how to achieve more. But how do we do that if we’re all burnt out?

Licensed clinical social worker HJ Cho said adult culture often presents rest as a reward that people must earn by becoming exhausted. “In preschool, no one questions whether a nap is deserved, because we know it’s needed,” Cho said. “As adults, we still have the physical, emotional, and mental need for rest, but the framework has been lost in a culture that views rest as something to be granted through exhaustion.”

Cho said group settings can also quiet the self-criticism that makes resting alone difficult. Calm surroundings and the presence of other relaxed people may help participants feel safe enough to slow down. Symone hopes similar social clubs will form beyond New York, giving people a place to rest without guilt.

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In preschool, no one questions whether a nap is deserved, because we know it’s needed. As adults, we still have the physical, emotional, and mental need for rest, but the framework has been lost in a culture that views rest as something to be granted through exhaustion.