Opt Into the Power of Play: Active Rest for a Joyful, Resilient Life
Black Girl Burnout
Kelley Bonner
4.7 • 764 Ratings
🗓️ 25 June 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Black Girl Burnout, Kelley explores the transformative power of play and how Black women can reclaim joy and resilience through active rest. In a world that constantly demands output and performance, Kelley breaks down why play isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. She dives into the science of joy, the healing impact of non-productive rest, and the cultural pressure that often robs Black women of their right to be playful. With heartfelt honesty and practical insights, this episode is a powerful reminder that silliness, spontaneity, and delight are not just allowed, they’re essential for thriving.
Key Takeaways
- Active rest—joyful, non-productive activities—can boost creativity, reduce stress, and improve emotional resilience.
- Black women are uniquely in need of play due to chronic stress and societal expectations to perform strength and competence.
- Incorporating even five minutes of play into your day can help you reclaim joy, connection, and mental clarity.
Episode Timestamps
1:00 — What is active rest and why does it matter?
Kelley introduces the concept of play as a form of rest and outlines how it differs from traditional ideas of productivity.
4:00 — The science behind joyful living
Research shows that play lowers cortisol, raises endorphins, and supports cognitive flexibility—vital tools for navigating life’s stressors.
10:30 — How play creates emotional resets and connection
Play not only improves your mood but also enhances your relationships by making you more open and connected to others.
15:00 — Micro-moments of play that actually work
Kelley shares her go-to ideas for quick, joyful play: spontaneous dance breaks, coloring, stretching, and more.
23:00 — The courage to be silly and soft
By saying yes to small acts of joy, we challenge the narrative that Black women must always be strong. Play is a revolutionary act of healing.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Black Girl Burnout podcast, Kelly here. And today I want to talk to you about |
| 0:05.0 | how to incorporate more play and pleasure into your life. This episode is all about active rest |
| 0:15.1 | for a joyful life. I'm going to go over the science behind play, why we should be doing more of it, why black women in |
| 0:22.5 | particularly need to be introducing more play into their life. And I'm going to give you some |
| 0:30.1 | tips and tools on how to make sure you actually go forth and create a life that is playful |
| 0:35.3 | and engages in active rest. |
| 0:38.7 | Now, if you recall, June is all about the summer of yes. |
| 0:43.6 | This is our call to action that I'm hopefully inspiring you to take. |
| 0:50.1 | That is going to be all about how to create a life where you say yes this summer, to rest, |
| 0:56.6 | to joy, to ease, all the things that we deserve and probably the things that's last on |
| 1:03.4 | your list these days. With this summer of yes, I've talked about what that means early on in the |
| 1:10.3 | month. We had a great travel |
| 1:11.9 | expert talk about how to have more yeses in your travel life without breaking your bank or even |
| 1:18.4 | just local travel. And I also talked about the fact that the world is heavy, but that doesn't mean we have to lose our delight. |
| 1:30.8 | So last episode, I talked all about how to create microjoys. |
| 1:35.4 | In a world where we are pushed in like a million different directions, in a world where |
| 1:40.1 | we are struggling and striving a lot of times just to keep our head above water. |
| 1:46.2 | Many of us are dealing with all kinds of unimaginable challenges and grief. |
| 1:51.4 | And there's still room for delight and there's still room for joy. |
| 1:57.6 | This is something I'm personally committed to in my own life, and it's something I want to make |
| 2:01.7 | sure you all know is available to you. Even when the world is at its heaviest, the call is always |
| 2:10.1 | for more joy. And the best way to do that, like I said, is in small ways. You don't have to wait for your circumstances to be |
... |
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