Opening Reflection: From the moment we are born, South Asian women are taught to be useful — to study hard, work harder, and never stop proving our worth. Rest, in this context, is often seen as laziness or indulgence. But what if the true rebellion isn’t pushing ourselves to the brink of burnout — it’s resting without guilt? The Cultural Coding of Work Ethic Many of us grew up in homes where our mothers never sat down. Rest was earned only after everyone else’s needs were met. The idea of “doing nothing” was a foreign concept, sometimes even shameful. We absorbed these messages early — that productivity equals value, and…