The Invisible Black Woman

Somewhere along the way, “rest” got rebranded as “lazy,” and “unavailable” got mistaken for “unreliable.” And if you’re anything like me, you’ve internalized that hustle-heavy script, thinking that if you don’t respond instantly, show up consistently, or stretch yourself thinly, you’re somehow falling short.

Let’s be clear: you’re not falling short. You’re falling apart—and calling it loyalty.

Too many of us have become emotional first responders in our own lives, answering every call, crisis, and calendar ping without pausing to check our own vitals. We show up exhausted and convince ourselves it’s “just a busy season.” But what happens when the season becomes your standard? When your burnout becomes baked into your identity?

Today’s BlueNote is a sacred clapback to that lie: Let the world spin without you today—it’ll manage.

Yes, you are needed. Yes, you are important. But no, you are not required to sacrifice yourself on the altar of other people’s expectations.

Your phone doesn’t pay your peace bill. Your inbox won’t spoon-feed you joy. Your to-do list won’t tuck you in with care. But your body? Your spirit? Your soul? They notice when you abandon them in the name of productivity.

Here’s the quiet truth: the world adjusts when we stop over-functioning.

That job that swears it’ll fall apart without you? It’ll assign your tasks to someone else if you quit. That group chat that needs your constant emotional labor? It’ll keep spinning—even if you go mute for a week. That family member who demands your time but never reciprocates your energy? They’ll find a new audience when yours goes offline.

So what happens if, just for today, you chose you?

You turn off your notifications.

You say “not today” without a 6-paragraph explanation.

You lie on the couch in the middle of the day with no intention of being productive.

You let the emails rot. You let the dishes wait. You let the world spin.

Because it will manage—and you? You might just start healing.

This isn’t about giving up. It’s about giving in to your own well-being. Giving yourself permission to be unavailable and unapologetic. And reminding yourself that you were never meant to be everything to everyone.

You were meant to be.

Be soft. Be still. Be sacred.

So, wherever you are today, let this be your gentle nudge to log off. Breathe. Unplug. Refuse the guilt. Reclaim your rest.

Let the world spin.

You’ve earned your stillness.

Until next time, I wish you nothing but sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns, which are no less fictitious than the deserving creature that you are.