When we are told over and over again to take care of ourselves but are never given the time or tools to do so, how do we respond?

This question is part of what we work through in the wellness workshops I have led for workplaces, non-profit organizations, research centres, and more. These participatory and practice-based workshops are intended to deepen conversations between community members, co-workers, artists, or otherwise about what restful interventions look like beyond simple calls for “self care.”

In the past, I have led guided meditations, art-based resting activities, facilitated team conversations about balanced workplaces, built rest plans for individuals and teams, and shared my story-based research on rest.

We all know we need to rest, but how do we actually build community and workplaces that value wellbeing alongside the important work we do? These workshops bring this conversation into the forefront of your work.

Dani Pierson (she/they) is a Métis-Ukrainian writer, researcher, and facilitator from Treaty 8 Territory with family ties in Fort Nelson, BC, Canada. Her research focuses on the importance of rest and care in community-oriented work. This research comes from a deeply personal place of grappling with her passion for community-based work and the weariness of the world. 

Her writing has been published in Pawataatamihk: Journal of Métis Thinkers (2023) and the Journal of Indigenous Social Development (2025). She has been leading wellness workshops since 2023 with organizations like Ojibiikaan Indigenous Cultural Network, Mamawi Project, and UBC Okanagan’s FEELed Lab.