Yumi Nu Wants to Promote Rest Culture, Not Hustle

The SI Swimsuit cover model says it’s not all about work.

In today’s world, people are rewarded for working hard. While that obviously can be a good thing, we’ve also seen how not taking downtime can be detrimental to communal health. In fact, data from the 2019 Gallup Global Emotions Report revealed that Americans are among the most stressed-out populations in the world. Yet, hustle culture is still very much in action. And that’s precisely what Yumi Nu wants to fight against; instead of promoting that busy, overworked lifestyle, the 2022 SI Swimsuit cover model wants to promote “rest culture.”

Yumi Nu attends the launch of the 2022 Issue and Debut of Pay With Change with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit at Hard Rock Hotel New York on May 19, 2022 in New York City. 

Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

“I think rest is very underrated,” Nu said at the 2022 SI Swimsuit issue launch event in New York City. “I would love to be in a rest culture. I love just relaxing and doing nothing. But life is short, and I want to enjoy life and the simple luxuries of just relaxing and resting.”

The musical artist noted that doing nothing is actually what helps her get through the tough times. She can get into the right headspace to tackle all her goals by taking downtime.

“I have no problem saying that I’m human and that it’s really hard sometimes not to let stuff get to you,” she said. “I don’t wake up every day and feel like a million bucks. I must work on that and get myself in the right headspace. It’s every day, and I try to get grounded by staying off my phone and being with my boyfriend and the people who love me.”

You can view the 2022 photo shoot for Yumi Nu here.

Besides resting, music helps her feel grounded. “Music is a part of grounding myself because I get to process a lot of emotions that I wouldn’t just normally say out loud,” she said. “It’s a different way of expressing myself in a medium that feels more comfortable for me.”