When it comes to resting, I think the automatic way of thinking is that it is something seperate from life itself. We go and do until we are exhausted and can’t go and do anymore. Then we rest.
I don’t think this is healthy. I think that resting should be part of living – a lens through which we see our lives and responsibilities. I’m not talking about laziness or lack of work ethic, but I have been convicted lately that I cannot possibly serve others when I am constantly drained and exhausted.
(We’ve started making a point to schedule rest into our marriage as well. I shared some insight into resting together in a recent post. Check it out here.)
I have always struggled with rest. It is not something that comes easily to me. I feel like I have two speeds – lazy and crazy. Neither are effective, productive, or healthy.
I have a lot to learn in the area of “restful living”, but I wanted to share some tips that have been helping me.
1) Build in time on the end of a trip
When you take a big vacation (think gone for at least a week), try to build in a day or two on the end of the trip. That way you can recover from your vacation and not return to daily life just as stressed as you left it.
2) Clean and pick up before leaving
When you leave your home, whether for a weekend trip or a week long getaway, pick up and clean before you go. (this applies to every day life too, I suppose!) It’s so easy to make a mess while packing, but no one wants to come home to a mess. It takes away the calm gained from vacation and just adds to the stress of trying to get back into a routine once back from any kind of trip. Set the time for 20 minutes, turn on your favorite tunes, and get to it.
3) Do your laundry while on your trip
If at all possible, do your laundry while still on your trip. No, it’s not a vacationy (that’s a word…) task, but keeping up with it is a lot easier than coming home and having Mt. Laundry staring you in the face. Unpacking directly into drawers is much more satisfying than unpacking, doing laundry, then having to put it all away.
4) Don’t be afraid to say no
Just. Say. No. If you’re being asked to do something, be somewhere or commit to something do not say yes right away. Take time to check with your spouse, check your schedule, pray about it, and decide whether or not this is the best activity at this time for you and your family.
It is not the end of the world. They WILL get over it. You CAN say no.
5) Schedule time specifically for rest
Block out and build in time in your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule for REST. 15 minutes to meditate, a weekly date night, a weekend a month that you refuse to plan anything – it may sound foreign, but trust me. It’s life changing.
6) Build in things that make you feel rested
Spend time thinking about what makes you feel rested and build that into your day and week. (Yoga has been a restful addition to my life. I’m looking forward to sharing more about how it has changed my life and made me healthier!).
I hope these help you begin to think about ways to build rest into your life! They certainly have helped my husband and I reset our priorities!
What do you need to change in order to live a more #restfullife?