Find the Rest that Fits You
If you were to ask my wife, she would tell you that I have no problem resting. In fact, she might say that it's a bit too easy for me. But for her, resting of any kind is often more work than it's worth. Let me give you an example. Every morning, I get up and make coffee. But more importantly, I sit down on the couch, coffee in hand, and I drink the entire cup of coffee. I don't get up before it's gone. I use that time to read, catch up on the news, or just listen to a quiet house before the chaos of our day begins.
Some mornings, my wife will come downstairs and tell me she's going to grab a cup and join me. But she doesn't. Instead, she dives straight into her to-do list, loses track of how long it takes, and before you know it, I have finished my coffee, and I am headed upstairs to start getting ready for my day.
Stopping and resting is not something she is accustomed to. Perhaps this is you. The minute you wake up, you start to feel the demands of the day, the to-do list looming, and the need to accomplish taking over your mind. Resting not only seems entirely impossible but unnatural. But I want to remind you of the same thing I remind my wife. Slowing down, relaxing, even just taking small moments throughout the day is critical.
So today, I want to share with you just two simple things my wife has learned to successfully stop and rest by finding the rest that fit her.
First, start small. Honestly, there is almost no way she would ever stop for an entire day--although I would like to think we are getting there. It's really not her body that just keeps going; it's her mind. But you can imagine what happens when our minds don't allow our bodies to stop. It affects every part of us--our sleep, our performance, and even our behavior. So we started small. Now she will grab that cup of coffee and sit with me for 10 or 15 minutes. But it's enough time for her to escape her own head and enjoy a brief but very beneficial moment of rest.
Second, reclaim something you love. Seems like the older I get, the fewer hobbies I have time for. Also, the older I get, the more I realize what a terrible tragedy that is. Sometimes finding the best rest is finding something else to do, something you genuinely love doing. Building models, legos, woodworking, trying new restaurants, or working on that novel you always wanted to write. You would be amazed at how much a beloved task can clear your head and restore your mind, body, and soul.
Finding the time and space for rest is just harder for some than for others. If it's hard for you, don't deny yourself the rest because you think you're failing at it. Instead, find the rest that fits you.
Challenges/Points:
Rest doesn't look the same for everyone.
Rest isn’t just about stopping your body; it's also about giving yourself time and space to rest your mind.
If rest is difficult for you, start small by taking just a few moments throughout your day and make time for something you genuinely love doing.
Questions:
Take a quick, honest assessment of your ability to rest. Is stopping your body and mind easy for you?
Where in your day can you take just ten minutes to pause and grab a coffee or snack?
What's one thing you love doing but don't feel like you have time for? How can you make time for it?
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