Rest

I am often guilty of not resting enough. In fact, my wife kindly reminds me periodically that I need to rest and not be busy all the time. She’s right (but don’t tell her I said so!). In my drive to do more and be more productive I tend to get a little carried away with having too many things going at once. This week has been like that. In addition to work projects, I am teaching a Bible class on Wednesday nights, working on side projects and house stuff, and as usual have a couple books on the nightstand. My daily routine could use some work anyway, but this week has be even more hectic than my normal routine.

Do you ever have those weeks? Or months?

I was able to set things aside to spend time with my family this weekend. I played games with my boys, took a nap with everyone and even had a real date with Tara. Sometimes our dates consist of grocery shopping or watching high school basketball while she coaches cheerleading. But dinner and a movie were on tap for us this weekend, and it was great! The physical and mental rest were perfect.

Let me encourage you to incorporate down time into your regular routines. Here are a few things that I have to remind myself of to keep a healthy balance of rest and activity:

• Sleep. Burning the oil at both ends gets things done and is necessary at times. But don’t make it a regular habit. Health experts recommend adults get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. For tips and more info, check out the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website on sleep.
• Mental down time. Read a fiction book or something not related to your work, play a game, watch a movie or anything else that lets your mind disengage. I have found that woodworking, while I am not good at it, completely takes my mind off the stresses that run through my mind.
• Exercise. It not only helps you sleep better but also helps you clear your mind (not to mention the other health benefits!)
• Prayer and mediation. It takes effort to sit quietly and focus on prayer but I always find it leaves me with less stress and more energy.

Enjoy your rest and trust that it will help you reach your goals!