31 Days: Some practical ideas for ways to rest

I’ve been writing about the importance of rest for three weeks now, so let’s get practical for a few minutes. Rest is good. We need rest. But how do we make rest a priority, when it feels like we’ll fall off the treadmill of life and hurt ourselves if we try to slow down or even stop?

There’s always something (usually a lot of things) demanding our attention, our time and our energy.

Well I can’t tell you what you should do. I don’t know what your situation is like, what commitments you have, whether you’d happily curl up with a good book or stare at the ocean if you had the time, or whether you get antsy if you sit down for longer than five minutes at a time. Only you know that.

Making time for rest is not likely to come easily or naturally, and it will probably mean that you have to make it a priority over something else. You may need to sacrifice something you like doing but that doesn’t actually refresh you, or something you think you ‘need’ to do before you’re allowed to rest. You may need to leave some things undone or unfinished until after you’ve rested. If you aren’t used to giving yourself time to rest, you may need to start small as you get used to giving yourself permission to make rest a priority.

(Just quietly, if your skin started crawling at the very idea of leaving something unfinished or undone in order to rest, it just may be the most important thing you need.)

So here a few ideas for ways to rest. Use whatever is helpful for sparking your own ideas. One important thing to consider when choosing ways to rest, is whether they are life-giving for you, whether you feel refreshed. You might love watching movies and back-to-back episodes of your favourite tv series on Netflix, but if they’re not refreshing you, maybe that’s entertainment and not rest.

Some of these ideas may take a few minutes during your work day, some could take a whole day on the weekend. It’s up to you.

• take a walk along the beach or in a park
• sit on a bench and watch the world go by
• read a good book
• pray, read scripture, and listen for how the Lord might be speaking to you
• sleep – yay!
• cook something you love to eat – share it with friends or family
• write in a journal (maybe in your favourite coffee shop)
• stretch
• lay on the floor and listen to your favourite music
• catch up for coffee or a meal with a good friend
• take a break from your electronic devices (yes, mobile phone, tablet, laptop, computer – whatever is dragging you along at warp speed to keep up with the world)
• sit in your favourite chair, close your eyes and listen for the Lord’s whisper (you might need some solitude for this one)
• do something creative – draw, paint, take photographs, sew or knit, play music (however you like to express your unique creativity)
• drink more water (note to self!)
• take regular breaks at work (use an egg timer or an app to remind you to stop and stretch or do something else for a few minutes – try the Pomodoro technique)

I’d love to hear some of your ideas for rest. Drop me a line in the Comments.

Happy resting!

This is Day 22 of The Rhythm of Rest series (Write 31 Days challenge).

Image credit: morguefile.com

31 Days: Made for rest

This post is unashamedly all about the cute factor. God’s creatures were designed for rest, not just work.

You were made for rest too. Don’t fight it. Embrace it.

   
    
  
Image credits: morguefile.com

This is Day 21 of The Rhythm of Rest series (Write 31 Days challenge).

31 Days: Giving myself permission to rest

I was attending a training course and one of the activities involved choosing which type of an animal you were. There were four animals to choose from: eagle, hare, tortoise … I forget the fourth one. Each animal was associated with a description of the way a person functions. The two I remember were the hare and the tortoise. The hare was fast and flexible. The tortoise was slow, methodical, with an eye for detail. 

I nominated hare, because I could be fast and flexible. And I thought that was more important than being slow and detail-oriented.

I stood with all the people who chosen the hare, thinking that while I could function like a hare when required that really I was more like a tortoise. If I had been more honest with myself I would have been standing with the one person in the group who had chosen the tortoise.

That was years ago, but I still catch myself trying to function like a hare. Fast and flexible. And exhausting – especially if you aren’t designed that way. 

I’m still learning how to incorporate rest into my day. And the first thing is to give myself permission for rest. Rest that is refreshing and makes work sustainable and productive. Even when there are unfinished tasks – perhaps especially when there are unfinished tasks.

Are you trying to be someting you’re not? Are you giving yourself permission to rest?

This is Day 7 of The Rhythm of Rest series (Write 31 Days challenge).

31 Days: Take a moment to breathe

I’ve found that the kind of rest that refreshes me doesn’t just happen. It requires intention. It’s not just about removing unwanted stress and hurry, it’s also about embracing things that bring you joy, that are life-giving. 

One of the things that helps me to slow down, to breathe and to rest is looking at nature. Trees, flowers, mountains, animals, all kinds of natural beauty.

And if I can’t be there then a photograph is the next best thing. So I spent a little time hunting for some photographs that might also help you take that moment to breathe. Don’t rush through them, let your eyes wander around each image and take time to notice the details. Enjoy.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
All images sourced from the morguefile.com

This is Day 6 of The Rhythm of Rest series (Write 31 Days challenge).

Finding the answer between Yes and No

I don’t like saying “No” to a request. I don’t always like saying “Yes” either. But I do like to help, and I tend to reason that if I can do something, I should do it. Like the Optus commercials, I say “Yes” – a lot.

And once I’ve said “Yes” I’m committed. I need to follow through. I hate to let anyone down.

Photo Credit: photosan0 via Compfight cc

Here’s the thing with always saying “Yes.” I get really busy, I do more than I should, I end up doing a lot of things that other people should be doing, and the things that are really mine to do get pushed down the priority list.

Worse still I end up on the bottom of the priority list because I don’t look after myself.

Sooner or later, the smile fades, I get weary, stressed and resentful, and if I don’t do something to address it, I burn out. I know this because I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit.

Confession time. I am a serial offender when it comes to over-committing. I over-commit, over and over again.

Sometimes I’m a slow learner.

Friends, family and colleagues have told me that I need to learn to say “No.” And that’s true. At least some of the time.

However, for those of us who find saying “No” difficult – for all kinds of reasons – it doesn’t always feel like helpful advice. We may just nod our head in agreement, and then carry on saying “Yes” because it seems easier and we don’t feel so guilty. Because saying “No” can feel selfish, even when it’s the wisest, most loving thing we can do.

Sometimes I discover that I’ve said “Yes” before I’ve even realised the full extent of the request, or considered my existing commitments and priorities. And the number of times I’ve immediately dropped what I’m doing to help a colleague with a request are countless.

Yep, when it comes to changing habits, I’m definitely a slow learner.

Of course there are also plenty of occasions when it’s good and right to say “Yes.”

One thing I have learned recently though, is that “Yes” and “No” are not the only answers available. Sometimes the best answer lies in between “No” and “Yes.”

“No, I’m sorry, I can’t do that, but here’s what I can do.”

Photo Credit: Valerian Gaudeau via Compfight cc

I’ve discovered that sometimes when I need to say “No” to a request, it doesn’t always need to be a flat-out no. I may be able to do part of what’s been asked, or even offer a different solution.

And that can be just as well received as an unqualified “Yes.” That’s good news for someone who finds it hard to say “No.”

Are you wrestling with how to respond to a request? Perhaps your best answer is somewhere in between Yes and No.