Have you ever set your alarm, calculated the number of hours of sleep you’re going to get, panicked about the number being too few, then lay awake worrying about it, thus getting even less sleep, making yourself more frustrated as you re-calculate the remaining hours until the alarm goes off as they get fewer and fewer?

Yeah. Me neither. I’ve never done that. I don’t even know what I’m talking about. I think I just read about someone doing that once.

Thankfully this “alarm clock anxiety” happens to me less and less now that I’m letting God help me with my anxiety as a whole. I’m not saying it never happens. I’m just saying it happens less frequently than it used to.

Since I was a pre-teen I’ve understood how important it is to get plenty of sleep. I don’t always get enough sleep each night, but I sure do try as getting enough sleep makes a huge difference in my overall health.

The difference between sleep and rest…

Rest is a different story entirely.

While I’ve always appreciated getting plenty of sleep, it took me 39 years to realize the importance of quality rest. Most of my life, I’d wake up and hit the ground running – never stopping until bedtime. The to-do list is too long! The needs are too many! The day is too short! I would get up and start the day with a bang – accomplishing a dozen tasks before most people had their morning coffee.

Then at age 39 – I learned to love coffee.

What I mean is – a few years ago I finally learned (the hard way) that my go-go-go mentality was hurting me. There were definite effects to my physical health, but more than that, I found that because I never stopped to rest I was experiencing more and more anxiety, an incredible lack of peace, and a constant feeling of inadequacy.

I’m actually not kidding about that coffee and how it changed me. When I stopped my wake-up routine from tackle the to-do list immediately and don’t stop to breathe and instead started my day just sitting, reflecting, reading my Bible, meditating, talking to God, and listening to God while slowly savoring a cup of coffee – my entire self became healthier. How can it help but?

I’m not talking about a 5-10 minute quick Bible read as part of my morning routine. That’s not enough for me, and in fact, limiting it to that makes it feel like one more item on my to-do list. (Read my Bible? Check. What’s next?) If 5 minutes is all I can find, I take it. But if possible I need at least an hour to gain my footing in the morning. Maybe this means I’m really a mess – that it takes me that longer than the average person to find my center, to truly release my day to Jesus, to feel prepared to tackle my day in a healthy way. I own it. I am a mess. So be it. I need a big daily dose of Jesus and that’s all there is to it.

Do I usually get that hour or more? Not every day. It depends on all the circumstances of the night before and the appointments of the day and that “getting enough sleep” thing I referred to earlier. I’m just sharing that I’ve learned that my mental, emotional, and spiritual health strongly depend on how intentional I am about finding a significant time of quiet rest before I start my day.

Beyond mornings – a day of rest

It took me even longer than 39 years to learn that beginning my day with quiet is still not enough. It’s great and it’s necessary, but it I let myself, I would still work seven days each week without ever stopping to breathe (after my morning quiet time).

About a year and a half ago I began the practice of taking a Sabbath rest one day each week. I don’t do this every week. I try. I’m learning. I’m getting there. It’s hard since there is so much work to be done all the time. Or is there? I’m asking God to show me how to rest His way.

Why is it so hard to take time to rest?

I’m not sure why others might find it difficult to rest. I personally have always felt that every minute of my day needs to be productive.

Indeed, God calls us to be about his purposes. But my understanding of what it looks like to be productive has started to change.

I used to think that productivity was all based on how hard I’m working, how the house looks, how the food tastes, how clean the kitchen is, how organized the event is, and how perfectly all the ideals turn out. That’s why I never allowed myself time to rest. There was too much to do, too many people to serve, sooo much work! I thought people who sat down and put their feet up were lazy. So there.

Now I recognize that taking time to rest is actually very productive.

How about that? Resting fuels the body, relaxes the mind, brings calm to the soul. Resting is necessary for good health – just like sleep. We need both and that’s the truth.

I think sometimes rest can turn to laziness if we aren’t intentional about how we spend our work time and down time. But when I ask God to show me how to rest and to help me find rest in him – He does.

The to-do list? Oh it’s still there. It’s really quite long.

Do I get less done each day as a result of taking time to rest? Yes and no. There may be fewer tasks crossed off the to-do list at the end of my days compared to when I got up and started cranking out all the work of the day the minute my eyes opened. But it just might be that my to-do list has evolved and the higher priorities are floating to the top – leaving everything that doesn’t really matter to fade away.

Rest looks different for everyone.

Some may consider outings with friends to be refreshing and relaxing. For me, refreshment comes when I take time alone or spend time with only my immediate family. For the most part, I find that I rest the best when I don’t leave the house. Ahhh, home. It is my favorite place.

How this fits into my personal April Health Challenge

While some are focusing on eating better, drinking water, or becoming fit – one of my biggest health goals this month is to rest. Already I’ve said “no” to many good things (and even to some of my favorite friends) this month. There are hundreds of good things but God is telling me to hit the pause button right now. I’ll say “yes” again after I’ve rested and let God reveal what the next yeses should be. During the month of April I’m mostly staying home, catching up on work that’s been neglected, and focusing on quiet reflection.

Yep, I’m still working – up to 40 hours a week right here on the computer. Yep, I’m still cooking. Yep, we’re decluttering the house. Rest for me this month means that I’m saying “no” to most people-filled opportunities outside my home. My introverted self is desperate for this quiet right now.

So rest.

What does it look like for you? What do you find yourself needing to rest from? Do you get enough sleep, get enough rest, and see the difference between the two?

It’s not too late to join our April Health Challenge. Read more about it here and join us! Maybe rest isn’t your health focus like it is mine. The beauty of this challenge is that we can each make it what it should be for our own personal good health needs!

My poor family. They don’t know what’s hit them.

Actually – my poor family nothin’. It’s all their fault and they should have seen it coming. They are the ones who leave their junk all over the house. They are the ones who don’t see the mess. They are the ones whose stuff is covering every surface of every room in this entire, enormous house. It is all them.

Except for the surfaces that I call “my desk” and “my dresser” and “my kitchen corner full of stuff I need to sift through.” But just whatever.

That’s probably why I haven’t harped much until now. I wasn’t keeping my spaces uncluttered either. I had excuses and they were real. I’d be happy to tell you all about them so that you can feel very sorry for me.

Long story short – what happened is that after a very full winter full of running and people and events – I looked up one day and saw my house. It made me SO MAD. And there sat my kids – watching Netflix. How dare they?

I snapped. I started throwing things off the ironing board (not because I was going to actually use it to iron clothing – get real). I raised my voice about all that needed to be done and started spewing out orders and making lists. I made my eleven year old tear up a bit.

It was my finest moment and I’d be happy to share parenting advice with you anytime.

Blech.

That was about the time Matt took me on a 42-hour getaway. I might have needed it just a little bit. Though it didn’t help the physical clutter go away, it did help my emotional state. I came home with a clear head, ready to energetically clear out my house.

Look out boys. Mom feels better. But she is also ready to throw out everything but your bed and shoes so if you want to keep any of your stuff – PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS.

I haven’t taken any pictures of our recent declutter efforts,
but since the clutter-declutter thing happens regularly enough around here,
I had some old pictures to share.

Slowly but surely, we’ve been mucking out. This is bringing more refreshment than I expected and I’m sharing it with you just in case you might have a mild case of that from which I was suffering. The clutter was causing me stress, and I didn’t even realize it. As we’ve freed up space, cleared off surfaces, and boxed up unneeded items – my physical self is winding down too. Walking into a room that is actually clean? Ah, it is a breath of fresh air.

Cleaning out clutter is part of my April Health Challenge.

It might seem silly that cleaning out clutter is a big part of my personal health challenge this month. What does throwing away trash and organizing books have to do with good health? Shouldn’t we be focused on eating right and getting fresh air? Sure – if that’s where your focus needs to be.

As for me? I can’t breathe when the clutter gets out of control. Seeing it leaves me discouraged and tense. Clearing space around my house and getting rid of unnecessary items truly is beneficial to my health, and it’s one of my biggest needs right now.

Do you need to get rid of clutter?

Might I suggest that you do this before you reach a breaking point? Choose a room. Look around. Ask yourself:

Is this item blessing our family?

If it isn’t – get rid of it. Don’t think about it too hard – otherwise you might come up with a reason to keep a broken CD “because you might be able to use it in a craft project some day.” Chuck it, friend. I’ll break a CD for you another time if in fact you end up needing one.

If the item is usable but you aren’t using it – don’t think twice. Box it up to give away or sell. Perhaps it will bless someone else.

Take joy in the fact that your home will be filled only with items you need and use. Enjoy the freedom that comes from a uncluttered space.

Be happy for me. My desk is clear and the ironing board is empty. Now I can use it to iron clothing. (Yeah right.)

Hey, join our April Health Challenge!! Are you in?