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!
Mary Beth says
I desperately need rest. Every day has become packed full of activities. I am an introvert and I really need that alone time to recharge myself. Just this week I have started to get to the point where I feel like I can’t do it all any more. I run every day from the time I get up until I make supper and drop into bed. I need a break. I need to start saying no. I need to clean out my schedule and make time for me. I need time in my garden and even just time to get the house work done. I need rest…
Jill says
Oh Rest! What a lovely idea. I have two toddlers and work full time and one of my toddlers still doesn’t sleep through the night.
I do “rest” if sitting down to fold the laundry or sitting down to sort out piles of paper counts as rest. I have been wanting to form a habit of getting up before my family to carve out time for something enriching, like exercise time or Bible study, but it is SO hard when you’re on little to no sleep!
Ruthie says
Thankyou for sharing this. I can really identify with everything you’re saying. I agree that my spiritual batteries don’t get recharged with a 10 min devotional, but they need a good dig into Scriptures and a talk with the Lord. Those things don’t happen all in one time slot for me most days, but I love the nuggets He sees fit to give me. I find committing my day to Him also helps my stress levels. Nothing is going to happen in my day that He doesn’t already know about. I’m learning that being a Martha without being a Mary isn’t a good thing. I need to find a good balance between the two.
Karen says
This was such an apropos post to read today! I just wrote on this very topic yesterday on my blog. Sometimes I think I’m the only person running around, barely breathing, trying to get it all done – then I read something like this, or another post, or a book…we’re all moving fast, trying to keep the to-do list whittled down, it seems.
I too, chose April as a month to breathe, keeping the calendar as lean as possible. After the wedding of one of our sons in February (our first wedding), then moving to a new house 2 weeks later, I needed a break from the pace. After too much of that, I just can’t function well.
Thanks you for sharing your heart. It really blessed mine!
Deanna says
I so get this. Rest is hard. Especially when there is so much going and little kids involved. And the house is a mess and the to-do list is long. Makes is easy to feel guilty. With a 6 week old waking up earlier than I do now isn’t a priority and sleep is always an unknown but I love taking at least a little bit of time to read – even if it’s just a chapter or two which I find restful. :-)
And I LOVE being home too!!! Those “stay home days” as my 5 year old calls them are the best in my book.
K Ann Guinn says
Wonderful, truthful article! I find that especially we as women seem to put ourselves at the bottom of the list. I think it’s in our “motherly”, take-care-of-the-world nature. It is difficult, but necessary to find a balance.
I have always struggled with getting enough sleep, partly due to lack of discipline and being a “night owl” (how can I feel so wide awake late at night, yet so tired in the morning?), and also in seasons of extreme busyness.
I think it’s especially difficult in certain life seasons to get enough rest OR sleep. We have to balance out making it a priority with not feeling guilty when life is throwing too much at us that is unavoidable. We need God’s strength and wisdom to figure it out, as well as the help and support of our families. We need to come to terms with the season we’re in, as often what we ideally need may not be exactly possible at that time; but we can pray and work towards greater balance and ask God to show us how to use our busy times in a more healthy way.
I’m thankful to have more unscheduled time right now, but have “survived” many years when things necessarily felt out of balance. Sometimes we have to do the best we can in the season we’re in, and other times we need to regroup and make some changes.
AmyB says
Recently in Church we did a Priscilla Shirer Bible Study called “Breathe”, it emphasizes the importance of rest and setting aside time for God. When we continually go-go-go it doesn’t allow us to rely on him or give us time to look at the blessings that he has given us. The sabbath is his gift to us and we need to stand (rather rest on it) and thank him for what we have just accomplished with him on days 1-6 and look forward not worrying because God will take care of it all.
Laura S says
That sounds like a great study!
Abbi says
Great thoughts! I too am a go-go person. I love to see just how much I can fit in a day. But I have learned that I can accomplish much more when I am rested. What that particularly means for me is my quiet time in the morning (I also prefer to have around an hour) and then around an hour of quiet reading with a 20 minutes of that being devoted to a nap in the afternoon. Then I can work like crazy the rest of the day (and most of my friends question how I can get so much done – I say that my secret is rest).
I hope that this restful month is a great one for you!
MaryJane says
This is such an important concept, Laura, and one that I also learned in my 40’s, just like you. I’m now in my mid-sixties and have seen the huge benefits of resting one day a week to renew and refresh my body, soul, and spirit. God knew it was so important for us that He actually made it one of the 10 commandments–to remember and honor the Sabbath Day. It’s not that He will punish us if we don’t, but just like many other things in life, there are natural and logical consequences built in when we ignore God’s principles for our lives–in this case, our bodies will break down and wear out much sooner than they ought to.
This point was driven home for me when I first began understanding the concept of Sabbath rest, and it was from a story I heard, taken from the pages of an actual journal that was kept by a man living during the 1800’s, who had joined a wagon train along with his family. I’ll recount it as best I remember it.
The wagon train was leaving from St Louis, MO, and was headed for Oregon. The wagon train was forced to leave later in the spring than they had planned, due to heavy spring rains in MO that made the trails impassable. When they were finally able to leave, the Wagonmaster, of course, was anxious to make up for lost time because he needed to get to Oregon before the winter snows hit, so he determined that they would not stop along the way but would just keep pushing through. The man who kept the journal was a devout Christian who took God’s Word seriously, so the first Sunday on the trail, the wagon train kept going, but this man and his family decided to stay behind and enjoy a Sabbath rest, along with their animals, which they unhitched and allowed to graze and rest with them. It took several weeks, but they eventually caught up with the wagon train again. This scenario played out each Sabbath Day, and each time they caught up with the wagon train a few days sooner. Eventually, they passed the wagon train up, and they were the only family that made it to Oregon. From what I remember, they never found out what happened to the rest of the team.
This is a powerful testimony of the importance of weekly rest for us, and not just people, but beasts of burden, too. Thanks, Laura, for writing about such life-changing things for us!
Laura S says
Wow! That is pretty cool! I’ve never heard that story. I am not surprised. There are blessings, physical and spiritual, associated with resting.
Laura S says
I am learning the importance of rest too. I am in my mid-40s. This has always been a struggle and probably always will be. I struggle mostly with how I perceive my worth. It seems like I am always worried about how the house looks or how productive I’ve been.
When I read through the Old Testament, I am surprised by how much God mentions the Sabbath. Our pastor has preached on this before. I remember him saying that the Sabbath doesn’t have to be a legalistic day. Taking time on another day, like he needs to do, is fine. It is for us. A day to be grateful for all God has given us. A day to enjoy His blessings. A day to spend time with family. God is so good to give us a day to worship Him, rest and relieve anxiety. He is so good to give us time to enjoy the life He has given us instead of striving for more. I just need to take Him at His word.
Beth says
I accidentally read the title as “the difference between sheep and rest”! I must need some sleep myself!
Me and my family have recently been on a sabbatical and it has been a God send. God truly does want us to get rest and He really can take care of things even when we are away from the working and busyness. I mean, if He can’t take care of things then why would we serve Him? I’m having to constantly remind this busy, extrovert self to engage and then disengage. Thanks for the reminder!