The Discipline of Rest

Burned-out? Feeling tired? We cannot deny that we are living in a very busy and hectic world. We work long hours at the office with bosses we do not like and in work we don't enjoy, to earn a living. We aim to live a healthy lifestyle by going to the gym, joining weekend fun run, bike races, etc. we push ourselves sometimes to the breaking point of our normal capacity. So many things to do, so little time. Too many demands, responsibilities, bills to pay, mountains to climb, trails to hike and tracks to run. In today's modern lifestyle nobody wants to waste time resting, or you will get left behind.

However, it is essential to take time to rest. It is fundamental for a balanced and healthy life, not just the physical health but the emotional and mental aspect of our lives.

By definition rest means "cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength." Rest must be intentionally incorporated in our routine, be it just having you quiet or alone time or just hanging out with friends,or sleeping, activities that disconnect you from work or physical activity. For this post we will exclude sleep as a form of rest. We will tackle sleep in another post, sleep is something that I personally struggle with because I am a late sleeper. 

Rest is required for our bodies to rebuild and recharge itself adequately. 

What to do? How can rest be incorporated in a busy world and schedule.

For those people who always at gym for weight training or workout, or athletes, rest is necessary as muscle must recover. Muscles naturally recovers every seven days if it's allowed to rest. Resting will prevent injuries due to overuse of certain muscle restore glycogen stores and prevent mental burnout. If you cannot avoid not training, an alternative is to have a day wherein you aim for just 75 percent of your maximum heart rate during exercise to improve endurance and increase blood volume.

Develop the discipline of taking a rest at even for at least one day each week. It is key to your overall health. We each get one life and one body to live in. There is a news recently in Japan wherein an employee died after working over 100 hours of overtime in one month. Rest is as essential to our physical health as the water we drink and the air we breathe.

A day set aside each week for rest allows relationships with people to deepen and be strengthened. Taking one day of your week and dedicating it to rest will force you to have an identity outside of your occupation, and creates balance in your life, not letting your life be defined by what you. It will allow relationships to develop outside of your fellow employees. It will create avenue for activities and hobbies outside work. 

I personally suggest having a quiet time as part of our daily habit of resting. Quiet time shall be set aside for devotion (bible reading) to pray and listen to God talk to us.  Although I admit it is something that I struggle with and must consistently do. But during those times which I do, it declutters my mind, and it instills in me a sense of peace knowing that we have a God bigger than our problems or circumstances and is in control over things we have no control. As a result, it reduces stress and brings a sense of contentment.

If you’re at work, it’ll be great if you try your best, to allow yourself short break to refresh your mind.  You must. Studies shows that productivity increase if employees can have an hour of break a week, that's like 10-15 minutes of break a day.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t take a break from time to time. And if you are working with a computer, resting does not mean you start reading online forums or watch videos on Youtube. Try to really disconnect though - talk for a while with a colleague – someone that is also resting, don’t bother those who are working (this is something that I personally practice in my work, if I am not taking a break with a colleague, I search and play with the cats around the office, we have lots 😻😻😻😻). When I get back to work, I have clearer mind and more energy. We can only do so much in a day. 

As I have side in previous paragraph, we must intentionally plan to rest. Put it in calendar. Learn to say no to unplanned activities or tasks that attempt to take precedent. You are only as busy as you choose to be. Take control of your rest days. If needed, alert your employer about your desire for rest and tell them you will be unavailable on that day. Plan out your day of rest by choosing creative activities that are refreshing and encourage relationships. Rest is different than just not working. Avoid housework. Plan meals in advance to minimize the responsibilities of cooking. And turn off your television and email.

  

I believe that one of the reasons we are unable to find rest is because we are under the constant and persistent drive to chase after the good life. This constant drive to robs us of contentment and joy.

Ultimately, rest is a manifestation of our contentment and security. Without these, rest is difficult, if not impossible.

Stop focusing on what you don’t have and start enjoying the things you do. Develop the discipline of taking rest and take control of your health. Love life. Live it.