How to Enjoy the Simplicity of Rest

I stare at the blank screen on my laptop while my head swirls, completely unable to focus. The deadline looms and I am at a loss. You see I’ve had no more than five to six hours of sleep each night this week. Discouragement strikes again. The next morning I feel better, knowing what I needed was rest.

There is a sleep epidemic in the United States. According to a Gallup poll, forty percent of all Americans get less than the recommended amount of sleep.

Is it no wonder so many people feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and frustrated?

The Fear of Rest

But true rest is about so much more than sleep. You see we’ve somehow gotten the idea that we need to go at a pace beyond what we are reasonably capable of. There is this pressure to do it all, we have become conditioned to believe we are failing if our to-do list or worst yet, our calendar contains nothing but whitespace.

Far too often we seek productivity so that we can accomplish more and more. The truth is productivity should allow us to accomplish what we must in less time so that we are free with the extra time to rest and do those things that bring us true joy.

Instead, we are afraid that if we allow ourselves to rest, we won’t ever be able to get our “hustle” back and that we’ll become lazy and unmotivated.

We are so afraid of what we are missing or of being okay with what we cannot do. We beat ourselves up when we don’t finish everything on our to-do list, it is a vicious cycle because the list only grows bigger and bigger.

Gone are the childhood days of simply waiting, of letting our imagination do the work of keeping us entertained. It’s so hard in today’s world to disconnect and take the time to truly REST because of technology and instant updates. We literally have the world at our fingertips with our smartphones. But, when is the last time you sat and waited and daydreamed.  This is the simplicity of rest.

The More of Less

If there is a theme in simple living, it is the more of less. Through simplicity, we gain more by seeking less. The principal is never truer than when it comes to rest.

Let’s face it, there are no accolades for slowing down. There are no likes on our social media pages, no overflowing pages of event after event on our calendars.

Yet, the simplicity of rest and slowing down allows us to experience more calm, more peace, and enjoy fully. Doing less can bring so much more, more contentment more energy, and feeling more refreshed.

It’s amazing how resting actually improves my motivation, whereas when I’m exhausted I just don’t feel like working hard at anything! Through rest, our Strength is restored and our mind cleared. Being well-rested allows us to be more creative, to be focused, and to be able to become proactive instead of reactive.

We were created to need rest. God, alone, never slumbers or sleeps Psalm 121:4.

How much value exists in the simple pleasures or in the lost art of boredom. Instead of obsessing over our to-do list let’s try to let go of the fact that we don’t always finish them and it’s okay. Let’s rejoice in what does get done, and relish in the experiences and not accomplishments!

This is your reminder to slow down and that it’s okay not to do it all! Get outside and go for a walk or lie down and look for animal shapes in the clouds. Curl up on the couch with a good book and your favorite drink. Play a board game or color a picture. The choice is yours, whatever it is that creates a sense of rest in your life, do it today.