O P I N I O N
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY
By Brian Chicoine
We all need rest.
We all need time to refresh.
Recently, several friends were commenting about always being busy, and not having time for anything outside of the hustle and bustle of life. My response was – and is to whoever says this – is to slow down, (or to “stop and smell the roses,” as my nana used to say).
According to HealthSite.com, not allowing ones self time to slow down and rest is bad, and failure to rest leads to many physical ailments, including immune system deficiency, mental problems, and reduced levels of Melatonin, causing sleep problems.
We were meant to at least have a time set aside from work, (or the “hustle and bustle” of life), to rest. To rest is to refresh our body and soul. In fact, we were created to rest; we were not created to overwork ourselves into exhaustion – or worse. Moses, who is often credited with writing about the events of creation, wrote how God created humans on the sixth day, but then He rested (stopped creating) on the seventh day. I never looked at it this way, but the fact is that the first thing God did for humankind was to provide rest. (God of course does not need rest, but rather did it as an example for us, so we need to realize the importance of rest). God did not create humans and then move on to the rest of creation, but rather He created humans, and then the very next day, He rested…God ceased His activities.
Another great example of rest is Jesus. When He walked on the earth, He took many opportunities to rest from His activities. He did many things in the course of His three year earthly ministry, but He set boundaries and always found time to rest. There are many instances recorded of Jesus getting away for rest and solitude.
While an extended time of rest, (also known as a Sabbath), is a goal that one should have and strive for, it is not common, and is mostly seen as a “religious” thing. It is true that a Sabbath is more common with Jesus followers, (aka Christians), but a Sabbath is for everybody. Now an entire day of rest may not work for some, though it is a great habit to form. It is difficult, especially at first, and the temptation to do that “one thing” of work will always be there, but it is very refreshing to rest! Resuming work after a time of rest is so much better because your body – and your mind – are refreshed.
The first thing that one needs to do when deciding what activities to give-up for an extended amount of time is to know what your “work” is and what “rest” is. According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, Work “is to exert oneself physically or mentally especially in sustained effort for a purpose or under compulsion or necessity.” (One important thing to note is that “work” can be paid or unpaid). Rest is “freedom from activity or labor.” (Activity meaning vigorous or energetic action). For example, if you choose to take the first half of the day as rest and decide to make a big breakfast for your family because doing so brings you joy and allows you to slow down, that is rest.
To rest does not mean that you need to sit and do nothing for 24-hours, (unless of course that is something that you want to do). An important thing to remember is that everyone’s rest will look different, because we all enjoy different things. The important thing is to slow down and take time to do something that you enjoy. As the wise one, Ferris Bueller, once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
The benefits of rest include allowing one to better manage stress, it lowers the risk of burnout, anxiety, and depression, it promotes muscle repair and tissue regeneration, and rest restores energy.
As you see, rest is good for the body and for the soul. We are created to have rest; we were not created to be constantly working. So take some time to make a plan to allow an extended time of rest into your weekly routine – you and your body will be glad that you did!
As always, feel free to email comments to me at mythoughts603@gmail.com.