How To Rest On Purpose
When people ask you “How has your week been?” Is your first response “busy”? Maybe I’m the only one who seems to constantly be replying…
When people ask you “How has your week been?” Is your first response “busy”? Maybe I’m the only one who seems to constantly be replying with “good, but busy!”
Do you ever have those busy days that turn into busy weeks and then busy months, and before you know it it’s been another busy year!
One thing can roll into the next and you can find yourself just trying to catch your breath and rest seems to endlessly escape you. You fall into bed each night with the thoughts of the day racing through your mind, your body is screaming for rest but your mind doesn’t seem to have a shutdown button!
What if we started to rest on purpose instead of being forced to rest when our bodies simply give out under the constant stress of busyness.
If we don’t allow our body and mind to rest regularly, we will be forced to rest eventually.
We are too busy not to rest.
I have found that in the midst of busyness within my own life of being a mother, wife, student, teacher, leader and friend, implementing daily rest on purpose gives me the strength to be the best woman I can be for myself and others. Instead of constantly caving under the pressures of life I find myself rising to the occasion.
Here are 3 simple ways we can daily add rest to our busyness – it only takes 15 minutes a day.
1. 5 minutes in the morning
Begin your day with rest.
Hopefully you have just woken up from a refreshing night’s sleep, but if you are anything like me chances are you were up half the night tossing and turning over the events of the day that was and the events of the day to come!
So, get your sweet butt out of bed and go make yourself a coffee/tea and some energising breakfast and be still for 5 minutes. Remind yourself that you are strong and capable and can take on whatever this new day might throw at you.
2. 5 minutes at lunch
If you can, get outside for 5 minutes in your lunch break and take a walk. Allow the fresh air to refresh you! Clear your head of what may already have happened in the morning and take in the beauty of nature. Let the birds, the trees and the surrounds soak into your soul. If you can’t get outside then go for a walk in your office, workplace or university, where ever you may find yourself, and give your mind a 5-minute midday break.
3. 5 minutes wind-down
Some of us girls like to wind-down at night with a good book or a movie but can I encourage you to spend 5 minutes winding down at night in silence. Once you have finished reading or watching that movie, sit in silence for 5 minutes and just breathe! As you focus on your breathing, deep, life-giving breaths, consciously let go of the worries and stress that your day may have brought. Remind yourself that tomorrow is a brand-new day, with brand new opportunities and get into bed rested and relaxed.
15-minutes of intentional rest a day will do wonders for your soul, I know it has for mine!
Rest on purpose and you will have the strength to be the amazing, capable world-changing woman you are!
