Day 55: Time to Rest

Time to Rest

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven" – Ecclesiastes 3:1

Rest. It's that thing we're all supposed to do but somehow feel guilty about actually doing. Or simply put, doing nothing on purpose!

The Madness of Modern Busyness

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." – Sydney J. Harris

We've become proper obsessed with being busy, haven't we? Like it's some sort of badge of honour. "Oh, I'm SOOO busy," we say, secretly hoping everyone thinks we're terribly important. Meanwhile, our bodies are screaming, "FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PLEASE JUST SIT DOWN FOR FIVE MINUTES!"

Dr. Matthew Walker, in his book "Why We Sleep," explains that rest isn't just a nice-to-have. It's essential. Your brain isn't being lazy when it demands rest; it's actually being quite clever. Without proper rest, our cognitive functions go down the drain faster than my motivation after eating a large Sunday roast.

My Personal Rest Resistance

Here's how it usually goes for me:

"I should take a break today. I've been working non-stop for weeks." Sits down for 5 minutes "I could be answering those emails right now." Guilt starts creeping in "What kind of lazy person rests on a Tuesday? Tuesday is for ACHIEVING THINGS!" Checks phone, sees an email on the phone. Quickly responds and start preparing documents and rendering videos and instead Ends up more exhausted than before Gets sick for a week Wonders why

Sound familiar? This isn't just annoying; it's proper dangerous. The constant guilt, the stress, the feeling that we're wasting time by resting it's enough to make you need a rest from thinking about rest!

The Science of Doing Nothing

The University of Konstanz did this study where they found that workers who didn't take proper breaks ended up with higher levels of exhaustion and more health problems. Well, knock me down with a feather! Who would've thought that never resting might be bad for you? EVERYONE!!!

And get this researchers at Stanford University found that creativity and problem-solving abilities actually INCREASE after periods of rest. That's right, your brain is secretly solving problems while you're watching GAME OF THRONES. Clever little organ, isn't it?

But here's the kicker: our society doesn't value rest. We value output, productivity, achievement. "Time is money," they say. Well, I say time is time, and sometimes the best way to spend it is by doing absolutely nothing at all.

The Breaking Point Moment

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." – Matthew 11:28

Last YEAR, I hit a wall. Like, a proper concrete, not-going-any-further kind of wall. I'd been working weekends, answering emails at midnight, and surviving on coffee and pure stubbornness.

I remember sitting at my desk on a Sunday afternoon (why was I even AT my desk on a Sunday?), staring at my computer screen, genuinely considering if I could fake a minor illness to get a day off. Perhaps develop a mysterious cough that only lasts 24 hours. Seemed reasonable at the time.

But then something clicked. That horrible, hollow feeling in my chest – the one that says, "You're not a machine, you know" it became too much. I remembered what Solomon said about there being a time for everything. And I thought, "Right, this is where I either take a break or break down."

I closed my laptop! No plan, no purpose, just being. And you know what? The world didn't end. No one died because I wasn't answering emails. The universe continued spinning.

How to Embrace Rest Without the Guilt

So how do we stop this madness? How do we become those mythical "balanced people" who actually rest without feeling like they're committing some sort of productivity crime?

1. Schedule Rest Like It's Important (Because It Blooming Well Is) "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." – Genesis 2:2

If God needed a rest day, who are you to think you don't? Put rest in your calendar. Actually block out time for it. Treat it with the same respect you'd give an important meeting.

Need to take a nap? Put it in your schedule between "Important Work Thing" and "Another Important Work Thing." Each rest gives your brain a chance to recharge, which makes you want to keep going when you do start working again.

2. The Ten-Minute Rule In his book "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less," Alex Soojung-Kim Pang suggests that even short periods of rest can be beneficial. Ten minutes! That's nothing. That's how long it takes to make a proper cup of tea (if you're doing it right, which you should be).

This rule helps you overcome the resistance to resting. Because anyone can rest for ten minutes, even the most hardened workaholic.

3. Embrace the Sabbath Principle (Or as I Call It, "The Holy Do-Nothing Day") One day a week, completely off. No work emails, no "just quickly finishing this thing," nothing. It's based on the biblical idea that even God needed a day off, and let's be honest, He's got a lot more on His plate than we do. 

Myself I'm trying very much to do it every Saturday and some Sundays, I will rest some today as well. I have already taken my early morning off. And Remember That Rest IS Productive Research from the University of California found that downtime is essential for forming memories, learning new skills, and maintaining our mental health. Turns out, resting isn't being lazy; it's vital maintenance.

So next time you find yourself feeling guilty for taking a break, remember: you're not wasting time. You're investing in your brain's ability to do better work later.

Alright,

Look, we're all going to struggle with rest sometimes. It's part of living in this mad, busy world of ours. The key isn't to become perfect at resting; it's to get better at recognising when you need it and giving yourself permission to take it.

So next time you find yourself working through lunch for the fifth day in a row, take a deep breath. Remember that you're not a machine. And then, just stop. Do nothing for a bit. Stare out the window. Have a cuppa. Before you know it, you'll feel like a human being again.

And if all else fails, just remember what Jesus said to His disciples when they were running themselves ragged: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31). If the Saviour of the world thought rest was important, who are we to argue?

Word of the day: "Rest. Just rest." Because This is what we Do Now!