Rest

In a world of work, the art of resting hard can sometimes be work in itself.

In order to rest well there are a few useful things to keep in mind.

First: Remove all ‘ought’ and ‘should’ out of your schedule. While many things we engage in do bring us rest and refreshment there are times when those same things become yet one more thing to do. Always keep a flexible heart when considering your rest, and do only those things that truly leave you refreshed.

Secondly: When my kids were young we kept to the 1 to 3 rule. For every one hour of busy activity with other people, friends and extended family, we took three hours of quiet and rest. While this kept toddlers from having meltdowns I’ve found the same is good for any age. For every pocket of busy busy that you engage with others, ensure that you take at the very least the same amount of time in quiet and restful activities.

Going through life against the grain of our natural rhythms doesn’t do any of us any good. Rest must be planned for and built into our lives, scheduled for and protected. In this we find a life that flourishes.