Running ourselves into the ground doing this thing and that doesn’t help anyone.  We treat ourselves well when we learn to slow down, take a break and get some rest.

Rest is intimately attached to so much of what we want in our lives:

Rest and good health: Getting the proper amounts of rest and sleep reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and fights disease (https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club).  Rest is crucial to warding off and reducing the impact of illnesses such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes (just to name a few) (forbes.com).

Rest, memory and success:  When we’re tired we don’t think clearly or remember information.  When we rest and sleep well, our brains do the work needed to strengthen our long- and short-term memories (forbes.com).  The “quality and quantity of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory” (http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu).   Rest helps us produce what’s needed and even has the benefit of fostering creativity.

Rest and happiness: Tired and grumpy often go together.  People who don’t get enough rest experience more negative moods like frustration, irritability and sadness (http:www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au).  In fact, studies show that people who sleep less than 6 hours or more than 8 hours per night are probably dealing with some form of depression (forbes.com).  When we rest we allow the brain to recharge.

Rest doesn’t have to be restricted to taking vacations and doesn’t have to involve spending money.  We can take care of ourselves by pausing multiple times per week, if not every day, to revive our bodies, souls and minds.  Sometimes that means forcibly eating an uninterrupted lunch every workday, going for a lunchtime walk, reading a non-work related book, listening to music (while doing nothing else!), sitting on a park bench, getting actual sleep (!), etc.    

Our willingness to rest may be an indication of how much we trust God.  When we recognize Him as our Source, and submit to His will in our lives, we can relinquish our need to control our circumstances.  We don’t have to be in charge of everything and being still shouldn’t unnerve us.  Downtime doesn’t have to be a bad word when we’ve done what’s required and then recognize the need to accept refreshment.  

Rest is good for us.  When we take the time to take to care for ourselves we increase the likelihood that we can approach our circumstances with more energy and clarity, and our bodies and minds are able to reach a right order, rhythm and structure.