Have you found your rest rhythm? You may be thinking… no, not till retirement!! That’s when I finally will get all my kids out on their own and no longer have the work week or school schedule to deal with!
While retirement may seem blissfully restful… we can find a rest rhythm in the midst of our busy schedules. You may be retired, but not in a rhythm of rest. You may be in full-time work, but you’ve found a rest rhythm.
Rest rhythm doesn’t mean you have nothing to do.
Rest rhythm doesn’t mean you have a rigid schedule.
Rest rhythm does mean more than just sleep.
Rest rhythm does mean understanding your unique chronotype.
Rest rhythm means intentionally setting time aside to:
- Turn OFF your mind
- Unplug from electronics
- Be alone in nature
- Meditate on God’s Word/Pray
- Cease from working
Resting is both an outward display of relaxing from work and an inward expression of a heart at peace. We can’t truly rest outwardly if we are in turmoil inwardly. Living in a rest rhythm intentionally creates opportunities for both.
God’s Pattern of Rest:
Genesis 2:2-3 “On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day… Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because He rested from all His work which He had done.”
Leviticus 23:3 “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.”
Leviticus 25:3 “Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit, but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord, you shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.”
Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.”
God’s Promise of Rest:
Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For He who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
Revelation 14:13 “Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ “Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”
We were designed to rest and work in rhythm. When we skip the rest side of this equation, our health, sanity, relationships and even our weight can suffer.
Give yourself permission to rest now in life!!
Our rest today serves as a reminder of…our promised eternal rest that comes from being in Christ!!
Self-Check: Questions to ask yourself
- Do I consistently get 7- 8 hrs of sleep a night?
- Do I live tired?
- Do I often stay up late in order to get more things done?
- Do I have a morning routine/ a bedtime routine?
- Do I recognize key moments to rest in my current stage of life?
Sample Rest Rhythm Template
Daily: Choose a start/stop work or care-giving day times and have an intentional Rest Rx routine before and after – and if possible – mid-day
Weekly: Choose a 1 – 24hr day a week to not have a long list of responsibilities, enjoy a walk, read a book, no work, no demands, no schedule to keep, no projects
Monthly: Choose a Friday or Monday 1x a month to create a long weekend to unplug from work/problem solving & do something you enjoy either with someone you love or alone
Seasonally: Choose a weekend at the end or beginning of a new season (winter, fall, spring, summer) to celebrate the new season with a related activity either as a family or alone
Annually: Choose 1-2 weeks or more if able to go away – completely unplug from normal responsibilities
In our D.R.E.S.S. Workshop – Get Started Protocol & Coaching Program we help clients develop their personal 3H Rest Rx and find their rest rhythm based on their current chronotype to create their own rest:
- Habit
- Hygiene
- Hormone
to help you restore circadian (rest) rhythm and sleep quality plus peace of heart! I’m excited to share more details in our D.R.E.S.S. Foundations Workshop sessions!
Rest Rx lesson helps you personalize a Rest Rx to get started reaching your health and weight goals!
Here’s a quick intro video…
Learn More: D.R.E.S.S. Foundations Workshop – Get Started Protocol