Mommy Finger, Baby Finger

Last year required every ounce of strength and courage in me. Toward the end of 2021, I was exhausted. So, instead of focusing on my goals for the new year, I chose rest to start off 2022. I literally did the least the first week of January … and you know what happened? Life went on … even when I didn’t do all of the housework, cook every day, answer every call and text or document every single thing on social media.  

I’ll be the first to admit – I have a hard time sitting still unless I’m journaling or meditating. In my “resting period” I had to shake the guilt that came with not feeling productive. I realized how our hustle-driven, competitive culture makes it so hard to implement rest into our lives. Taking time for ourselves is selfish, lazy, or weak. To me, resting has meant being lazy.

At a young age I was motivated by my achievements. I was a big-time perfectionist. In my 20s I found myself buried in my work, sleeping 4 hours a night, and sometimes pulling all-nighters. I was too busy to eat, see my friends and family and date. As a result, I found myself often having emotional breakdowns. But I was so obsessed with getting to the next destination, I didn’t take time to enjoy the process. Now that I’m entering my 30s, I’ve started asking myself, ‘Who am I performing all this stress for, anyway?’

Even the best need rest. Many of us are interested in work ethic, but we don’t think very much about rest ethic. Oftentimes, we don’t even realize how anxious and in need of rest we are until we take some time to reflect. Rest ethic is about how you take care of yourself. I love this TED Talk by Saundra Dalton-Smith MD, “The 7 types of rest that every person needs.” She talks about how our society is suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest. You can even go to RestQuiz.com to find out what kind of rest you  need to live your best life.

My relationship with God has challenged me to exchange my daily hustle to sit in His quiet presence.

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

That’s why I’m prioritizing rest and recovery this year. Rest is not for the weak. You might need to work, but you also need time to rest. Take it from me – doing your “best” does not mean working yourself to the point of mental breakdown. You are worth the time it takes to slow down, be still and rest.