“What is without periods of rest will not endure.” —Ovid
Recently, I spent a few weeks on vacation. The time was filled with travel, reconnecting with family, playing golf, swimming, sleeping, and reading. As you can probably imagine, it was quite enjoyable. But more than that, it was desperately needed.
Consider the benefits that rest offers:
- a healthier body.
- more balance.
- less stress.
- deeper relationships.
- better opportunity to evaluate life’s direction.
- a new, fresh outlook.
- increased productivity.
Yet, despite all the proven benefits of rest, intentionally setting aside regular time for rest is a practice that has become undervalued and underappreciated in today’s culture. We have become overworked, overstressed, and exhausted. Yet, Sabbath (setting aside one day each week for rest) remains a dying practice that less and less people practice regularly (never mind the idea of actually taking a two-week vacation).
Overlooking the importance of rest is certainly not unique to our modern society. But our culture has made it increasingly difficult to take rest without specific intentionality.
Consider some of the factors prevalent in our modern society that argue against the idea of rest:
• Rest has become confused with laziness. We live in a society that praises those who work 60hrs/week and makes faulty assumptions about those who work 40. We have confused rest with laziness. And while too much rest may indeed be an indicator of sloth, the regular practice of finding rest is not.
• The desire for money has become unquenchable. Modern society loves money. We love it to a point that we will sacrifice much of ourselves to gain more of it. Some sacrifice morals, character, or family. Others consider rest a fair trade… and will gladly sacrifice it at the altar of the almighty dollar.
• Success is measured incorrectly. Similarly, we have begun to measure success by the amount of cash in savings, the size of our homes, or the model of our cars. The nicer one’s lot in life, the more successful they must be. Unfortunately, this is a faulty measure of success. The true test of success should be measured in significance rather than success. But often times finding significance requires us to rest long enough to recalibrate our lives around the things that matter most.
• We live in a world that is always “on”. While electricity may have made it easier to work late into the night, the Internet has surrounded us with opportunities and relationships 24 hours/day. Today’s world never stops. And when the possibility to make money every hour of the day is combined with the desire to do so, rest quickly gets pushed aside.
• A false sense of urgency surrounds us at every moment. We live in a world that floods our minds with so much information that it has become difficult to sort out the important from the unimportant. As a result, the urgent needs of the day crowd out the important. And rest puts up little fight against the urgent.
• Our minds require distraction. Our minds have become addicted to stimulation and validation. As a result, it has become increasingly difficult to turn off E-mail, Facebook, or Twitter… not to mention cell phones, televisions, or the Internet. And when our minds begin to require distraction, rest becomes an increasingly difficult state to achieve.
• Rest cannot be rushed. Modern society loves shortcuts. We desire 15-minute abs, 30-minute meals, and 1-hour photos. Unfortunately, rest can never be rushed. It must be entered deliberately and allowed to complete its cycle in due time. By definition, this requires patience… and a cleared schedule.
• A misunderstanding that rest is purely physical. Rest is physical. But it is more than that. It is mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is an understanding that the world is going to survive without you. It is an inner strength that allows you to disconnect from accomplishing “work” and focus on yourself and those around you. It is not mere physical leisure. It is rest: body and soul.
I have worked hard to keep a day of rest as an important part of my life and weekly routine. But it is an upward battle that requires relentless intentionality—we live in a culture that has far too often underappreciated its value.
Kathy says
Wow. Josh’s thoughts resonated and some of the comments brought tears to my eyes! Guys, focus and chill! Naps were mandatory when I grew up – I didn’t have to sleep, but I did have to stay in my room and entertain myself (another lost art). Work vs lunch: please stop, step outside, and eat the salad/sandwich/leftovers that you brought. Not drinking enough water?? I can’t even conceive what that means! Vacations should be a time of experience and education, not a reboot. I moved after 25 years living in Manhattan to Florida. Making lots less money and loving my life so much more! So often we blame our current circumstances for all our woes when it really comes down to our inability to change. Buck up and take the plunge! You have no idea how amazing your life can be!!
Wanda Lambert Holding says
“Busy” should not be confused with being Productive..
Janet Tyler says
Hi Joshua,
I was just about ready to start my Sunday morning email catch-up, which I’ve been doing now for several months. After reading this, I’m closing up the computer and simply enjoying my day of rest. Thank you.
Anita says
Excellent article, still relevant a year later. I’m sharing it on FB today on my page. Thank you!
Stevo says
Rest is not appreciated in this society and in this day & age. I agree. It’s as if the world is going to somehow get worse by people being less busy. Too many times we get the words busy and productive confused. To be truly productive you have to let your mind, body, and spirit recharge. Good article
Anne says
I ignored everything that you talk about for over two decades. Then one day my mind, body and soul called time out. Nearly a year into my enforced ‘rest’ my mind is finally slowing down and I am beginning to feel rested. With hindsight it has been a blessing but it has taken time to get to that viewpoint and to stop feeling like a lazy failure.
My change had to be extreme because I was so stressed, so busy, so competitive, so perfectionist etc, etc that I was in the end just so sick.
I am really enjoying the minimalism sites like yours they are 100% relevant to how I am rebuilding my life and I thank you. I want to be a lesson that others can learn from me, not bitter experience: rest as you go, not for one year out of twenty!!
Thx :-)
Mark says
I’ve heard that rest actually tells us how “well we can work.” The better we are able to rest the less we are controlled by, and so can flourish, in our jobs. The idea that laziness is confused with rest is truly sad. When work/profit become the bottom line, there is never enough, never fulfillment, never some “holy sadness” to give us a sense of rootedness in who we are, where we are.
You mention “sabbath”–we’re lucky enough not to have to, but it’s often an excuse for extra activity. Sabbath, for me “intimates a time of shalom,” when everyone would work, and play and enjoy, and delight would be the true end of man.
Cheers,
M
Kristy Powell says
Great to read about this. I really struggle with the concept of rest. And while I also value the observance of a or the Sabbath, I struggle with the concept of rest outside of that. I guilt my husband when he naps (even though he is ridiculously hard-working otherwise and successful and all these things… I still have it in my mind that if there is time for a nap, there is time to contribute more). And I truly struggled with the decision to resign from my job at Yale which I’ve recently written about. I think your first and third bullet are the ones that I fall victim too, that I’m currently working through on the other end of having chose to resign and go from working 65hrs/wk to less than 40. I want to define success in a whole new way, I’m working on it, but the feedback loops telling me I’ve made an unwise decision are strong, but I’m learning that the voice of those loops are voices I do not trust or desire to be like. And those I respect and desire to model my life after are encouraging of these changes and attempts to redefine life in our young marriage and family. It is a journey I am less reluctant, and more thrilled to be on each day.
Brad @ Minimal Moose says
I always feel like I’m catching up on sleep. It’s a never ending race.
Love me some vacations as well. Always a good time to rest your mind, reflect and re-energize.
Glad you enjoyed your time and thank you for all you do.
– Brad
Rachel says
“A false sense of urgency surrounds us at every moment” – this one really resonates with me as I find it so difficult to step back and realise that if something doesn’t get done straight away or things don’t happen in the order I expect them to then the whole world won’t fall apart. Creating these false sense of urgency moments against our own selves increases stress levels considerable and is something I battle with on a daily basis.