Admittedly, I'm not always very good at resting. I do love laying on the couch in the evening, watching TV and eating popcorn, but I'm not the best when it comes to incorporating real, refreshing, soul-filling rest into my week.
In the Christian tradition, taking a weekly sabbath is important. This means taking a 24 hour period to rest. But something that's been debated for thousands of years is what rest actually means and how to do it well.
I'd like to think that I'm okay at setting aside some time each week to not check my email or work on photoshoot prep, which is true, but often I don't actually feel well-rested by the time Monday rolls around. I have come to realize that this is because I haven't been resting my mind: something new I heard in church last week was that for many people, real rest means halting ambition and future thinking. For me, this means when I'm setting aside intentional rest time, I'd like to stop worrying about what I'll do tomorrow, stop wondering how I can be more successful, stop planning my schedule every spare minute. (This may not be an aspect of rest that you struggle with, but it's accurate to my experience).
In brainstorming how I can better practice weekly rest that will rejuvenate me, I thought that I would share and hopefully spark some ideas for ways you can rest well!
The most important thing to note about rest is that it looks different depending on who you are and what kind of work you do. Usually if you work with your mind (on a computer, etc.), resting by doing something with your body is helpful. If you work with your body (physical labor), resting with your mind is helpful. Also, of course, if you're extremely extroverted, it probably won't feel restful to spend all day alone journaling, and that's okay! Similarly, going to the beach with friends probably isn't going to fill your tank if you're an introvert. Here are some ideas of what rest can look like, depending on what you enjoy:
walk
do an intense workout
practice yoga
explore a new place
grab coffee with a friend
paint or draw
read
sit and listen to a podcast
listen to music - a whole album all the way through!
journal
take a bath
take a long shower
cook
order takeout
turn off your phone
take your dog to a dog park
hold a baby
pet a kitten
learn something new
snuggle with your loved one
go for a drive
stay inside all day
don't open your laptop
watch a documentary on something you've wanted to learn about
have a debate
don't talk to anyone
spend time with effortless friends
call a parent or an old friend
You know best when you do something that leaves you feeling better than you felt before you did it, so pay attention to what those things are for you! And see what happens when you take one day each week to just do those things.