Be Effective but Don't Crash!

Many times, we see rest as a luxury rather than a necessity. I truly wonder where and when this belief originated. It couldn’t be any further from the truth. In a society that glorifies the hustle culture and in today’s generally fast-paced world, we often equate busyness with productivity and purpose. I was a victim of this mentality until experience taught me an unforgettable lesson.?

Indeed, rest is as important as the food we eat. In fact, if we must, we should categorise rest as a class of food, just like carbohydrate and the rest. No jokes. The same way you won’t grow and/or function effectively without good and healthy food, that’s the same way you may wither physically and mentally with rest. Yes, that was not a mistake. Most times, what high-performing individuals consider to be rest is like an unbalanced diet. You can also grow and/or function less effectively with an unbalanced diet (one could have kwashiorkor or scurvy, for instance). So, if you don’t want to wither physically and mentally, you don’t just need rest, you need proper and adequate rest.

Proper and adequate rest can mean a number of things for different people including, but not limited to, a good night's sleep. Medical professionals have advised the number of hours regarded as appropriate for different types of people when it comes to sleeping. It is wisdom to heed the advice. Above all, rest for me is dedicating a particular time (hours, day) to take time off work. Completely. Regularly. Don’t think about work. Don’t plan about it. Planning is work. Take out time from your working hours to plan. You should instead engage in activities that help you relax. And honestly, the best way to be refreshed is to soak in God’s presence.?

If in a year, you only truly take time off work for 2 weeks or thereabout, you’re deceiving yourself. Some don’t even actually take time off all year round; they work even during the holidays. Don’t wait until you crash! Rest has to be consistent for it to be effective, just as you wouldn’t ordinarily eat food only once in a month, but you would have a consistent routine (hopefully, because too much food, or even rest, can also harm). And, honestly, many employers need to do better. Breaks should remain a non-negotiable work policy and culture, and should be respected!

This is why I am deeply fascinated with the concept of the Sabbath in the scriptures and I’m still unravelling it. Other than being a command, I have discovered that it is wisdom. It is wisdom from the depth of wisdom Himself, and when we heed it, we live a more meaningful life. I mean, even God rested. There’re so many treasures and mysteries hidden in rest. It is the most effective way to refresh your whole self: body, spirit and soul (mind). When you are refreshed, trust me, you’re ready and better equipped to surmount that mountain of work.

For some of us, we need to reset our mindset from, "When I rest, I'm wasting valuable time" to "I need to rest and then I can work more effectively."

The reason this is worth talking about is because, even though it might sound easy to rest, it often is not. Very funny stuff. How could it be so hard to rest?! Just when you decide to rest, something urgent comes up or you remember a fast-approaching deadline. There’s a lot to do, deadlines to meet, milestones to reach, goals to achieve, and so on. Don’t get caught up in it.?

Adequate and consistent rest is equally vital!