You Need Some Rest

Rested. The opposite of tired. Remember rested? Do you know anyone who says, “I’m just so well rested all the time!” Probably not! You’re tired, I’m tired. We are tired a lot of the time. Joint and muscle aches signal fatigue.  Explore together ways toward a rhythm that includes rest!

Transcript

Tired. You’re tired, I’m tired. We are tired a lot of the time. Joint and muscle aches signal fatigue. Tired can be a just a passing thing because you need a good night’s sleep. Or tired can be a full body experience, feeling tired to the bones. I know a man who says he has been tired for the last ten years. One cause is sleep deficit. You’ve probably heard the data; sleep difficulties are very common. If you are one of the many with a sleep deficit, either you have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep. Or you just don’t even try to get enough sleep, staying up late and getting up early. 

Because we live in a time that many are anxious about something, the sleep problem is often waking up with racing thoughts. Getting to sleep easily is great but if you wake and start trying to solve the world’s problems in bed, you are going to be tired the next day. And it is ironic that in bed, late at night is a really unlikely time that you will actually solve any problems. What you need is rest so you can better tackle the next day. 

But maybe your version of tired is more than a lack of sleep. A friend described his tiredness this way: He said he can be physically tired, emotionally tired, or spiritually tired. You can feel one or two or all three kinds of tired at once. Each needs a different response. 

Rested. The opposite of tired. Remember rested? Do you know anyone who says, “I’m just so well rested all the time!” You may get a taste of rest on vacation or on weekends. Just like tiredness, it also can be a full body experience. Muscles and joints work well with energy and a sense of well-being. Good morning serotonin! That feeling is so positive you are ready to take on the world. 

A common element in feeling rested is letting go. Setting down the stuff that weighs us down leads to lightness and feeling rested. No, we can’t run away from our problems and have them just magically go away. But letting go for a little while is a choice that allows for rest. Have you ever seen a toddler running and running because they find something fun or exciting? It can be a toy or a pet or being in a new place. Little Susie gets herself all wound up and overtired. She won’t (or can’t) stop and take things easy because she is so excited. Toddlers need some help to reduce the stimulation and calm down. You need the same: let go of the stimulation or worry and make room for rest. When you recognize what is making you tired, you can consciously let go. One way is a quick prayer to God to hold this for you for now. 

You might have bought the lie, “if I keep this worry (or project) on my mind constantly it will help it work out.” You may feel lazy when you take time to rest, so you worry continually because problems go away sooner if we worry about them, right? It sounds silly to say it out loud. 

Another lie is that I must maximize myself, not give myself any breaks. I must do the most I can imagine with the time and energy I have. Online “experts” even tell us how to have more energy so we can produce, produce, produce. Your value is greater if you are more productive. And we can imagine an endless list of household, work, and family projects and problems that we want to conquer. 

But here’s a different way:  create an honest rhythm of life: some work, then some rest, more work, more rest. That is a much better plan. We don’t have unlimited energy or ability to focus. When rested, we work better.

Often, we don’t rest because at the time we don’t feel we need it. Or something more interesting keeps us going. Ongoing rest requires choosing, again and again, to stop, rest and recharge. Ignoring your needs for rest lets you fool yourself that you can get one more thing done, that you can push past this tiredness. 

World class athletes know if they don’t rest at certain intervals, they break down their bodies and can’t perform their best. You need that rhythm of rest as well. 

Rest isn’t just sleep. You can be emotionally tired or spiritually tired, not just physically tired, so you need something different for each kind of “tired.” Physical rest helps, time separate from draining emotions helps, spiritual recharging helps. Spiritually, Jesus said, “Come to me and I will give you rest. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:30 The yoke was what tied together working animals, so it is a tool of work, but it is described as “easy” or as someone told me, “it fit.” And there are burdens for sure, but they are “light” or manageable. These ideas have some mystery to them, and you have to find your own spiritual rest. Emotionally first we must notice when our emotions need rest. You have to pay attention. Where is the tiredness coming from? Specific people or situations? Can you separate from them briefly? If you ask, a counselor or friend may give you ideas to build up resources for handling what drains you emotionally. The answer is not always getting away from the strain but building your ability to handle it. 

Try this meditation with me: Consider the word “rested.” The opposite of tired. Remember being rested?  Muscles and joints work well with energy and a sense of well-being. That feeling is so positive you are ready to take on the world. Notice right now any parts of your body, any muscles that are tired. Notice if any part of you isn’t tired. Be thankful for what doesn’t hurt, for what isn’t tired.

A common element in feeling rested is letting go. Setting down the stuff that weighs us down leads to lightness and feeling rested. No, we can’t run away from our problems and have them just magically go away. But letting go for a little while is a choice that allows for rest.

Allow your mind to drift to tiring things or relationships. These may bring emotional, spiritual, or physical fatigue. Set them down, let them go, if only for a little while. Say aloud or at least think intentionally, “I let this go.” Allow the rest that can come from letting go come into your emotions, spirit and body for now. And be grateful.