Are you getting enough rest? I haven’t been . . .

I'm typing this post from my bed.

I've been here for two days, put down by an illness that only manifests when the immune system gets extremely low or stress weakens the body (I'll tell you more about it once I'm though it).

I don't feel like typing, but every time I close my eyes, these words come to mind, so I want to share them with you . . .

Do you know we are designed to rest? That our bodies crave it and need it?

Of course you do.

But are you speeding along, not really taking that need seriously? Adding a little here, squeezing in a little more there, spinning plates and hula hoops of responsibility until you can't see straight?

Do you walk around with your stomach in knots because you just don't know how you'll get everything done? Do you feel like you just can't handle the simplest of tasks?

If this is you, then you might be heading for burnout.

I have honestly tried to cut back on a lot of things over the past few years, I've stepped out of many activities and commitments, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

I'm not sure if my introverted nature needs more down time than others, or if it's just the fact that this season of motherhood is intense and requires a lot.

Probably both.

Today as I rested in bed, I looked over all my new eBooks, and this quote jumped out at me:

“A message I grew up with is that you give, give, give and the idea of managing your energy was completely foreign to me ~ until I hit rock bottom ~ and I sort of realized, “You know what? I can’t be a mom and work and run around on fumes. I need to find a better way to manage my energy.”

~ Sara Gottfried, MD as quoted in the Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms eCourse

We can't run on fumes.

We can't take feeling good for granted and run ourselves ragged.

Even the energizer bunny runs out of batteries eventually.

If we continue to ignore our need for rest, we will eventually be made to rest.

That's just the way it is.

As moms, there is a lot to do, add in extra responsibilities like teaching at church, volunteering, or running a business, and you've got a lot going on.

It's OK to ask for help.

It's OK to say no.

If you are burned out, yet still have a hard time saying ‘no,' I hope this quote will encourage you:

“Reframe that ‘no' into a ‘yes' – deciding not to participate in more projects, more opportunities, more events, is freeing ourselves to say a big YES to recovery and healing.”

-Daniele Evans in Honoring the Rhythm of Rest

I want to encourage you to seek rest. To nurture your own health and take care of your physical, spiritual, and mental well-being.

Do your best to go to bed at a decent hour, cut out the unnecessary, add things that bring you joy, take time out for quiet, and eat good food.

Easier said than done, I know. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.

If you don't know where to start, I suggest three things:

• make a list of what is overwhelming to you right now. Pray about it and choose one thing to work on (either change it, learn how to do it more efficiently, ask for help, whatever needs to be done)
• institute a quiet time for yourself, every day (it doesn't have to be long. Just a few minutes to sit and breathe)
• find something to cut-out or delegate

Build from there and take small steps to live a life that nourishes you.

 

If life is out-of-control, or you feel that you are sinking, I think you'll find hope, encouragement, and practical help in these few titles:

Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Daniele Evans ($2.99)
One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh Oxenreider ($5.00)
Simple Living by Lorilee Lippincott ($2.99)
When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly Crawford ($4.97)
Hula Hoop Girl by September McCarthy ($4.99)
Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed by Jenni Mullinix ($4.99)
Tell Your Time by Amy Andrews ($2.99)  – This book is life-changing.

 What other suggestions do you have for getting enough rest?