Do you want to be happier? Healthier? More fulfilled? Maybe even a little wealthier? Great! Read on, and I'll tell you how to accomplish all of these things.
I promise, anyone can do it. You don't have to be a rocket scientist, and you definitely don't have to do anything complicated. It's actually almost too simple.
You just need to relax. Really. One whole day. Once a week. Every week.
I can almost hear you saying, "Ummm, right. I can't get everything
done now, and I'm at it 24/7! How on earth am I going to manage if I'm only doing stuff 6 days a week?" I promise you will. And, you'll actually be more effective and accomplish more by giving yourself one day every week to rejuvenate.
Our Creator knew what He was doing when He gave us directions for living our lives fully, happily, and healthfully.
We MUST honor a day of rest. Once a week. Every week. No exceptions.
Case in point. You've raced around throughout the holidays and now someone in your family is struggling with a cold, somebody else is just getting over the flu, and yet another is dealing with increased allergy symptoms. With that super long to do list in addition to the general hustle and bustle of the season (never mind your normal daily activities!), I'm going to guess you felt a little overextended and ended up a bit tired?
Oh, let's just be honest - completely exhausted!
And, of course, this happened right at the time when you were exposed to plenty of extra germs. Think of the coughing kid at the church Christmas pageant or, oh horrors, the sniffling, sneezing throng people shuffling through the local Kroger store with you on Christmas Eve.
Your immune system didn't stand a chance.
We are not designed to go full tilt constantly. When we do, we get sick, our relationships suffer, and we spend money we don't need to be spending.
We MUST honor a day of rest. Once a week. Every week. No exceptions.
Need another example? You spent the weekend attending your kids' sporting events and cleaning the house (yes, between games). Then, you went to the grocery, but forgot your list and your coupons, got home, put all the groceries away, and found yourself folding laundry at midnight.
Oops, no time left to plan weekly meals or check schedules. Oh well!
You fell into bed, with your mind racing and ended up unable to actually sleep. So, you tossed and turned until the alarm chirped at 6 a.m. Up and at 'em Monday morning, you got the kids fed and off to school, and you made it in to work in one piece.
As usual, the day was extremely busy with your boss asking, AGAIN, for the report you were supposed to have turned in the week before. You ended up staying late to get it done and finally got in your car to head home.
That's when it dawned on you. Junior needed a treat to share with his scout troop at their meeting that night. Yikes! You raced into a store on your way home to grab the treat foods and then spun through the local drive through to pick up something for dinner because you were just too exhausted to even think about cooking a meal let alone actually cooking it!
That took care of that $50 bill!
You arrived home in a terrible mood, exhausted, and just wanted a few quiet minutes. However, at that precise moment, your husband had asked if you remembered to stop by the bank at lunchtime. Too tired to argue, you had simply broken down into tears and didn't speak to your husband the rest of the evening.
Yeah, we've all been there at one time or another. Pretty miserable, isn't it?
So, how do we fix it? Is it even possible to bring a little more peace and calm to our lives? The answer is yes, but it takes deliberate intention and commitment from every family member.
We MUST honor a day of rest. Once a week. Every week. No exceptions.
As a family, you should pick one day, once a week, every week to relax and reconnect. No schedules, no outside commitments, no exceptions.
For some, this might mean attending a worship service and then spending the remainder of the day playing games and talking with each other. For others, it might entail a hike in the woods with loved ones just enjoying the beauty of nature. For yet others, it might be gathering the family together in the same room, but everyone quietly reading and napping. The point is to do something entirely nurturing and relaxing one day a week every single week.
Without exception.
Giving your family the gift of a day of rest will be beneficial on so many different levels.
Your relationships will grow stronger.
You will be more rested and prepared to more effectively deal with the responsibilities and stresses of the rest of the week.
You'll have the time to review your family's calendar for the upcoming week and purposefully plan meals, lay out clothing, make sure the car has gas, whatever might be necessary to help the coming week to go more smoothly.
Your week will start off calmer and more gently.
Long term, you'll be healthier, both spiritually and physically. You'll be happier and more contented with your life.
And, yes, you might even be wealthier because you'll have the opportunity to better plan, which will result in less reckless spending.
To accomplish this, your entire family must be committed to purpose and willing to compromise. It might not be easy, especially at first. Kids may need to be limited to only one or two extracurricular activities and spouses might need to cut back on outside activities. It will likely take some time to adjust to this "new way" of living.
But it will absolutely be worth it. The key is to communicate and find what is comfortable and doable for your family.
And then just do it.
Always.
The benefits won't just be for the short term. They will last a lifetime. Your whole family will be healthier, happier, and much, much more contented.
Does your family do this or something similar? Share with us how you spend your day of rest and how you implemented this for your household.
No comments:
Post a Comment