In August of last year I made some radical changes.
I restructured my work life, started intentionally allowing for rest, and working with a coach. I was headed for burnout if I didn’t change something, or actually almost everything in my life. I managed to implement some strict boundaries around my work which for the most part I have maintained. I am working less, but have found I am more productive with my time. I have clear lines around work and rest and I stick to them.
Approaching Chaos With Calm
2025 started with a bang, I broke my thumb on Christmas Day, which led to a delayed return to work. I started studying psychology at Uni, which is a significantly more content than I am used to. My job role is demanding and work is just generally busy. Slowly the boundaries I have in place have started to slip a little. As I have gotten a little bit slack with my work boundaries, the thing being most impacted is my rest time. The lack of rest impacts not only my productivity, but the also the posture that I carry. The energy that I bring to a room is different. Instead of bringing calm to chaos I am a little more frazzled and frayed. I am not approaching my work from a place of rest, the internal exhaustion and stress come with me to situations that are already chaotic. This has an effect on the way that I cope with situations and ultimately the way I treat the people around me.
Rest is Gifted By God
We intentionally rest, not just for ourselves but so that we carry a posture of rest through all circumstances. This allows us to better love those in our world. Rest is gifted to us by God, when we intentionally and actively make time for it, we are showing not only our reliance on him, but our love for others.
What do you carry with you? Do you carry a calmness and peace with you? Do you approach life from a place of rest and allow that rest to flow into the circumstances in your life? Or are you running from situation to situation, never able to rest, never taking a moment to breathe? When you come into a chaotic situation are you just adding to the chaos?
If your answer is that you are bringing more chaos than calm, I would highly recommend starting to implement some times of intentional rest. Disconnect from the device, go for a walk, take a nap, sit outside for five minutes if that’s all the time you can spare. My previous blog on the seven types of rest, gives some helpful tips on all the ways we need rest in our lives. Start slowly and implement small moments to rest throughout your week. You won’t regret it.
Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.
About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.
Feature image: Photo by Julian Bock on Unsplash