Every person and every household has an ebb and flow, or a “rhythm,” whether they are aware of it or not. We have a rhythm to our days, weeks, and months. Our habits and interests follow the seasons, the days of the week, and the rising and setting of the sun.  In our modern world, with electricity, internet, and endless options for productivity, it is often hard to let the busy day go and to let our minds, hearts, and bodies rest. Truly rest.

Some families have discovered that unless they intentionally carve a day of rest out of their busy lives, they will continue to be distracted by work, screens, and general tasks day in and day out.  As we all know, time does fly by and we don’t want to let it pass us by without savoring the sweetness.

Some families choose to have a specific day of rest, also known in some cultures or religions as the sabbath or shabbat. It is often on Saturday or Sunday and is a day of slowing down.  Other families may choose to have a few hours dedicated to the intention of rest. During a day of rest, we don’t actually just “rest” (sleep all day) but fill our buckets back up with rejuvenating activities.

Although my children have grumbled (often quite loudly) about the screens being turned off, I have found that we have our happiest days when we are able to disconnect from technology and spend a day just being more present with one another. I like to imagine that we have personal buckets that are constantly being emptied and filled. I personally feel my bucket becomes empty after a long day working on the computer or busily completing tasks without taking time to recharge. I can refill my bucket in various ways. Some common bucket-filling activities for me would be making a nice hot cup of tea or going on a walk with the dogs. 

Is your family in need of a day of rest?

Ideas to Help you Plan a Day of Rest in your Home:

1. 1. Have each member of the family take time to reflect on the following considerations: 
   • • What activities inspire  “rest and rejuvenation”  for each member of the family?
       • Do you feel renewed by hiking in nature? Reading a good book? Baking? Seeing friends? Taking a hot bath? Playing music or singing? What fills your bucket?
2. What distractions you should remove from your day of rest to ensure “rest and rejuvenation?”
   • Can you unplug the screens for a portion of a day or perhaps even an entire day? I find that this is THE #1 ELEMENT in our family’s day of rest.
   • Can you put aside your “work” until tomorrow?
3. Decide what jobs need to be done the day before to ensure you can actually rest.
   •  Prepare a meal that you could easily heat up the next day.
   • Perhaps you prefer to have the house clean before you can relax.
   • Do you have work or homework that must be done before you can rest?
4. When will you schedule this time of rest? If you don’t put it on the calendar…it most likely won’t happen.
   • A full day each week? Which day works best for your lifestyle?
   • Half of a day weekly?
   • Once each month?
5. Enjoy! And please remember that habits are often quite HARD to break. You or your family members may feel resistant to disconnecting from “business as usual” and actually resting …but notice the way your heart feels before going to bed after your day of rest and I can guarantee it will feel more nourished and grateful than it did the day before. 

Let us know what your family is doing for your “Day of Rest.”

We love to learn from our Pipilo Family.