“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 23:2-3
Ever sleep through the night and still wake up exhausted? Yeah, me too. Starting the day planning when you’re going to bed that night isn’t getting things off on the right foot.
But that’s been my reality for at least a year now. Many days I wake up depleted. And based on what I’m hearing from my own circle of friends, I know I’m not the only one feeling the burnout and weariness that has enveloped many of us in recent years. There is a big difference between physical rest and restoring your soul. It turns out a nap will not help when you are emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and relationally spent.
Prioritizing rest and restoration is modeled for us throughout the Bible. Sabbath is a day to honor God, and a day of purposeful rest. The very creator of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves commanded us to rest. And modeled that from the very beginning.
“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”
Genesis 2:2-3
If only our modern world – and selves – agreed. The non-stop need to be productive, to progress, to gain is valued to our detriment. And many of us fall prey to this under the guise that what we are doing is good so we should just keep pushing. Doing good for our neighbors is certainly worthy of being prioritized. But doing good for ourselves is just as vital to our own long-term health and wellness.
So how do we do it? How do we build sustainable practices to fill our cups so that we are healthy and ready to pour into others in our lives? For me, it comes down to a few categories, and spoiler alert…some Netflix binging totally qualifies at times.
Quiet
I’m not exactly known for being a quiet person, and the humans I birthed like to use all the words…before breakfast. But the longer I’m alive, the more I value a portion of my day being reserved for quiet. I value and benefit from a relatively slow, peaceful start to my day. Most mornings, I choose to get up before dawn. No judgement if this is not your thing. The downside is this means I go to bed about the same time a lot of preschoolers do which really cuts into my social life and knowledge of pop culture. But it has worked for me.
Quiet may look very different for you. And it absolutely should intersect well with your rhythms and your season of life.
Your quiet may be getting to the office 30 minutes early so you can gather your thoughts before the day and the people hit your door. It could be packing a lunch and finding a quiet spot outside to eat alone. Maybe you hide in the laundry room with a book or a Bible or nothing while your family avoids helping with the laundry. You do you.
Whatever it looks like, find the corner of your day when you can have a moment of quiet you can count on.
Mindless Progress
I am raising teenagers, in a pandemic, working in a school, while watching what feels like our world crumbling to pieces around us. To say it feels most days like I am spitting into the wind is an understatement.
Enter the pressure washer.
Stay with me.
From time to time, we all need the encouragement of actual, visible progress. I bought a house last summer and discovered I love to pressure wash anything that can withstand it, and that mowing the grass is cathartic. Both leave me filthy, sweaty, and looking pretty rough. But, once I get started there isn’t a lot to think about and – this is the big thing for me – I can see my progress.
If you need to see visible progress, go get yourself a powerful hose, some soap, and a dirty driveway, sidewalk, or deck. You’re welcome.
You don’t have to pressure wash to get this same benefit. Anything you can do (safely!) without a lot of mental exertion can have the same effect. I’m told from others that cross stitching, chopping vegetables (watch those fingers!), and vacuuming also qualify. I bet you have tasks in your own life that apply, so go find those things that allow you to mentally check out a bit but also give you the gift of visibly productivity.
Exercise
Physical movement is one of those things that takes some momentum for me to commit to, but once I do my soul is so grateful. All movement isn’t created equal when it comes to feeding my soul, and for me it tends to fall into three categories:
Walking when I can listen to a book, podcast, or music – Nothing motivates me to get out the door for a walk quite like being in the middle of a good book on Audible. This summer, I’ve added a morning walk to my routine and downloaded a few good mysteries. Even on my most tired mornings, wanting to know how the next part of the story unfolds is enough to get me to lace up my shoes.
An intense class where I can be pushed and the environment may be loud – I’ve added a weight training class to my routine (#IlovetheYMCA). It is not for everyone, and most classes at some point I’m cussing (#trueconfessions). But it has been a great way to challenge myself, and there is nothing quite like the feeling of leaving tired, sweaty, and knowing I just did a good thing for my body.
Quiet hikes with friends who do not expect me to talk much (see above on dependable quiet) – God used long trails in the deep, deep woods to heal my heart when our world turned upside down. I have absolutely fallen in love with hiking, and I’m lucky enough to live within a couple hours drive of some incredible hikes in the mountains of north Georgia. I do not like some of the heights. I do not like the times we have encountered snakes. I must confess I find it moderately thrilling – and totally terrifying – to encounter a bear. Especially a cub, within six feet of you, when you cannot locate his notoriously protective mama. But I digress. Experiencing this with dear friends who know me, know the crap of recent years, and who are totally fine not talking has been beyond restorative to my heart.
Your version of movement you love will for sure be different from mine. But find a way to move your bones and I promise your cup will start to fill again.
Time with My People
Notice the word “my.” I do love people in general, but not everyone in life fills my cup…in fact some of them are the opposite and drain every last bit out of me.
There are select people with whom time spent truly restores me. Time with my children when we aren’t task oriented and we can just hang out or do something fun together is life giving – and what I wish more of day to day parenting was like. Time with close friends who really don’t care what I show up wearing, who value good food, good wine, and a good card game refreshes me. Friends with whom I can be totally transparent and not worry about what they think of me are freeing.
Carving out intentional time with the people who restore us can take some work and schedule finagling. But, gosh the pay off. When we can’t create long stretches of time like this, let’s be on the lookout for small ways we can stay connect with our crew. Text check ins with friends. A seated dinner at the same table – even if dinner is take out can check the box of some sweet face time with your family and friends. Even small tidbits of time can refuel us between the longer stretches that fill us up to the top.
Looking for ideas that might fill your cup, too? Throughout the summer I’m sharing what’s filling my cup these days (and that’s where some inevitable Netflix will come into play!). Each Friday I’ll post a few things that are filling my soul at the moment.
