A Simple Recipe for Rest in the Busy Seasons

The holidays are scarcely on our radar yet, but already we are weary. Long days with schedules still turned upside down have cramped our ability to truly rest. We may feel less productive but more tired. In the midst of the chaos, we long to feel grounded and at our best. What we need is a simple recipe for the rest that has long eluded us.

I wonder if I should be the one talking. To be fair, I’ve been pushing myself hard on little sleep. Who knew birthing a book would require so much?! Yet because I too need to learn—and re-learn—to truly rest, I know how important it is for the recipe for rest to be simple—easy to remember, easy to apply. The tips I share are ones I am applying right now to my actual life.

If you could benefit from some deep, soul-healing rest, please join me. We may try and forget and return again to this recipe, over and over again, but as we lean in, we will begin to notice a change. Where there was weariness and striving, we will find peace and joy. Where we were bowed from the pressures that were never meant to be ours, we will find our strength, creativity, and ability to be present restored.

Even in the middle of our busy seasons we can operate from restorative rest and live whole-heartedly. Let’s look at the ingredients in our recipe for rest.

1. All-purpose truth

The first ingredient in this recipe for rest is all-purpose truth. This is truth that is true always in every situation. This guiding truth is that God already loves me. He already loves me, so I don’t need to do anything to earn his affection or approval. When I let this truth—that nothing I do changes the value God sees in me—sink in deep, it frees me to actually rest.

As Anne-Rene wrote in the book Shiny Things, “We become distracted by following the rules rather than focused on following the Ruler of all.” When we live like we need to earn God’s love, we badger ourselves with rule-keeping. We always need to volunteer more, donate more, collect more, share more—but we run in circles and still get nowhere, because the things we are working so hard at—they should be the result of our being loved by God, not the means of getting him to love us in the first place.

To fully see the truth that God’s love requires no earning on our part takes borrowed vision–because when we see ourselves through God’s eyes, we realize we have value. Immense, immeasurable value. It’s hard to honor our physical need for rest when we underestimate our value in God’s eyes.

2. A sprinkle of kindness

My over-tired friends, you have permission to be kind to yourself. Sometimes it’s easier to have grace for other people than it is to offer it to ourselves. But this, I’m learning, is not the best way. If I’m edgy and fighting to pull myself through the day, I am offering no one my best. Being kind to myself is necessary for me to offer others my kindness and genuine interest—to invite the hugs and questions that interrupt—to see them as gifts rather than a burden.

One of the ways I’m learning to be kind to myself is to put some structure in my day. This looks like an alarm in the morning so I can exercise and do my morning routine before the rest of the house wakes. My morning routine helps me begin the day with resting—or abiding—in Christ. This sweet time spent focused on God revives me in ways that nothing else can.

My morning routine itself is simple, incorporating prayer, reading a little Scripture as well as a few pages of a spiritual formation book, and adding to my ongoing gratitude list. The various elements were inspired by Emily P. Freeman and Ann Voskamp. If you would like to learn more about my morning routine, you can read or listen here.

Admittedly I am still working on my end-of-the-day routine, despite holding fast to my early morning rising. Yet I know from how life-giving a morning routine has been for me that I would discover the same if I adhered to a set bed-time. Though I am moving in that direction, I still have a long ways to go. Perhaps you do as well.

If you can relate to burning the candle at both ends of the stick, I’ll share a tip I learned from Rebekah Lyons in Rhythms of Renewal. And that tip is to not check my phone once I get into bed. I’m trying to set my alarm before crawling into bed, and then not touch my phone until the alarm goes off in the morning. I was skeptical before I experienced it for myself, but this practice is actually helping me to get better sleep. I fall asleep more easily and am far less restless as I sleep, even with projects pending that normally would keep me tossing and turning.

If you feel like you are at the mercy of your busy schedule, I invite you to show yourself a little kindness as well. You can’t continually pour out if you are never taking some time to be refilled.

3. More movement

I mentioned this one briefly, but let’s unpack some more the benefit of exercise in helping our bodies feel rested. Per the words of Betty Rocker, one of my favorite exercise coaches, “The more energy we expend, the more energy we actually have!” In her article titled “7 Reasons Exercise Rocks Your Body,” she also shares how exercise “boosts our brainpower,” “improves our mood,” and “helps us sleep better.” Starting my morning with 10 minutes of tabatas or a yoga flow shakes the sleepy from my brain so I am awake enough to engage with God during my morning routine. Though it may seem ironic that more movement actually helps us rest more, I encourage you to try including a few short but focused minutes of some type of movement into your morning and see if it doesn’t help you feel more rested.

4. All the good-for-me foods

This is another idea Rebekah talks about in Rhythms of Renewal. It reinforces what I already have known to be true: that I am optimized to think more clearly, be more present relationally, and work more effectively when I eat foods that actually help me thrive. For me, that means I eat minimal sugar and dairy and steer completely clear of gluten. The foods that help you feel at your best may be different than mine, but if you’re feeling the lack of rest, I encourage you to focus on eating more of the foods that make you feel great and less of the ones that sap your energy.

5. Deep breaths of outside air

I love the simplicity of this ingredient because it requires nothing but a little intentionality. When I’m feeling empty and overwhelmed by all that I need to give my attention, I’ve found that stepping outside to breathe deeply of some fresh air does wonders for me. It clears my head, helps me relax my shoulders, and lets the tension melt away. Even on a day the weather is less than delightful, the fresh air filling my lungs works as a de-stressor. I might step into the garage for a few moments to listen to the rain pummel the driveway. Stepping away from my work for a minute helps me return with more focus. Also, if the weather is inviting, I try to take my work outside with me. Especially on days you feel like you are running on empty, try getting outside—even for just a few minutes— and let the fresh air slowly fill your lungs.

Let’s recap the five ingredients in our simple recipe for rest:

As we close, I wanted to pray a prayer of blessing over you.

May you know beyond a doubt that God sees immeasurable value in you. May you see that you are worth showing yourself a little kindness. May you find freedom in gifting yourself both grace and structure. May you be energized as you make space for rest so you can give your best even in the middle of the busy seasons.

P.S. Did you know The Uncommon Normal is also a podcast? Tune in on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, or Spotify.