Rest Leads to Clarity

“Rest is no idleness, and to lie sometime on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waster of time.” - John Lubbock

For the past 10 days, I was on Spring Break with my wife and her family down at the beach. I love the beach because it’s a place where I know that I can rest and refocus my mind. There’s something about the sun and the waves that rejuvenates me. Today my wife and I are going back to school to teach. I love built-in breaks like Spring Break because it gives us that time to recharge and refocus on the task at hand. 

Rest is a vital component of who we are as humans. It helps us to recharge our batteries and leads to clarity of our mind. When we are constantly busy and engaged, our minds become cluttered with all the thoughts of what we have to do. This mental clutter can lead to a lack focus. However, when we take time to rest and relax, our minds become clearer and more focused on what’s most important. We are able to concentrate on the task at hand and refocus on why we do the things that we do.

Rest also helps us to reduce stress and anxiety. When we are stressed or anxious, our thoughts become jumbled and we struggle to think clearly. However, by taking a break do engaging in things that give us rest, we can calm our mind and reduce that negative self-talk. This can lead to increased clarity for us. Sometimes, rest can look like 10 days of Spring Break. Other times, rest might look like a quick 10 minutes of refocusing and positive thinking in the middle of a busy day.

Regardless, rest provides us with an opportunity to step back and evaluate what’s important to us. When we are constantly on the go, we lost sight of what’s important. By taking time to rest and reflect, we can gain a new perspective and reevaluate our goals. This can lead to a renewed sense of purpose, which can lead to greater fulfillment in life.

Reflection Question: How can you take intentional time to rest today?

Coach T