The Busyness of the Holiday Season Will Leave Us Feeling Worn Out and Weary If We Don't Make Rest A Priority

My week was filled with work, class, studying for finals, baking hundreds of cookies, empowering clients, and celebrating the holiday season with friends and family. The week was filled with fun activities, but now I’m worn out.

Can we take a few minutes to reflect on the busyness of this season? I adore the holidays, and over the last few years, I’ve been intentional about saying no to things I’d like to do because I can’t do it all. Last week was no exception. I missed some fun things that I would have enjoyed if I’d had the capacity to do them.

I’m keenly aware of my need for rest and margin in my schedule, yet I still found myself overwhelmed with holiday tasks this week.

It’s finals week too, which is compounded by the fact that I’m both a student and a professor. Although I enjoy both aspects of that work, I don't want to spend the next two weeks too worn out to enjoy Christmas. So, how do we enjoy the hustle and bustle that the holidays bring without burning out before we get to the celebration?

I said no to invitations to parties I wanted to go to. I skipped two concerts that would have been fun. I limited the number of cookies I committed to baking. I made time to study, grade assignments, complete other writing assignments for school and work, etc., but I did not create space for rest.

While it’s important to place boundaries on our time, it’s also important to schedule time for rest. As a Christ-follower, I practice Sabbath rest - a day each week when I don't work and instead do things that are restful for my soul. I also start my days with quiet reflection, prayer, and worship, but this week, I’m going to go back to doing what I did when I worked in an office environment; I’m going to start scheduling daily time for rest.

I know scheduling time for rest might sound silly to some, but it has been helpful to me in the past. I have a daily task list in my planner that includes other daily habits that I want to cultivate like taking vitamins, making time to walk around the block, etc., so I’m putting rest back on my agenda.

While I won’t have time to take any 2-hour naps until Sunday afternoon, I can make time to read a chapter or two each day or sit in the quiet for 10 minutes. I can spend time away from my cell phone and more time journaling, knitting, and visiting with people who refresh my soul. Those simple habits would sounded insignificant to me until I tried them.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, so I don’t want the joy of the season to get lost amidst my long to-do lists. I want to move into the new year refreshed and ready rather than weary and worn out.

What are you doing to cultivate rest over the next couple of weeks?