Exhausted? Burned-Out? Rejuvenate by Taking a Sabbath

“If you burn the candle at both ends, you can’t stay bright for very long.” Rick Warren.

We all push ourselves. We’re all anxious about falling behind. We’re all afraid that we’ll miss out on something big. I promise you, when you burn the candle at both ends, you’ll wake-up one day totally EXHAUSTED.

Do you want to know why so many people are depressed, anxious and stressed?

It’s because we never recharge!

In this article I’m going to tell you something that’s counter-cultural and non-conformist.

What I’m going to tell you is hard to do.

Are you ready?

Stop burn-out, take a Sabbath!

When you train to run a marathon, there’s one thing every coach tells you: To run faster and longer, you need at least one day of REST per week.

Our bodies need rest. No one can stress their body day after day without eventually breaking down: Physically. Emotionally. Mentally. Spiritually. Sooner or later you’ll tap-out.

So how can we recover and recharge?

“God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.” Gen 2:3

The quote above relates to the Sabbath, it means “to cease, to desist” or “complete rest” from your work.

Sounds awesome doesn’t it?!

COMPLETE. REST.

Close your eyes and let those words roll slowly off your tongue. COMPLETE. REST.

What would COMPLETE REST look like for you?

Harvard professor proves Sabbath rest is a good for you!

Here’s the BIG IDEA: Sabbath rest can improve your life in ways you didn’t think possible.

For this we can look to the research of Leslie Perlow who’s on faculty at the Harvard Business School. Ms. Perlow spent four years studying the impact of predictable time off in the 24/7 world of management consulting. Predictable time off is the name given to designated times where a consultant was required NOT to work.

During their predictable time off the consultants were not allowed to work at all. They were even required to take time off even during crucial work periods. Some of these professionals found the concept of predictable time off so foreign, that they had to be forced out of the office!

What was the result?

Here’s a quote from her article, “Making Time Off Predictable-and Required.”
“Compared with those not participating in the experiments, people on time-off teams reported higher job satisfaction, greater likelihood that they could imagine a long-term career at the firm, and higher satisfaction with work/life balance. Beyond the intended work/life benefits, the participants reported more open communication, increased learning and development, and a better product delivered to the client.”

Let me repeat: The worker, the client and the employer benefited!

The article also emphasizes that the consultants looked forward to their predictable time off, and felt recharged when they went back to work.

So we’ve proven that a Sabbath day makes sense, now let’s apply it to your life.

Be Wise & Successful…

1. Sabbath = Day of Rest.  You need downtime. You can’t continually charge ahead at full speed, 24/7, without a day of rest each week.

2. Sabbath = Complete Rest.  I love the concept of complete rest. Think about it as healing, mending, and recharging ALL aspects of who you are.

3. Plan your Sabbath day. Map out your week and set aside a day for complete rest. It doesn’t have to be a Sunday, it can be any day of the week. Also, for each week during the next month, choose a day of rest and mark it in big bold letters: DAY OF REST.

4. Let Others Know About Your Day of Rest.  This can be hard. I don’t do office work on Sundays. I need this time to relax, to write, to be creative. These activities re-energize me. It’s not easy to unplug and it’s hard to explain, but you must do it.

5. Be Flexible With Your Sabbath.  You may not be able to take a day off each week. One option is to carve out a couple evenings each week from 7pm to bed time. Unplug completely and use it as a time to heal and to recharge. I am confident that you’ll sleep better and wake-up with more energy.

Come back next time and we’ll talk about how different seasons of life require a different kind of Sabbath.