There’s a time to work and a time to rest. But rest doesn’t always mean doing nothing. Often it’s still very active. But it does shift away from our ordinary work into a different way of being – allowing our mind, body, and soul to be refreshed.
Certainly, a case can be made for doing nothing.
The demands of life are such that we need regular times of letting it all go and having nothing required of us. For instance, just sitting on the couch after a long day is often very restorative.
But this is not the only kind of rest that restores. There’s also a place for active rest.
Active rest is an intentional shift out of our ordinary work and into activities that restore our souls.
This might be pleasure reading, playing a pickup game of ball, or engaging in one of our other hobbies and interests.
Whatever it looks like, there’s joy and delight in our efforts even when it requires a lot of us. And we willingly expend this energy for the sake of the soul pleasure it brings.
Perhaps play might be another way to think of this. Play is very active, but also fun and restorative.
To be sure, there can be joy in our ordinary work. But as work, we still do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.
Play, on the other hand, provides a more relaxed atmosphere. There’s no pressure to perform and come through for others. We get to do what we enjoy for the sheer pleasure of doing it.
And it’s here we get to let off steam and truly rest.
We risk burnout when we stay in constant work mode. And simply numbing out behind a screen is not helpful either.
Refresh your soul by discovering the joys of active rest. This has countless benefits throughout your life and relationships.
Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash
