3 Reasons To Prioritize Rest

I don’t know if you are as crazy as me, but I have a hard time resting. It’s not very often I can sit down and not feel guilty or as if I should be up doing something more “productive.” This has been such an issue for me that I actually sought professional help for it(and I’m glad I did because I’ve learned a lot)!

So if you struggle with allowing yourself to rest, I want to give you 3 BIG reasons you should make rest a priority in your life. 

Rest is Biblical

That’s right! Even the creator of the universe needed rest. Remember the 7th day? God rested. You and I are certainly not more powerful than God which means we need even more rest. 

I honestly felt like God put this idea for a blog on my heart a few days ago, but today I was listening to Stefani Gas’s podcast episode 546 about 3 Part Formula for Experiencing God’s Rest and Peace as a Busy Working Mama. In this episode, she also talks about how rest is biblical and how we need obedience, faith, and trust. It’s an easy and great listen for anyone who needs a reminder that it’s ok to rest. 

I also find that when I’m taking the time to rest that I pray more, and have time to express gratitude more. This means that my relationship with God is only getting stronger and closer which is what He wants and I want. So the rest that I’m taking is actually one of the best biblical things I can do as a Christian. 

Rest supports hormones

Reason number 2 is another biggie! Rest and sleep are extremely important for our hormones and fertility. Getting that 7-9 hours of sleep each night can help our bodies rest, support immune function, heart health, blood sugar regulation, and improve our mood. 

You’ve likely heard that cortisol is our stress hormone. The Sleep Center of Middle Tennessee shares that when we sleep our cortisol levels lower and then peak right after we wake up. This in turn wakes the other hormones up and lets them know it’s time to get moving. If we don’t get that proper night’s sleep then our cortisol release is thrown off which can then alter the release of other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. So now all our hormones are confused which leaves you feeling pretty crummy and your reproductive status up in the air. 

In this blog, I share “How to Achieve Better Sleep”. It’s even one of the tips in my free guide 7 Secrets to Getting Pregnant Sooner because proper sleep plays such a big role in our hormone balance. 

Rest supports mental health

Just as our physical body needs that rest for things like hormone production, our brains and minds also need rest to function at their best. 

If we are continuously trying to keep up with every little detail of the five thousand things we need to do and never take a break from our minds, then we are going to end up burned out very quickly. This means that you might be irritable, snappy, or forgetful.

Drawing healthy boundaries around how much you take on is a great way to protect your mental health and rest. If you have multiple obligations like work, children, social engagements, volunteer/serving opportunities, and church, then I strongly encourage you to examine where you are stretched too thin. 

For example, if you serve or volunteer- don’t overextend yourself. Limit the number of hours you do this so that when you DO serve, you are the best you can be. If you work long hours, limit overtime. If you have lots of extracurricular activities, find your 1 to 2 favorites and rotate the others out at a different time of year. We have to make sure we are scheduling rest and downtime because otherwise we overstimulate and overwork ourselves. 

Even as I’m writing this, it’s the holiday season. There are so many things on my to do list- regular consults and patients along with LOTS of travel for my family in different states, the kids’ parties at school, and church activities. That doesn’t even include all the shopping and wrapping of presents. It’s a lot! I enjoy doing all these things, but I make sure not to schedule any extra activities or playdates because I know my kiddos will need rest and I will too. 

So today as you read this, I encourage you to make time THIS WEEK to find rest and relaxation. If you need time to watch Netflix, grab a book, go get a massage, or whatever makes you feel relaxed. You deserve it, its’ biblical, and great for your health!

Tell me in the comments what you are going to do!

If you need help making it a priority, I challenge you to actually write it down into your schedule.