Don’t Settle for Junk Food Rest

Do you feel guilty watching TV unless you are doing some other activity as well?

(Come on, admit it.)

What kind of insanity has our society bought into, that we feel we must multitask even when we’re resting?

Or maybe what we call rest isn’t really rest.

Do we feel refreshed after a couple of hours vegging out in front of the TV or computer? Or do we simply feel numb?

Junk food rest

Too often we make do with junk food rest—the kind that distracts and numbs, but doesn’t recharge our souls. Like a bag of chips, junk food rest is the easy option. It feels good and seems to satisfy the hunger.

But it isn’t good for us.

Junk food rest may mean we have actually stopped working (except for those who can’t watch TV or listen to music without doing something “productive” at the same time.)

But junk food rest doesn’t fill our empty batteries. It doesn’t spark joy. It doesn’t connect us to our true source—Jesus.

Looking for true rest

True rest, like healthy eating, takes a little more thought, a little more effort. But it pays bigger dividends. True rest refreshes us from the inside, renews our creativity and motivations, resets our thinking.

We can find true rest all around us, but we must look for what fills our individual souls. We each find joy, refreshing, renewal in different ways, in different places, in different activities.

What kinds of activities produce true rest?

• Anything that allows us to savor the moment. Stopping to smell the flowers. Playing  a game with the kids. Slowing down enough to actually taste lunch instead of gobbling it down and getting on with the day. Giving our full, undivided attention to that one TV show we really enjoy.
• Anything that involves creating something just for the fun of creating it.
• Getting face-to-face with nature. There is just something about sunshine and fresh air and the beauty of the world around us that is restorative to the human soul. Have you had your RDA of nature lately?
• Taking time for solitude and silence. We all need moments to assess the state of our own soul, admit our anxieties and dreams, and reconnect with God. Don’t be afraid of silence.
• Relationship-building moments.  Connecting with the people that matter in our lives. Romantic dinners. Coffee with a friend. A tea party under a blanket fort, complete with teddy bears in fancy hats. Talking with your son on the phone when you should be making dinner. Our souls are happier when we are connected to our people.
• Pursuing the hobbies and activities that truly bring us joy. Like gardening or golf—but only if it puts a smile to your face and makes your soul sing! These are the kinds of activities that you don’t need willpower to begin, because you love to do them. So do them!

Whatever brings rest to your soul, do it. Without guilt.

Want to learn more about how healthy rest and how to find it? Read Tracy Higley’s book, Impactivity.