Tired? Here’s How To Fix It
By: Michael Godfrey
Tags: Productivity, Christian Living, Rest, Education

Tired? Here’s How To Fix It

So many of us are exhausted because there is always something to do for work or family or for that friend. With the constant improvements in communication and having the ability to use technology to our advantage to get things done, we are not saving time for family or relaxation we are just making more time for more work!

A twelve-year study of investment bankers who worked 100–120 hours highlighted the dangers of overwork. Professor Alexandra Michel found that although the bankers were highly productive and full of passion and energy at the start by singularly focusing on their work and taking advantage of administrative and domestic aid, it didn’t last. In the fourth year, they started to suffer from physical and phycological break downs.

With only 168 hours in a week, the bankers were leaving only 68 to 48 hours to participate in rejuvenating activities such as sleep, exercise, relationships, community and spiritual activities to get more work done. “They suffered from chronic exhaustion, insomnia, back and body pain, autoimmune diseases, heart arrhythmias, addictions, and compulsions, such as eating disorders, causing them to exhibit diminished judgment and ethical sensitivity” (Michel, 2014). Performance plummeted and which caused them to work longer hours. This continual cycle leads to burnout or even death.

This case is extreme but rings true in many professionals lives such as teachers, lawyers and even pastors. Many self-help books that could help you to manage time but if one rule (commandment) is followed all things should fall into place.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8–11 (NIV)

1. Remember to Rest (Remember the Sabbath)

Did God need to rest after creation? Probably not. Instead by resting He set an example for His people.

Keeping the Sabbath is the only commandment that explicitly says remember, indicating the importance of it. Did the people of Israel always keep the Sabbath? No.

Overwork has always been a human problem which continues to worsen as we advance technologically. Sabbath was (is) not only intended for people but the land as well. In both Exodus and Leviticus, the people of Israel are instucted to let the land fallow (grow no crops) every seven years. The people of Isreal neglected this for four hundred and thirty years.

We see in 2 Chronicles 36 that when Sabbath is not taken it is enforced.

The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfilment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah. 2 Chronicles 36:21 (NIV)

Here we see that rest for the land was forced onto the people via desolation and exile.

Like the forced rest via desolation and exile, you see rest being forced on people everywhere from the bankers above to the teacher who is burnt out to the pastor who has fallen morally. I know that I do not want to be like any of those people. We are created for rest as well as work.

For me, I do not do anything I would consider work between Friday at 5 pm and Saturday at 5 pm. During this time I don’t check WhatsApp, emails, or anything that could remind me of work. Instead, I spend time with family, usually in nature, or do gardening or some other type of leisurely activity that recharges me. Napping through the day is also great!

2. Find Something That Rejuvinates You

Michael Hyatt (2019) in his book Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less outlines seven basic principles that we must do to replenish our Personal Energy. We must:

Sleep Eat Move Connect Play Reflect Unplug

Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation (2015) in the United States, Adults (18+) should have 7–9 hours sleep. However, most people do not get this amount of sleep. We all think we can squeeze one more thing into the day by staying up later or waking earlier without adjusting wake up time or sleep time, respectively. Lack of sleep affects productivity, creativity, emotions, critical thinking, weight and many other things.

Eat

Taking time to eat properly throughout the week is essential to keeping your body energised. On your day of rest, this must not be forgotten either. Eat good nutritious food that you enjoy (enjoying it is the central part!). Create something special to eat and indulge yourself. Maybe make yourself a Charcuterie and Cheese Board. Remember that eating is not just about refuelling but about connection as well.

Move

As mentioned before, sleep is good! But make sure you move as well. I like to go for a hike, bush walk or do the mowing.

“A single workout can immediately boost higher-order thinking skills, making you more productive and efficient as you slog through your workday. When you exercise your legs, you also exercise your brain; this means that a lunchtime workout can improve your cognitive performance. . . . It improves executive function, a type of higher-order thinking that allows people to formulate arguments, develop strategies, creatively solve problems and synthesize information” Ben Opipari (2014) in Need a brain boost? Exercise.

Connect

This one is for the introvert and extrovert alike. Connect with family. Connect with friends. Connect with God. We are wired to connect. This connection should be IRL (in real life). Hyatt (2019) explains, “For maximum rejuvenation, you must be intentional about these connections. A night out with friends, a getaway with your family, or a cup of coffee with a colleague can pay back huge dividends in energy and relationship capital over time.” Do not substitute this connection for social media. Be energised by having people around you.

Play

This is especially important if you have kids, but it isn’t all about them; it is about you as well. Play is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “engage[ing] in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.” Do something just for fun and not for a purpose. Play can be a game of cricket or football, playing guitar and singing or playing a board game. Enjoy yourself!

Reflect

Spending quiet time is also essential for rejuvination. Relfecting includes taking time to write, journal, read, colour, meditate or worship. It is taking time to stop and be. Spending quite a time is also essential for rejuvenation. Reflecting includes taking time to write, journal, read, colour, meditate or worship. It is taking time to stop and be. Spending time in silence is also beneficial by lowering blood pressure, increasing the immune system, growing brain cells, decreasing stress as well as many other benefits, according to Psych Central (2018).

Unplug

This should be the first step. Ignore your email or WhatsApp or messages. Maybe turn your phone off an hide it or put it on Do Not Disturb. Be careful not to think about work, talk about work or read/listen about work and be both physically and mentally present family and friends.

3. Schedule Rest Into Your Week

Plan to rest. Plan your week out with moments of rest in them and decide, if it helps, on how you will rest. I have been using the Focus Planner → Journal 2.0 which asks each day how I will positively impact home and relationships, ho I will positively impact self and how I will recharge. I find this helpful as it puts relationships and rests in the front while I am planning my day.

I hope this has inspired you to take time to rest and make a day of rest each week. Remember that your kids need rest too. As for me, I am inspiring to do more while doing less.