The National Deficit—Rest
Is your To-Do list longer than your grocery list? Today’s culture has us living life at a pace which leaves us stressed out and simply worn out by the day’s end. As Christians intent on “doing good”, we typically pile Kingdom responsibilities on top of our already packed family schedules. Rarely do we pause to consider the cost of personal fatigue, irritability, and illness that we’ll be made to pay for trying to squeeze way too much “good” into our lives.
As a healthcare practitioner I often ask my patients to consider reorganizing their daytime hours to achieve a balanced budget of health, productivity, and joy in life’s journey. Personally, I view my daily schedule as a glass I fill with water. If I fill it up to the tippy top, I will not be able to enjoy even one sip, as any disturbance of my water glass (day) will result in spillage and a frustrating clean up. If there is no “splash zone” built into your day, look for ways to offload responsibilities until you can manage your tasks in less time than you have daytime hours. Remember, the Lord has given you enough time in each day for you to accomplish His will…the “overflow” may have more to do with your will.
God designed our bodies to need 7-8 hours of sleep each night, yet 74% of Americans are under slept, racking up huge deficits in the sleep department! Sleep is not wasted “down time”—it’s biological production time. While you’re asleep your body’s cells are being repaired, hormones are being replaced, memory is being stored, and your immune system is strengthened—benefits you simply can’t live without! Don’t be fooled; short changing yourself of hours sleep will definitely short change your health. In fact studies have shown that life expectancy is significantly decreased for those who get too little sleep.
So invest in your health this very day by lightening your workload and making sure you go to sleep 7-8 hours before you have to be up.