My guest this week, author Alison Lloyd, has kept a weekly day of rest for 30 years! She takes Sunday afternoons and evenings off and does nothing once she gets back from church. She has done it through exams, a career, and raising two boys. When I asked how, her answer was practical, she said rest doesn’t happen by accident.
You make room for it.
Here are three practical ways she does that.
1. Schedule your rest.
Put rest in your calendar like a meeting you can’t miss. For Alison, that means finishing all her work by Saturday night so nothing spills into Sunday.
If a whole day feels impossible right now, start with one afternoon. Block off your time to rest, before anything else can claim it.
2. Say no.
Sometimes the reason we can’t rest is that we’ve said yes to too much. Alison’s advice for anyone stretched thin by volunteer roles and commitments is simple: cut back. Saying no to one more thing is how you say yes to the rest God offers.
3. Turn down the event.
Alison turns down Sunday afternoon and evening events after church, even ones she’d genuinely enjoy. She admits to some FOMO but her rest is more important. That’s the time she has to fuel her spirit, soul and body.
I know a full day of doing absolutely nothing may not be realistic for you right now and that’s okay.
The point isn’t to compulsory take Sundays off, it’s shaping your life in way that your spirit, soul and body should get the rest they need to keep going.
When Alison’s kids were little, rest sometimes simply meant arranging a day where she didn’t have to cook dinner. It can be as simple as that.
Start small but make sure you slow down sometimes and give your body the rest it deserves.
🎧 Listen to my full conversation with Alison Lloyd on the Dear Christian Girl Podcast.
How will you slow down and rest this week?
With love,
Mo