What do you have in place to help ensure that you're taking the time to rest and recoup throughout the day?

As I get older, I'm realizing how important regular sleep and times of rest are for the well-being of my family. I'm notorious for pushing hard to get things done and at times burning the candle at both ends. The truth is, it really does catch up with you. And taking a few days to "catch up" on sleep really doesn't work like it used to.

I'm a vitamin person. I take a handful at multiple times throughout the day. In order for vitamins to have the maximum effect, they need to be taken on a consistent basis. Rest works the same way. It needs to be consistent part of the rhythm of my home to have the maximum effect.

It's easy to hit burn out and at times, feel blue without even knowing exactly why. Sometimes, the culprit is pushing too hard and not allowing time to properly rest.

Here are ten things we do to help ensure our family is getting rest:

1. Create a Rhythm - We've created a family rhythm, which is an ideal schedule of the things we do on a weekly basis. Inside this rhythm are scheduled times for rest and sleep. We treat these blocks of time like they're appointments with ourselves. We try to keep these appointments and only cancel if absolutely necessary. I recently wrote a blog on our new family rhythm. You can read it here.

2. Get Proper Sleep - Never underestimate the power of regular sleep. I featured a blog my husband wrote on the importance of sleep. You can read that blog to learn more about how sleep affects the different areas of your life, why it's important, along with some links to helpful resources.

3. Get Sunlight - Part of getting good rest is tuning your body to (a) know when it's time to have energy and work and (b) when it's time to rest. Getting outside (or direct sunlight from a window) 30-60 minutes after waking up for as little as 10 minutes can help you feel alert and awake. We started taking morning walks as a family and it has been a really welcomed change.

   Being alert and awake may seem like it's the opposite of resting. However, when I'm alert and focused, I'm not slogging through the day. Instead, I'm working more efficiently and allowing myself to finish things instead of working slow and finishing projects late at night after the kids are in bed.

   Sunlight also helps set your Circadian rhythm so you'll more consistently feel tired and awake at the proper times.

4. Schedule Time Away / Off Work - We try to take regular family vacations and time away from work. Depending on the season of life, we may not always have the ability to take as much time off or travel as much as we'd like. Not to mention, traveling and vacations with children isn't always as restful as we'd hope - so we'll even take long weekends to plan staycations to maximize the time of rest.

   The point here, is to have time that is set apart for resting, being present, and not working.

5. Create Peaceful Places - One of the things I've always wanted for my family is a peaceful home. A peaceful place where we can rest, eat, dance, be productive, and retreat. I hope to create a home that's a dependable place to come back to after a long day. Where we know exactly what we're walking into. I want it to be a place that calls to remembrance the smell of warm food cooking in the oven, a fresh spring breeze wandering in through the windows, and the sound of music playing softly in the background.

   Having a place that supports rest is helpful for actually resting. You can read more about how I've though through this in our own home in Cultivating a Peaceful Home.

6. Reduce Stress - So much of our inability to rest comes from internal stress. So much of our internal stress comes from the unhelpful ways we think about things. I can feel stressed and ignore the need to rest and get sleep when I think about the status of my task list or the ways we've fallen short on some of our goals for the year. I try to hold things in a healthy tension and shift the way I think about things that can produce stress.

   I wrote a blog titled New Growth earlier this year. It's all about embracing things outside of our control while being faithful with the things we've been entrusted with – all the while, knowing that whatever comes our way shapes us for our good and the benefit of others.

7. Put the Phone Away - Our days are full of moments when we can quiet our minds and take a moment to rest. Often, we will fill those moments with aimlessly scrolling through social media. We used to be really bad at doom scrolling at night in bed. We would turn in early, then the next thing we know an hour had passed. We've made intentional decisions to limit our phone use. It helps us be present and allow better moments of rest.

   A helpful resource for thinking through this is the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

8. Limit Caffeine Late in the Day - Sometimes, when work spills later into the day and I'm feeling sluggish, I'll drink some coffee to perk up. But what I've learned is that caffeine (late in the day) can have negative effects on your sleep quality. Maybe you're the person who can drink a latte and then fall asleep 30 minutes later with no problem. Even if this is the case, caffeine will interrupt important sleep cycles needed to give your body the rest it needs for the next day. You can see how this can start a vicious cycle.

   I try, as much as possible, to stop drinking caffeine at 3PM.

9. Make a List of Things You Enjoy - I find rest and refreshment from doing small simple things I enjoy. Try making a list of the things you enjoy and then make appointments with yourself to do them. Whether that's reading a book, going for a walk, or creating something – schedule the time and keep the appointment.

10. Avoid Bad Foods - The things we put into our bodies to fuel ourselves impacts the way that we feel and how much energy we have. I know it seems counterintuitive to think about energy and resting. But eating good food, so you can focus, feel good, and be productive, will allow you time and margin to stop and rest. When I eat fast food, I feel bloated, tired, and work slower. Try eating things that give you energy and help you get things done.

I encourage you to take some time and determine how you will intentionally try to ensure you're getting the rest that you need. Taking the time to get proper rest and regular sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

| Credits: Author - Jacintha Payne; Photography - Ali Henderson |