Years ago my wife and I decided to take a day to rest every week. Usually it is a Sunday. Both of us come from a Christian background where the idea of “Sabbath” is encouraged. Sabbath means “to cease” – to cease from work. Taking a day to rest wasn’t something I used to do. When I was in school I would go to classes during the weekdays and study on the weekends. Early in my career I would work during the weekdays and volunteer on the weekends. Now that I’m older, I realize the importance of taking one day every week to rest.
Having a Rest Day Re-Energizes You
Did you know that there are more heart attacks on Mondays than any other day? One study states that the risk of heart attack is 20% more on Mondays. Mondays are notorious for being the worst day of the week because it is the first day of the work week. Many people dislike going to work. There are many reasons for this including having a stressful job, not enjoying your work, or not being able to live out your calling in your business.
I believe one of the reasons that people dread going to work on Mondays is that they do not take a rest day. Their weekends are packed with errands to run, activities for the kids, social functions, housework, and the list goes on. As a business owner, I sometimes use the weekends to do extra work. I used to think working on the weekends was being productive, because I could get extra work done. But in reality, I just felt tired on Monday and my productivity dropped. Even if you enjoy your work, if you are not well rested, you will not feel motivated to start working on Mondays.
Recently I was talking to one of my customers, and she mentioned how after a week of vacation, she was feeling excited to go back to work. That break to rest refreshed her. Ever since I have taken a day to rest (Sundays is my day), I am more excited to start working on Mondays. On the Mondays when I am energized and look forward to starting the work week, I know that I have rested well. But sometimes I do some work on Sundays, and therefore am not able to rest well. The following Monday, I can feel the lack of motivation.
Having a rest day re-energizes you. As Benjamin Franklin said, “He that can take rest is greater than he that can take cities.”
Having a Rest Day Re-Focuses You
During the week I am jumping from one task to another, one meeting to another. There is hardly any time to stop and think. Having a rest day allows me to take a step back. It gives me room to think deeply and gain perspective. It gives me an extended time to reflect and remember what is essential in life. Often during my rest day, I gain clarity.
On my rest day I take a nap to catch up on sleep (I have two young children, and they wake up too early!) Then I take at least an hour to get away, read a book, and think. It takes slowing down and being well rested for me to think deeply.
Having a Rest Day Reminds You that Your Value doesn’t come from Your Productivity
As business owners, we place a high value on productivity. If we don’t produce value, we don’t get paid. Our culture places a high value on productivity. Our society reward students who can memorize facts, calculate equations, solve problems, and complete tests with high grades. Our society reward employees that produce quality work with high salaries. Our society rewards CEOs that increase profits with big bonuses.
But the truth is that our value and our worth does not depend on how productive we are. We are valued because we are human. It’s too easy to forget that when we have customers demanding more for less, bills to pay, employees to manage, deadlines to meet, and fires to fight on a daily basis. Taking a rest day to stop working and not be productive is an important reminder of the truth that we have innate worth. When we take a day to rest, we realize that the world continues to run, our businesses do not self-destruct, and the lives of our customers go on. We realize that we are not as important as we think we are, and that is a good thing.