DISCLAIMER: If you are not religious, this blog post will still contain advice for taking time off and making sure you are well-rested. I believe everyone is designed to rest as well as work. With that said, taking a Sabbath (a full day off) is not easy. There are whole books devoted to the subject of the Sabbath. If you do a quick google search, dozens of reasons to take a Sabbath, why the Sabbath was commanded, and why it is still relevant will pop up. I'm not going to expound on those reasons, not because they are irrelevant, but because people much wiser and much more in-the-know have already written those books and articles. Frankly, those reasons don't necessarily help with taking a day off. Making time is a deliberate and often difficult process, but in this case, it's absolutely worthwhile. With that being said, here are five tips for making time for a Sabbath.
1. Split the Sabbath between two days. I tend to wake up motivated on Saturday mornings, but crash around the middle of the afternoon. Rather than force myself to work through it, I'll take all of Friday afternoon (or Sunday) off, and work Saturday morning. If you give yourself an afternoon and a morning, it's a great way to recharge and not go to bed revved up on that day's activities.
2. Remember you are to rest from your work. When we were a more physical culture (think Little House on the Prairie), it made a lot of sense for the Sabbath to be a quiet day of rest. However, as a college student, I spend a lot of my time thinking really hard, and some weekends I'm mentally burned out. On those days, my day off is calling up friends I don't see often, going for walks, and maybe even going shopping.
3. Defend your time during the week. Basically, keep the time you have set aside in mind. Some days, I don't want to finish my homework that night, but I know I can have a full afternoon and evening off if I do. Don't slam your head against the wall, but do be willing to put in the effort to enjoy your time off.
4. Treat yo' self. The Sabbath is also my day to treat myself to something I don't normally get, be it Chick-fil-A, popcorn, or a new shirt. Obviously, this doesn't work for everyone, but rewarding yourself for taking time away from work by getting something - or doing something - you love is a great way to re-enforce the habit.
5. Find accountability partners. This is really simple. FIND A FRIEND AND TAKE THE SAME DAY OFF. Trust me, it's helpful.
Good luck to all of you on finding your Sabbath! Shalom.