Rest, whether practiced in the literal Sabbath Day sense or in more metaphorical ways, is essential to human health and development. Every few days our bodies and minds need to recharge. Without this time, the body soon pays a price that is reflected eventually in the mind and soul.
Symptoms of depression and anxiety can arise from a wide variety of underlying conditions. But, in many ways (just as avoiding infectious disease isn't so much about avoiding germs as it is about increasing our immunity to them) the most potent strategy for staying out of "the pit" is developing a strong, healthy, well-rested system, both physically and mentally.
I have found myself in "the pit" a few times, and each time, looking back in looking for clues, I find that exhaustion was the paramount cause. Once, just after finishing a home-building project in which we contributed a tremendous percentage of the actual work, I failed to take the time to rest and live in "the moment." In a hurry to "get 'er done," it was all about getting to that glorious day of having it finished. Well, that day came, and it was not so glorious at all. The fatigue was so profound that it took weeks to recover enough to even begin to enjoy the work of my hands. I learned my lesson, and since then have never allowed myself to get so caught up in a project. But a few years later, while nursing my second dying parent and dealing with numerous other significant changes in life, I became faced with an entirely different sort of exhaustion - one of the mind and spirit. Again, it took several weeks to regain balance and health. When looking back on how it might have been avoided, the answers were not so cut and dry, but the deficiency again was very clear: I was exhausted. Two very different types of crises, but with a very common (and prevalent) cause: lack of adequate rest.
Our society doesn't prize rest. It prizes achievement, accomplishment, growth, and moving and shaking. Ads for everything from deodorant to automobiles appeal to individuals and families "on the go." It's all about making it happen. Messages such as "stop & smell the roses" are often drowned out by loud, obnoxious admonitions to be more, get more, and "take it all the way!"
We need to resist the current and listen to the still, small voice within which urges us, "thou shalt chill out a while and get your head back on straight."
We cannot control everything in life that comes our way. Loved ones become ill or age and die. Children grow up and move away. Jobs go away. Relationships go south. Life happens. But we can still rest. Even in the midst of it all, it is possible to find time to recharge and refresh. It is a must.
Whatever other items of help you may find on this site, please consider assessing your ability to rest and reflect on life. Learning to do so has been life-changing for me. I pray it will help you also.
