Five Signs You Need to Slow Down and Simply Rest

I think I had a stomachache every day for a month straight.

And no, in case you’re wondering, that is not normal.

When you say yes to one too many things and you never feel like anything is accomplished, stomachaches become a daily occurrence. I was constantly feeling one step behind where I should have been.

I should have been able to keep up with my school reading.

I should have been able to cook nutritious meals every night of the week.

I should have been able to go for a daily walk – or at least do some pushups.

I should have been able to… fill in the blank.

All of these shoulds were piling up mighty high. It was a lot of pressure – keeping up with the daily mundane.

Have you felt this? Have you stopped and thought, Wow, something does not feel right?

Here are five signs that you need to slow down and simply breathe.

1. You have a used-to list.

I recently heard a friend say, “I used to love going to the movies, but I never have time anymore.”

What is your used-to? What’s the thing you loved to do, but never have time for now? Sewing? Baking? Yoga? Gardening? Reading?

If you have a used-to list, you need to slow down and breath long enough to make room for that used-to thing.

2. Your body begs for down time.

This is the biggest sign for me. My body cries out when enough is enough. Maybe you have chronic pain issues that only arise when you haven’t had enough sleep. Or maybe your immune system weakens when you’re weighed down.

How does your body respond without rest? If you begin aching and hurting, or if you start catching every virus around, it is time to take a breather and simply rest.

3. The quiet makes you uncomfortable.

Friend, when was the last time you sat in the silence and enjoyed it? Answer honestly. There’s no judgment here.

I remember sitting in silence one morning cradling a cup of hot coffee. The silence was so foreign, so deafening. I challenged myself to sit still and simply be for ten minutes. The clock moved so slowly, and by three minutes and some change I was unloading the dishwasher.

If you’re filling the silence with busyness and tasks, lists and chores, you need to stop and breath.

4. You live with a constant sense of guilt.

Do you feel consistently guilty for rushing through tasks, ignoring your family, giving a half effort, or not having enough time for the next task on the list? If you justify saying ‘no’ with paragraphs of reasoning, you feel guilt.

We are made to live a life of freedom. Yes, we have responsibilities. And yes, our purpose is to glorify God. But shouldn’t that mean living in freedom by enjoying God’s gift of life?

If guilt causes you to feel burdened, let it go and simply rest.

5. You never feel done.

The list is forever long. There aren’t enough hours in a day. Why can’t the kids nap for thirty more minutes? When did it become 4pm?

Maybe you feel constantly behind and forever in bondage to your to-do list. Maybe you’ve said some of the things above, wishing for more time. But when you wish for more time, you’re wishing for more fillers.

Rather than wishing for more time, make time. Get rid of some to-dos and choose to leave a slot of the schedule open.

Force yourself to feel done, so that you can make room to slow down and breath.

Now, I’ll admit that none of these things will happen overnight. It takes effort to step away from a place of bondage and into a place of rest. Pay attention to these signs and decide if you need to slow down and breath.

Those stomachaches I mentioned? They stuck around until I realized that I didn’t need to do everything on my list to be worthy. They finally went away when I realized that rest is a beautiful gift given by a beautiful God.

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Alison Tiemeyer

Alison is a wife, graduate student, blogger, and Jesus-follower growing in grace and truth daily. She loves coffee in the morning, experimenting in the kitchen, camping with her husband, and reading in a hammock just about anywhere. Her mission is to encourage authentic community grounded in biblical truth. Basically, she strives for some good soul talk in the midst of the mundane.

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