Written by Hannah Steele

If you asked me a year ago what rest meant to me, I would have said I’m too busy to rest and that it will just have to wait for the holidays when my body physically shuts down as I end up in bed with a cold. I’m the sort of person that can’t say no to people as I am sure there are many others like me - it’s a real issue! In February 2020 I reached breaking point, utter exhaustion and stress that was affecting my physical health. I knew I needed to slow down, so I completely cut everything out for a short while. This attempt for a quick fix helped but did not solve the issue of burn out.

Ironically, 12 months later, rest has become a vital part of my week and now I’m not sure how I survived without carving out time for proper rest. Not the sort of rest where you slump on the sofa watching Netflix or have an extra hour of sleep, but the true re-energising rest that comes from slowing down by removing distractions to be truly present with people.

Lockdown has been a blessing in disguise for me. Everything was stripped back, gone were the days of rushing around trying to fit as many people in as possible. Rather than focusing on achievements, or pleasing people, I enjoyed spending time with my family, exercising and learning a new skill (watercolour painting).

The past 10 months have been really difficult at times and I know many others have struggled a lot more than me. Even through the frustration of not being able to have people over for dinner and welcome the freshers this term, I have seen God’s wisdom through this season as I’ve been forced to stop and rest. The way I rested before lockdown consisted of doing no uni work on a Sunday as I tried to reflect the Sabbath, a day which God blessed after he made creation and rested. However, looking back, I realise that although I wasn’t doing any uni work, I was still rushing around meeting different students, often doing double church (which was great but exhausting!) and then trying to fit house chores on top of everything else. By the time Sunday evening came around, I often crashed and dragged myself through into Monday, not a great way to start the week.

Over lockdown, I reflected on my chaotic year and decided that I needed to make some changes to make life more sustainable and prevent burn out. After reading Garden City and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (both by John Mark Comer, which I would highly recommend!), I realised that the Sabbath was SO much more than not doing uni work. As John Mark Comer puts it: ‘The Sabbath is a day where your goal is to savour every second’. It is not meant to be a day of rules and regulations, that would be missing the point, it’s a day for celebration and worship with God.

This drastically altered my view of the Sabbath, I started thinking how I could view my Sunday more like a mini holiday.  I decided I was going to start the day by making pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes were always a luxurious breakfast but something I could afford, even on a student budget! I often play the piano as my way to chill and also offer worship to God. Following this, I watch church online and then go for a long dog walk to get some fresh air and marvel at the awesomeness of creation. Bath night has become a new routine on a Sunday evening to chill (bath bubbles and candles make it feel extra special!). As a creature of habit, I love routines, but the Sabbath can be completely different for each person and may be on a different day that works for you. The Sabbath has completely transformed my week providing true rest and reconnection with God. Now, I spring forward into Monday with bundles of energy and look forward to Sunday which is always the highlight of my week.