Posted in Simple and Frugal Living

Awareness of the fact that we are to rest, is wide.  You hear it on commercials and radio; it is seen in magazines, books, and on TV.  Somehow "experts" keep saying it, but our lives grow ever more busy and rest gets pushed further away.  Any "expert" on homesteading (of any type) will tell you that rest is essential to the jobs and lifestyles involved. 

A homesteader on a large scale may own a 100 acre cattle farm.  This farmer and his family will have jobs that will require their daily attention from dawn to dusk.  Likewise, the urban homesteader may have employment and/or family obligations that keep them busy from dawn to dusk.  The location and size of the homestead matters not; work loads are full wherever you call home.  So how can we assure ourselves of the importnat time of rejuvenation.

Consider scheduling recess for yourself.  Yes I said recess, like in school.  School's schedule recess for students and faculty (planning periods).  Other places of employment schedule "recess" called breaks.  Why?  Because it is imperative for one to work to the best of his/her abilities.  The mind needs refreshed. 

If you have a very harried life, you may be thinking that there is no way you could possibly make time for rest, when you are already working 12 hours a day AND still not getting it all done.  Think Simply.  Find a quiet place of respite.  This can be a bench outside, a porch swing, a closet, the car, the bathroom, a barn, etc.  It matters not where you go, as long as you will be undisturbed.  For moms with little ones the bathroom might be the last place you consider and you may feel your children cannot be unattended for a moment.  However, you have to think about how you run your home.  Do you have the children playng in the living room while you walk to the laundry room to switch over a load of laundry?  Children can be trained to give mom's that needed break by using an egg timer.  Here's how it works.

IF you do not have young children needing you constantly, try to make your recess area a place where you feel relaxed.  If you are a secretary, going to the mail room may continue to give you a feeling of apprehension.  If you are a mechanic, the parts room may not offer you a true break from your work.  A mom may not find she can concentrate on refreshing herself in the laundry room; staring at a pile of laundry.  Pick a place where your mind can be free of your regular daily commitments.  Now set your timer to 15 minutes.  Pray, read scripture, jot down dreams, journal, mentally plan a vacation, think about a craft or art project, ponder a story or book you have been reading, etc.  Think of something that refreshes your mind and let God use the time to refresh your soul.  15 minutes will seem like an hour and you will find you are less hurried than before. 

For moms with small children, try 5 minute increments.  Set up a safe play area for the children.  Tell them you need a few minutes and where you are going.  Set the timer and tell them they may come to that place when the buzzer rings.  As the children become accustomed to this practice, you will be able to lengthen the time until you reach 15 minutes.  You will find that you are not only rejuvenated, but that you are finding more creative activities for your children to partake in while you are taking recess. 

The bottom line is, when you make time (even a few short moments) for yourself, everyone around you benefits.  You will be a better wife, mom, teacher, employee, and volunteer, when you take care of yourself first.  This is so simple and it will help regain a sense of simplicity in even the most harried of lives.

These are my thoughts. 

Leslie Valeska

~Contributing Writer~

www.homesteadblogger.com/boltbabe

www.thoughtsofboltbabe.blogspot.com