(8 minute read)

by Bethany Rees

Part 2: The Solution

In this two part series our goal is to learn how to be more productive and less stressed. Last week, we identified the problem of lower productivity and more stress...We are the problem. 

We are making choices about what to do with our time and our choices are leading to more stress, lower productivity, and burnout. So now, let’s discover the solution to our problem.

The Puzzle

Have you ever worked on a puzzle and struggled to find pieces that go together? You work hard. You develop a strategy, you separate the pieces by color, you look at every puzzle piece carefully to analyze its shape and color shading only to grow more frustrated that you can’t find the right piece. You can’t make the connection you want to make. You aren’t feeling productive with the task at hand and an activity that should be fun is becoming stressful. 

So what do you do? Well it is just a puzzle after all, so you get up, go to the kitchen to get a drink and a snack, chit chat with your family, and finally return to the work of the puzzle at your leisure.

Upon your return, BAM! You immediately spot a connection. You have now not only re-energized your desire to keep working but have increased your productivity in making connections and solving the puzzle. 

You had looked at those puzzle pieces several times but never saw the connection until you took a break and walked away. Walking away and taking a break caused you to come back to the situation with a refreshed state of mind, a new perspective, and a new dose of energy. 

What was the solution to lowering your stress and increasing your productivity?  REST!

It totally sounds counter-cultural to say but rest is how you become more productive and less stressed!

I don’t know what “puzzle” you are currently working on but I do know that rest is an important element in your work.

Rest rejuvenates the body, mind, soul, and our relationships. It allows us to come back to our situations with a refreshed perspective and renewed energy. When we are well rested we are able to better see and work on what is more important or essential. Therefore we are spending our time on the right problems and are quicker at making connections and finding solutions. 

However, I’m concerned that we are not making rest a priority. We keep pushing ourselves harder and working longer hours. And for what? (Only you can answer that question for yourself.) 

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, four of the definitions for rest are: 

1. repose, sleep
2. freedom from activity or labor
3. peace of mind or spirit
4. (at rest) - free of anxieties

With rest, we are a sharper and therefore a more productive tool to do the right work. Let me explain the correlation a different way: Ask anyone that has used a dull axe or chainsaw to cut down a tree what that experience was like. Using a dull tool is frustrating; it takes longer, and is less productive. On the other hand, using a sharper tool is more productive and less stressful. So how sharp is your tool (mind and body)?

Having the best tools while working on the right problems makes us feel more productive and less stressed. It’s a win-win! 

So take time to rest from the work and chaos.

Remember, you have a choice in everything you do.

You can choose to always be available, work long hours, and add less productivity and more stress to your life.

OR

You can choose to make rest a priority, and be able to be more productive with your work which makes you feel less stressed.

Consider this time of rest as a way to rejuvenate your mind to finish that puzzle or sharpen your axe before tackling chopping that forest of problems.  

Below are 5 ways you can find rest to become more productive, and feel less stressed.

I’ve always heard it said from several preachers that “if the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy,” and busy we are. That’s the problem we’ve been talking about.

We are so busy we are giving our life, peace, health, and time away to lesser things.

But in the bible, God tells us to make rest a priority and He began by setting the example Himself. On the 7th day He rested. In the Old Testament, David (shepherd, warrior, king, and an imperfect man after God’s own heart) knew that God wanted him to rest. And of course Jesus reminds us that He is the ultimate answer to rest (remember our definitions of rest: repose, sleep; freedom from activity or labor; peace of mind or spirit; free of anxieties). And who doesn’t need rest from anxiety? Let’s take a look at our three examples mentioned above:

• God Models:  Genesis 2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.”

• David Experiences: Psalm 127:2 “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to his beloved sleep.”

• Jesus Reminds Us: Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I don’t know about you but I’m tired of carrying the heavy load of trying to fit into the world’s view of productivity and success. It’s left me with great stress and burnout. I want Jesus’ kind of rest for my soul. So when I feel stirred up with busyness, anxiety, and stress, I remind myself that:

“I don’t have to continue to live this way. I have a choice.” 

So take a Sabbath and go to the Lord in prayer about your situation.  

Again remind yourself that you have a choice. You don’t have to stay in the chaos constantly. Choose to step away from the activity and don’t feel guilty about it either. You need to remove the constant stimulus so your body and mind can recover. Below are examples of how to step away from a short-term and long-term stressful situation. 

Short-Term Stressful Situation:

You’re in the throes of busyness and chaos. Everyone and everything is pressing down on you. Your heart is racing, your head is pounding, you're very agitated, and you feel a breakdown coming. Your body and mind are sending you strong signals that it is time to step away from the activity. 

Even taking 5 minutes to step away from the computer, the phone, the chaos and stepping outside or into a separate room to pray and walk around can allow you to come down out of the state of high stress. Be sure you leave all stimulus behind (no phone, no kids...although make sure your kids are in a safe location during your absence). During this time out for rest, pray or cry out to God and take deep breaths to relax your body from the immediate situation.

Side note: My theme song during chaotic moments is "Breathe" by Jonny Diaz. Take a listen.

Long-Term Stressful Situation:

If you are involved in a long-term stressful situation, a 5 minute break might help you in the moment but not in the long run. You need more time to rest and recover. You need a day/days. Use your weekend, take a mental health day, or take a vacation that fits your budget. Again, remove the stimulus so you aren’t available to answer the phone or email.  Getting away from work will allow you to return to the work with a sharper mind and an energized body which will greatly increase your ability to focus on what truly matters (or doing the right work).

Have a difficult boss? Sorry. But don't focus on your boss. With rest, you can instead remind yourself of why you do the type of work you do (for your customers, students, helping people, etc). Need help focusing on the main thing at work? Read one of our past posts: Focus on the Main Thing.

In a long-term stressful situation, rely heavily on #1 listed above. Take your situation to God to find ultimate rest (peace of mind and freedom from anxiety). While God may not remove the stress thorn from your side, He can change you from the inside out where your relationship with Him grows deeper, and He is glorified through how you choose to act during this hardship. 

We get a lot of requests from a lot of people. And not having healthy boundaries can be our kryptonite when trying to say no. We tend to make our decisions based on guilt and fear: guilt because we are compelled to do what is good or what other people think is good for us, and fear because of how others might react to our decision. 

In their book, Boundaries, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend makes it clear that:

“we are responsible to others and for ourselves….We need to realize that we are in control of our choices, no matter how we feel...Making decisions based on others' approval or on guilt breeds resentment, a product of our sinful nature. We have been so trained by others on what we ‘should’ do that we think we are being loving when we do things out of compulsion.” 

How many times do you say “yes” because you’d feel bad or believe that you would hurt someone else’s feelings if you said no. It is ok to have boundaries with all people (your family included). I struggle with this concept way more than my husband does because I am a “people pleaser” and he...well he says he works to “not have other people’s weeds in his garden.” I love to garden so his analogy really hits home with me. So remember this phrase, 

“just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

It is ok to put down what’s good to pick up what’s best.

Yes you will need to say “no” to some good things, but it means that now you can say “yes” to some great things. You have the decision making power.

You might say that you rest at night, but scrolling through your phone for hours and binge watching Netflix is not exactly rest. It can be considered numbing ourselves and researchers are concerned that this behavior is causing serious health conditions including cardiovascular disease (heart disease), depression, sleep problems, and behavioral addictions. 

When we are engrossed in our social media, game apps, or binge-worthy shows we are not in a restful state. Our minds are still processing information at rapid speeds and before we know it, hours have passed, we aren't present with those around us, and we can become more stressed. Find a few hours in your day to put your phone away and be present in the moment.

The number one definition of rest is to sleep. According to the CDC, adults need at least 7 or more hours of sleep a night. So if you wake up at 5:00 am then you need to be in bed by 10:00 pm, right? Wrong. You don’t go to bed at 10:00 pm, you should be asleep by 10:00 pm. That means you need to prepare for bed even earlier. 

Another aspect of sleep is the quality of sleep that we are getting each night. Quality matters. If your nightly routine includes scrolling for hours on your phone, checking emails, and responding to work texts all the way up until bedtime then you have already put yourself at a deficit for quality rest. Electronic devices emit blue light that keeps our brains awake.  Set healthy boundaries with your electronic use and build a bedtime ritual that prepares your body for quality sleep. Example bedtime rituals include things like: setting an actual bedtime, drinking herbal tea, reading a book, journaling your thoughts (they'll wake you up anyway if you don't get them out of your head), etc.

Over the last two weeks we have taken a closer look at the choices we are making in how we are spending our time and mental capacity. We learned that always being available is leading us down a path of exhaustion and burnout. When we work longer and harder hours we reach a point that we no longer make gains in productivity but actually become less productive and more stressed. However, we now know that we have a choice. We can choose to make rest a priority. We can choose to find ultimate rest in God, step away from the situation, say no to the “good” by establishing healthy boundaries, unplug from electronics, and develop a routine to get more quality sleep. 

May you all find rest so you can become more productive and less stressed!

Know Better. Do Better. Live Better.  REST.

Rocks Before Sand!

Topic Theme Song - Breathe by Jonny Diaz

Scripture: 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

~Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

References Used: 

• “Rest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rest. Accessed 20 Sep. 2021.
• Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®  https://www.biblegateway.com/ 
• “Jonny Diaz - Breathe (Official Lyric Video)” YouTube, uploaded by Jonny Diaz, 9 January 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oODllqrxrLQ
• “What Does a Boundary Look Like?.” Boundaries, by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend, Zondervan, 2017, pp. 32, 43-44. 
• Barhum, Lana. “Binge-Watching and Your Health.” Very Well Health, 22 Jan. 2021, https://www.verywellhealth.com/binge-watching-and-health-5092726. 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “How Much Sleep Do I Need?” Sleep and Sleep Disorders. 2 March 2017, https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html.