Reclaiming Weekends

What counts as a “weekend” and how can we slow down throughout our week?

If you have a schedule that feels heavy and uncontrollable, I see you. Rest is something that we all desperately need. No matter how old we are or what job we have (or don’t have). No matter economic status, lack of vacation funds, or the demands from our work.

We are not made to work non-stop. Our bodies were created for rhythms of rest.

“Rest is the gift, not a reward. It's not a hobby that lazy people take advantage of. It is woven into the fabric of our very biology. The body is designed to rest. I don't have to earn that with my performance. Rest is not a byproduct of my success. It's a byproduct of my humanity. I don't have to get ahead to enjoy it or need it.” – Jon Acuff[1]

Let’s start by defining the word weekend as I plan to use it. For our purposes here, a weekend is not specific to Saturday and Sunday.

Here are my definitions:

weekend: (noun) one to two days off from your normal work and activities. A rest, a time to re-set. Time to slow down from the busy demands of jobs, careers, other people, and tasks.

These days can happen at any time in the week (preferably together).

What matters is that you are strategically choosing to take time off from your typical work and do activities that are calming and restorative. That might be an afternoon, a full day, or even 3 days in a row.

Take whatever you can get. Your body needs to move at a different pace and your mind needs a break from what you have been focused on during the rest of the week.

While we are talking about words, we should also define what I mean by rest.

rest: (noun) freedom from activity or labor, sleep, peace of mind or spirit. Something used for support. [2]

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There have been many times in my life when my weekend has happened outside of the typical Saturday and Sunday. It took a few years of trying to cram a day of rest into an overly busy schedule to realize that I could do things differently. During this last school year, I often took Tuesdays off from household tasks and outside activities. For my teen who works in food service, taking Saturdays off is not an option right now. She moved her weekend to Sundays and Mondays.

What day of the week makes sense to choose a time of rest and slowing down? I challenge you to try it out this next week.

Amid the weekend, we all allow ourselves (and each other) some space. We have time to do what delights and replenishes us. We can relinquish the need to keep going every single day without stopping.

We all need:

• downtime to process the events of the week

• quiet for reflection

• even a nap to restore our bodies for busy days ahead

I think that we can all agree that the list above sounds lovely.

I challenge you to take some time to think about including rest on your weekends and your days off.

Reflection Questions:

Journal about these questions. Discover what Sabbath and weekend rest mean to you. (And what baggage you carry with these practices!) To move forward you need to know where you actually are right now.

• What have you read about slowing down? How would you define it?

• Do you think that Sabbath is a dusty old practice only grandmas have time for?

• What traditions and family patterns have you experienced on the weekends?

• When you think about rest do you think about a weekend or a long vacation?

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Stick around. 😉 I have much more to say (including a favorite metaphor) and some practical ideas you can try in your imperfect complicated life.

💙 - April

My next post on finding rest =

Slowing Down is Difficult

Why is it that when we make space to rest, other things fill it so quickly? Why does the guilt begin shouting at us? A personal story of trying to slow down.

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[Photo by Rob Wingate & Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash]

[1] Start - Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, Do Work that Matters by Jon Acuff.

[2] Merriam Webster Online Dictionary - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary (accessed 6/15/23) I liked this definition. I also like the unexpected definition from the noun form of rest. It made me think of a pillow or cushion for a tiered head.