Finding a day of rest in the busy hither and thither of modern family life might seem old fashioned and quaint, but many of us need it now more than ever before.
Assuming you don't have a second home in the Hamptons or an ability to go to Club Med, here are a few ideas to cultivate more rest:
1. Create a Hammock - If you don't have anywhere to put a hammock, create one. A hammock is relaxing because it is outside and you have no other tasks to accomplish other than laying there, taking deep breaths, and maybe grabbing a cat nap. Create a hammock by laying outside somewhere on a soft blanket and closing your eyes. Of course, this works much better if you don't have to dodge marauding dogs or children.
2. Unplug - Turn it all off. The television, the cell phones, the computer, the pager, the fax, the blackberry. If the idea of doing this makes you twitchy (it's a lifestyle, man!) then come up with a way to keep your mind off of all those crucial emails you might be missing (the ones about enlargement and magic happy pills especially).
3. Road Trip - A change of scenery is refreshing.. even if it's only a trip to a part of the city you've not been to before, or a visit to a town 45 minutes away. Pack up a picnic and get out of your usual routine.
4. Hello Leisure, Be My Baby - In our society, we often mistake leisure for watching television and eating potato chips. True leisure and rest are states of being that require few inputs and free time. Television and music and beeping phones are all a distraction. For the type-A's among us, leisure time (unstructured, unplugged free time) can be scary, so sometimes you might have to ease into it. Plan an hour to start and go from there.
5. Just Do It - The neat thing about cultivating a day of rest, whether it's for religious or health reasons is you begin to make it part of your family routine. My brother's family sets aside Sundays for quiet family time. The kids can play games (board, not video) and are given a day off from chores and homework. The parents don't clean or catch up on email or mow the lawn. I've been able to do something similar in my family, but usually only for a half day.
Making rest and leisure a priority sets a good example for the kiddies, which is why after posting this, I'm closing this computer, laying out on a blanket and counting the clouds.
