I know you have a busy schedule, and I want to honor all the roles you play, but take a few moments and consider these three signs it might be time for you to reprioritise rest.

I don’t have to tell you that our global culture unknowingly worships the idol of productivity. More than likely, you’re juggling three or four tasks as you read this post. Perhaps you are feeding the baby, cooking a meal, faking enthusiasm on a work call, etc. (Trust me, I do the same thing(s)… all the time.)We have forgotten how to manage one task at a time. Now, that’s not to say multitasking isn’t a true gift. It is—when the tasks are healthily prioritised. But we can’t give all of our energy to all of the things all of the time and wonder why we feel so drained as soon as we wake up… even if we got the recommended eight hours of sleep the night before.

Technology allows us to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at all times, and I believe that’s where we have burned out. We hear so many voices, opinions, and arguments that we drown out our body’s voice, the one saying, “I need a break, sis. I can’t do this right now.”

1. As Soon as You Wake, You Reach for Your Phone

Snagging the phone is impulsive, at least for this generation. We treat our phones like oxygen; we need the apps and social handles to breathe, thrive, and navigate our routines…

… Except we don’t need them to breathe. In fact, our lungs do a fantastic job allowing us to inhale oxygen without technology aiding this involuntary necessity. However, we must learn to pause, breathe, and reflect on what we are thankful for before going to our phones that, through the art of comparison, convince us of everything we don’t have. This gives our bodies and hearts a few moments to reprioritise rest and kickstart healthy thought patterns for the day.

When you first wake up, even if you need to set the alarm a few minutes earlier, take some time to count your blessings. Make a mental list of the family, friends, job, home, and freedoms you have. Sure, life isn’t always easy, and some mornings won’t welcome gratitude. But you can still cultivate thankfulness. It sets your heart and mind toward more meaningful things than who said what on Twitter.

2. You Can’t Remember When You Last Had Five Minutes for Yourself

Every day can’t be a vacation, and we are certainly charged as human beings to love others, even above ourselves. However, this doesn’t mean we are called to become a doormat, letting life and all the people in it walk on us, use us, and smudge us with dirt.

If you notice a coworker abusing your kindness by stacking their work on your plate, take five minutes to pull them aside and explain your boundaries. (Work is one space where we believe we must constantly perform, but you can reprioritise rest at the office too.) Meanwhile, if the kids have been little monsters all week, tell your husband or a family member you trust that you need fifteen minutes to get out of the house and grab a cup of coffee. If your body is aching, telling you it can’t press on like this, run a hot bubble bath, snag a good book, and take thirty minutes to yourself.

3. You Constantly Feel Anxious

Currently, I work two jobs. I’m also renovating an old farmhouse and launching my writing career. When I don’t create clear boundaries for myself, I feel tired—and edgy. One of the key ways I recognize this exhausted state is through the anxious feeling that sits in my chest and follows me throughout the day.

Do you find yourself feeling fidgety? Unable to sit still? Have you adopted unhealthy habits like downing countless cups of coffee?

Do you feel pulled in five different directions? Unable to be fully present where you are in this moment? Have you been oblivious to face-to-face conversations because you are hosting five different conversations between the phone, the computer, and the human you forgot was sitting next to you?

This jittery, anxious feeling is your body telling your brain that it’s time to regroup and reprioritise rest.

Don’t ignore the warning signs, friend.

Understand that to reprioritise rest, we must take careful time and consideration to discover what is aiding our health and notice what is hindering our hearts from being present for the people and spaces that truly count.

Do you recognise any of these signs in your daily life and how will you start to reprioritise rest? Share with a comment and don’t forget to react to this post with an emoji!

Photo via Pexels by Samson Katt