From our founder:

“Hi friends,

If you’ve been reading Kindred & Co emails (click here to receive them) and keeping up with our blog posts, you’ll notice that we’re on a journey this year to find better balance in our lives. While abroad, I spent some time in January resetting my perspectives and rhythms from 2019 in preparation for a more balanced 2020. One of the rhythms I know I’m awful at balancing is the rhythm of work and rest. I can often fall into a trap that I don’t deserve rest until I’ve worked enough, but as I’ll share more later, this just doesn’t work. I need rest to remind me I’m not superwoman and to be restored for a new week ahead. For myself, this rhythm of rest is called Sabbath. It is a spiritual discipline I am hoping to incorporate into 2020 and one I hope to encourage you to try as well, whether you call it Sabbath or something less spiritual. 

For context, Sabbath comes from the book of Genesis in the Bible where after six days of creating the world (ie work), God rested on the seventh day. This seventh day of rest was called Sabbath. While humanity isn’t necessarily working in the same way as God was, the idea is that after six days of work, there is a day of rest. 

The trap I can easily fall into with the idea of sabbath is that I have to get all the work done in the six days in order to earn a day of rest or sabbath. If I don’t work hard enough or get enough done during the week, then I don’t deserve rest. 

But that’s not at all a healthy mindset nor a sustainable one. As much as I want to think I can be superwoman and work continuously, or as much as the work I do is life-giving and fun, at some point, I’m going to need rest. And it’s not going to be when I get all the work done, because, well, there will always be work to do. Always one more email to send, one more meeting to have, one more post to write, etc. There’s always going to be more. So waiting until it’s all done is not an option if I want a sustainable balanced rhythm of work and rest. 

I need to build it into my weekly rhythm to be balanced and to avoid burnout. I need it on a weekly basis, not only because it’s the sabbath model, but also because I need the constant reminder that I’m human and as a human it’s important to rest. I need the weekly reminder to take the day of rest even if the work isn’t yet done. The work won’t ever completely be done and I need to be reminded to detach myself from the work as well, to not get so caught up that it becomes my identity. I need it weekly because it helps remind me my identity is not in the productive work I’ve done, the things I’ve done, but my identity is based on who I am, my being.

Building it into my weekly rhythm takes intentionality and discipline. It’ll take sacrifice of my pride and time. Pride to let go of what I think I can and to let go of the superwoman mindset (although a healthy dose is definitely good). Taking a weekly sabbath will also mean the day of rest itself can’t just be a bum out day, but will need to consist of life-giving restful activities that will help my mind, body, and soul feel restored for the next six days of work. 

And it’ll also take accountability. It’ll take me asking friends, family and community to help remind me to rest because it’s good for me. Even sharing this here is a form of accountability. 

Rest and sabbath do not come naturally to me and while the first month has been relatively easy, I know the rest of this year will have seasons where rest will be hard to fight for and be intentional about. But because I know it is good and needed, I’m going to work hard to be intentional about rest and the balance of work and rest for 2020.”

We’ll be sharing resources and ideas for rest and sabbath on our social media and compile them for the end of the week. 

Where do you struggle to find rest? How do you find rest and restoration?