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Is it just me, or does down-time seem hard to come by? Is it that you really don’t have the time to rest, or do you just not know how to rest?

I could have a 4 hour window in the middle of my day where I have absolutely nothing going on and still come out tired. I can sit and read, lay by my pool, watch my favorite show, scroll on my phone or even nap, yet I still find myself not feeling actually rested.

Today, I went for a walk on the farm with my dog Paxton, and when I hit my 1 mile mark I realized that I had no real recollection of how I got there. I knew where I was, but I hadn’t remembered what the clouds looked like on the way, the kinds of plants I saw, how the air smelt, the birds I heard, or what the wind felt like. I wasn’t paying attention to anything around me. What was going on in my head?

I have this tendency to daydream every chance I get. I’m sure most of us do this on the daily, but I’ve noticed that every moment of rest I come by, I spend it dreaming of the future. And not even far into the future like where I want to live in 10 years. I think about things like next August and my apartment and the events I’m excited to plan and attend to with my friends. I think about the meals I’m going to prep next week and how excited I am to do yoga later. And while there’s nothing wrong with setting goals or planning for upcoming events, there’s something to be said about using your alone time to escape to some future reality that you hope to experience.

If you’re like me, and you find yourself escaping the present moment by conjuring up imaginary scenarios in your head, I argue that you’re wasting valuable recharging time and perpetuating internal stress.

As I started walking back to the house, I did my very best to be as present as possible, paying much attention to as many details around me as I could. My mind inevitably wandered, and I had to be very intentional to bring it back to focus on what was right in front of me.

That’s the key word here: intentional.

In my opinion, we too often cut ourselves short in our goals thinking that we lack the skills when what we really lack is intention. If I struggle to find time to workout, I have to be intentional to make time for it. If I struggle being patient with my little brother, I must be intentional to give him more grace and tolerance. And, if I want to truly feel rested and live more presently, I have to be intentional to consistently bring my focus back to the current moment. The same way that moving away from temptations and becoming more like Jesus requires intentionally following Him, the life you want to live must be intentionally created.

I don’t believe that anyone goes out of their way to purposely develop bad habits, but everyone has them. I didn’t wake up one day and decide “I want to get in habit of scrolling Instagram reels for an hour each day. I’ll start practicing that!” It happened unintentionally. I’m sure you didn’t mean to get in the habit of texting and driving or snapping at your spouse after a long day of work or leaving your dishes in the sink for an entire week. It just kind of happened.

Bad habits aren’t formed intentionally, but good habits aren’t formed passively. Read that again.

Circling back to the topic of rest, I want to remind you that downtime is not the enemy – busyness is. “Be still and know that I am God,” Psalm 46:10 says. Another way to read this verse is “Be chaotic and busy, and you will not know God.” Rest does not just mean the absence of movement. It means the presence of the Holy Spirit and the stillness of your mind. If you want to experience the peace of God in your life, you must first be intentional to get mentally and emotionally still. Then, you must tune into the Spirit of God within you and learn to hush your racing mind. For me, I sometimes have to be physically still to reach this point of rest. Other times, cleaning my room or a simple walk-and-talk with God works. Either way, don’t confuse sitting on your couch watching TV with real rest, the kind that Jesus Himself offers to us.

Real rest means to be with Jesus and follow Him, and the only way to be with Jesus is to train your mind to be still.

So, if you find yourself constantly escaping the present moment with daydreaming or imagining, you are likely rest-deprived. In other words, you’re low on some quality time with Jesus. Let Him remind you that the past nor the future are attainable. The only thing you have to hold onto is now, where the Father Himself resides. Learn to make true rest a practice in your daily life. Be intentional to listen to the Holy Spirit more so than you do your own thoughts.

If you need help with this like me, take at least 15 minutes each day to notice what’s around you. Either go on a walk or sit on your porch. Whatever you desire to do, just get outside and try writing down at least 3 observations. To end, close your eyes and pray to God by telling Him 3 things you may be stressed over followed by 3 things you’re really grateful for. I truly believe that the more you do this, the harder it will be to think of those 3 stressful things and the easier it will be to list off 3 times as many “grateful for’s.”

This is just a practical way to begin implementing rest. There are so many other ways to accomplish this, but this is a great way to start re-centering your mind.

May you find joy in each present moment regardless of your circumstances. May you learn that there is nothing you have to think about when your steps are ordered by the Most High. May you trust that the Spirit who lives inside of you is sufficient enough to bring you peace. And, may you know just how much the Father loves you to give you a life that is restful and commandments that are never burdensome to keep.