Protect Your Peace

 One of the things I love as a writer is being able to draw inspiration from absolutely anywhere. Things that normally might pass some people by are igniting prompts that bring forth metaphoric lessons that impact my life and perhaps those of my readers. One such moment happened to me at, of all places, the Alaska State Fair. It may surprise you that our fair is actually known for being one of the best and most unique in the country. There are other fairs that are certainly bigger than ours, but the atmosphere of being nestled at the base of nearby mountain peaks and the "only in Alaska" type of activities and vendors that you experience truly are second to none. In all my years, I think I've only missed two times of going - I really do look forward to it every time it rolls around.   

As I was walking around the animal barn, stroking some sheep and goats noses, talking to cute bunny rabbits, and admiring some totally gorgeous home-grown flowers, I noticed a chicken in one of the cages that had its head buried under its wing and had decided it was time for a power nap. Putting myself in its situation, I respected its ability to even relax itself and tune all the noise out long enough to doze off! And I started to think about the importance of rest and protecting your peace in the chaos... 

I thought of how God instituted a day of rest in creation at the start of the week, calling it a "sabbath" in the ancient Hebrew language. From the beginning, God understood the importance of taking a break from your labors and the pressures of daily life to recenter yourself and recharge your internal batteries. A recent study supported this that revealed that adults who regularly indulge in daytime naps may physically experience a protective effort against brain aging. The research discovered that regular nappers brains were larger by a significant margin compared to those of non-nappers. Our parents understand this when we're kids, making naps and rest-times a vital part of the everyday schedule, yet somehow we think we must outgrow this in order to become a "real adult." 

Now, this post isn't meant to be all about sleep necessarily, but the data certainly proves what's been there all along: in order to function at our optimal level, we need rest. We need timeouts when we can escape our daily stress temporarily and keep operating at a place of peacefulness and clarity. Sadly, in our modern culture when it's considered heroic to push the envelope at all costs - when most of us overworked, overtired, and overstimulated - it feels wrong to step back and reset. It goes against everything our world says is necessary to "making it" in the present day. And so I think a lot of us end up pushing past our point of tolerance and continuing to go faster and harder into the craziness of it all, only to find ourselves at a place of breakdown because our bodies, minds, and spirits finally forced us to stop and take stock. 

One of the greatest things I've learned in my mental health journey is the necessity of protecting your peace. Of understanding the toll that relationships and responsibilities and information influx all take on your personal energy and focus, causing more of a drain than perhaps we initially realize. The concentration and effort that it takes to interact with others, to perform well at work, to have a stable family life, to balance priorities... all these tax us in subtle or not-so-subtle ways. While these all are mostly good things, not guarding your inner center and doing the stuff that fosters that sense of peace inside of you, from which you can then move out into the world with all its needs, can lead to burnout, exhaustion, anxiety, and even depression. 

Our society has trained us to think that rest isn't important. The lights are always on and people are up and doing at all odd hours of the day or night. Especially in the West, we don't stop. We don't recuperate. Because we fear something or someone will pass us by. We'll miss out on the next deal, the best promotion, the latest information if we choose to check out for even a hot second. Yet, when you look at nature, which is in itself the greatest and purest indication of God's original design, you find that things aren't afraid to rest. The animals take naps frequently. Even the plant world goes a bit dormant in winter so that it can rejuvenate itself. Farmland is often allowed to rest a season to regain its nutrients. Nature knows. It's the human  race that's the problem. We've convinced ourselves that it's not okay to refresh ourselves and make certain that we protect our peace. 

Here's what I've come to understand: in order to experience the best quality of life - the best relationships, the best chance at work performance, the best creative juices, the best spiritual vitality - you need breaks. Whether it's utilizing your lunch breaks, getting up earlier to have some quiet time in the morning, taking a nap or chance to breathe and regroup during the daytime, disengaging from your phone or computer earlier in the evening, whatever the strategy may be, you need the quiet, the slowing down to help you get back in touch with the things that lead to life balance. 

This world is a chaotic place. Many things and many people are calling for our attention, our time, and our energy like never before. Previous generations that weren't nearly as technologically driven were much more in tune with their inner life and the need for silence and restoration than we are. Which means that we must be even more intentional about creating that for ourselves if we wish to thrive and not just attempt to survive in the midst of it all. We can't be hesitant to do what we need to in order to maintain a balanced, healthy life. Even as demands are higher than ever on our daily life, we need to be willing to do the hard things that help to protect our peace because from there, we are better able to love, listen, learn, serve, and function, interacting with others and the world around us from a centered place instead of a frazzled one. Perhaps it doesn't necessarily involve literal sleep but even listening to some relaxing music, reading a book, knitting or crocheting, really anything that causes you to put your feet up, slow down, and bring your scattered thoughts in order with yourself and your Creator. 

That chicken wasn't afraid to put its head under its wing and tune out everyone and everything else for its own benefit. And we shouldn't be either. If rest was important to the Maker of all things, then it should be important to us. If it's good enough for kids, then it should still be good enough for any of us at any age. If even the science supports the necessity of restoration, then maybe it's time we start to get off the hustle bus more often and give our bodies, brains, and souls what they need to operate at their best level. Maybe a little time of putting our own heads under our wings and checking out for awhile is exactly what we need to continue in this crazy thing called life.