Alright, mamas. Raise your hand if you are exhausted. I’m pretty sure I just saw all but a couple of you raise your hands. Those few that didn’t…well, I think they may have been asleep. There is just something about “mom” that seems to be synonymous with “exhausted.” And not just “I need to go to bed’ exhausted but that bone weary, brain fried exhausted.
Now I have another question for you. When was the last time you took a day off? Mmm…that’s what I thought. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I’ve talked to you before about taking the time to take care of yourself. Part of that is taking a day of rest. It really is your best defense against exhaustion.
I know it can be hard to find a day or even a morning where there isn’t anything to be done. I struggle with this too. But I have discovered that I need that time to function. I take Sunday afternoons mostly off. I have been taking Sundays off for work (blogging, computer work, etc.) for awhile now. But I am also now trying to not do too many chores either.
Make a big dinner
To make it work, I’m doing a few different things. First, I make sure that whatever I make for dinner Saturday night is something that will have enough leftovers for lunch the next day. That makes coming home from church a whole lot easier. Less stressful. Less hangry family.
Saturday night prep
The next thing I do is make sure the week lunch prep is done Saturday, not Sunday. That just means that I have at least Monday taken care of with iced tea, yogurt, cookies/dessert, and muffins. I typically already have the muffins and dessert made and in the freezer so all I really have to do is make sure Matt has yogurt and iced tea ready to go. The only thing I have to do Sunday is take the muffins and cookies out of the freezer.
Do all the chores
I also like to make sure all the laundry (folding included) and the dishes are done by Saturday night. There isn’t always laundry to do on Saturday but if it’s a time of year where I’m doing laundry around the weather, it does happen. Dishes are the big one. I don’t want to come home from church to a sink full of dishes to do. So whereas I normally only wash dishes once a day, Saturdays I might also do two or three loads. I also like to vacuum on Saturdays. Something about having a clean floor helps me relax.
Plan dinner
The only real chore I do on my day of rest is making dinner. But I try to make it an easy one without a lot of prep or a slow cooker dinner. Sunday is not the day I make a big, fancy dinner. It is the day we have simple foods. Since we need leftovers for Matt’s lunch the next day, it is not a “clean out the fridge night” but it is simple dinner night.
This is even easier if you have a meal plan or use a meal planning service like $5 Meal Plan. (You get a free 14-day trial when you sign up for $5 Meal Plan to take it for a test drive so be sure to check it out.)
Do what you enjoy
Whether that’s taking a nap, reading a book, watching a movie, doing a craft, or just having fun with your family, use your day of rest to…rest! Rest looks different for everyone. Rest does not mean napping and sitting around doing nothing. Do whatever it is that is going to help recharge you. That certainly can be a nap. But it could also mean playing soccer in the backyard with your kids.
I take my day every Sunday. I think it is important to do it once a week and Sunday is just what works for me. Sometimes we are on the road or we have chores that have to happen that day. If that’s the case, I take a different day later in the week. Even though it is important to take a day of rest, it is also important to be flexible. You want to be able to enjoy your rest, either alone or with family, but not at the expense of your family. It’s important to remember that taking a day of rest is basically a preemptive strike against the mama exhaustion and crankiness that comes with it, not something that must be guarded at all costs.
[bctt tweet=”Taking a day of rest is a preemptive strike against mama exhaustion & crankiness”]
Rest is so important! I was reminded of this last week and made it a point to get some needed rest instead of always thinking of something to do. I like the idea of taking a whole day. That is what God intended, but as a mom it can be hard to do! Thanks for sharing your practical tips. I like the idea of getting the chores done the day before.
I definitely don’t succeed every week but I try! At first, the prepping the day before feels like a lot more work but once you get used to it, it makes that day off so worth it. 🙂
Taking care of ourselves is SO important, and yet we can so easily put it at the bottom of our list. Thanks for ideas to make it seem doable!
I don’t often take days, but I’m getting better at taking 10-30 minutes before bed just to relax, do my facial routine, and unwind. I’ve already been told that I feel “lighter” – probably just the skin 😉
LOL! Maybe it is just the skin, but I doubt it. Rest is an amazing thing. 🙂
This is so so important! I love the idea, I’m not always good about preparing for it though. I like how thought out your plan for you day is, so you can use your day for enjoyment and not play catch up. Visiting from Mom2Mom.
Thanks for visiting!
Totally agree! There is a reason God rested on the 7th day! We all need to rest so that we can recharge. So many things and people are depending on us. We can’t possibly do all God has called us to when we are not setting aside time for ourselves. I get up early a couple times a week to exercise, I go out with a friend about every other week and on Sundays u don’t make lunch. Yes, there are days when you need to be flexible!
I love that you have a bit of a schedule for rest. I also love how your rest looks different than mine. For me, rest needs to be home and at least semi-alone. Sounds like going out with a friend is rest to you. That would be work for me. Thank you for sharing as some people may need to see that side to know that that can be restful too. 🙂
Thanks for this reminder! I definitely don’t do enough of this. The only thing I really do now is take an hour a day to watch a tv show I want, but even then I’m usually folding laundry. I’m going to try this week to be more intentional.