Anxiety and the Sabbath Reset

Work, family life, carpools, commutes, after-school activities, and errands, oh my! Life sure can get busy when you’re working or trying to raise a family. This feels even more so when you’re trying to do both. Living a fruitful life can be a blessing, but when it’s too busy, it can cause anxiety, stress, and even affect your physical health.

Don’t have time for a vacation? Can’t eliminate anything from your to-do list? While the occasional extended period of rest is ideal for recuperating from a busy lifestyle, it’s not always practical. But even the busiest people can spare one day a week to focus on rest. In fact, God wants you to. He called it Sabbath.

You Need Rest

You may think that pushing yourself even when tired and overwhelmed is an admirable thing. Of course, it is to a certain extent. It’s good to have the willpower and tenacity to stick with a project, even when you’re feeling overwhelmed by it. And this is often praised in our modern society because it’s labeled as a good work ethic. But there comes a point where that perseverance goes from noble to harmful.

Taking a Sabbath

God instructs us to take a Sabbath. Even He rested on the seventh day of creation. Is God giving you that direct command just to see if you’re obedient? This, like all of God’s other directives, is for your own good, not just to force you into compliance.

Of course, God values a good work ethic. This can be seen in multiple verses across Scripture (Proverbs 14:23, Proverbs 12:24, Colossians 3:23). But He also recognizes our need for rest. Jesus acknowledges this in Mark 2: “Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” (Mark 2:27, NIV)

This verse explains not only God’s law but also gives a glimpse of His heart. God’s commandment to “‘Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,’” (Exodus 20:8, NIV) is an invitation to you to step out of your normal, frantic routine and to take a day of rest to reflect on the goodness of God.

Psychologists Agree

Most psychologists and psychiatrists would give you the same advice that Scripture commands. That’s because those who study the human brain and emotions know that it’s not designed to live in a constant state of chaos and busyness. Your brain needs intentional periods of rest to maintain cognitive function and emotional regulation.

In the clinical world, this is often referred to as cognitive offloading. Without downtime, your stress response remains constantly activated. This can lead to anxiety. Maybe you’re familiar with this anxiety because you feel it every Monday morning. This happens because, without a Sabbath, you end up carrying the burdens of last week’s stress directly into the new week.

A day of rest works like a circuit breaker because it allows your nervous system to reset. While you might feel like you don’t have time to take a break, research shows that taking time to relax actually increases long-term productivity.

How to Take a Sabbath

Knowing that you should take a Sabbath every week is more than half the battle, but you also have to know how to do it well. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your weekly respite.

Place God at the center

The original intent of the Sabbath was to carve out an intentional day, in the midst of a busy life, to honor God. And this idea still holds true today. To fully enjoy your Sabbath, you should, as the Bible directs, keep it holy. That means don’t crowd your day with mundane things. Instead, make an intentional plan to worship your Heavenly Father, to learn about Him, and to invite Him into your life every Sabbath.

When you place God at the center of your free time, you’re giving Him a special gift. You’re showing God you trust Him and honoring Him by giving your precious free time to Him. And when you do, He will reciprocate. Because the Sabbath is actually a gift to you from a Heavenly Father who knows how exhausting life can be.

Choose your day

Your Sabbath doesn’t necessarily have to be on Sunday, though that’s perhaps the most commonly observed day of rest. Most churches meet on Sunday, and many businesses close early, so it might be easier for you to not only avoid the distractions of errands but to find deliberate time with God.

For some, it’s not always practical to take Sundays off. You have to choose the day that works best for your schedule.

Establish rules

It’s wise to establish rules or construct boundaries for your day of rest because it’s important to protect this precious time. Rules and boundaries help you to keep yourself accountable and help others know what you are and are not willing to do on that day.

Maybe you are willing to hang out with friends and family, or perhaps you would be better served to spend the day alone. Maybe you want to sleep in late on your day off and don’t want to be disturbed, or you would rather get up early to watch the sunrise. By creating a few simple rules for yourself and others to follow, you can protect the peace of your special day.

Work smarter, not harder

One of the best ways to ensure that you can take a Sabbath day without filling it with stray errands is to find the most efficient ways to complete your errands during the week. That might seem like obvious advice, but it often goes unheeded. It’s good to occasionally pause and take a look at how you complete tasks. You might find that you do things out of habit, and you might not realize that there are newer, more efficient ways of doing these things.

For example, maybe you’re in the habit of paying your electricity bill by check every month. But have you explored the option of going digital with automatic payments? Many companies offer this service and even give a discount to customers who pay this way.

Don’t have the time to run to the grocery store? Use online shopping services or multitask by going grocery shopping with a friend. That way, you can get your socializing in while still completing a necessary task.

Working smarter gives you the opportunity to take a much-needed break, even if your life feels overwhelmingly busy.

Be prepared

When possible, prepare yourself and your surroundings for your day of rest. Make sure that the house is clean before your Sabbath day approaches and that your errands are taken care of. It’s difficult to fully relax in the midst of a chaotic reminder of future chores.

Have some of your favorite activities ready and at your disposal. Prepare a praise and worship playlist for some solo worship. Keep your Bible accessible, along with some highlighters and a notebook for a study of God’s Word.

You might also find that passive rest is beneficial. Gather a stack of books you’ve been meaning to read, some new video games, or create a list of bingeable television shows you can watch. Use these activities to truly decompress, not just kill time. Even more beneficial, get outside. Walk, relax, feel the sun. Resting in the beauty of God’s creation is a wonderful way to recharge on the Sabbath.

Seeking Professional Help

While the Sabbath is a powerful tool to help you strike a balance in your life, it’s also important to acknowledge that chronic anxiety sometimes requires more than just a day of rest. A licensed therapist or counselor can provide you with specific clinical tools that can help you overcome some of your deeper emotional challenges.

If your anxiety feels unmanageable, even in a season of rest, make an appointment with one of our Christian therapists. Our mental health professionals can help you take the courageous next step toward finding peace.