Take a Radical Sabbatical

If you had a whole day to do whatever you wanted, what would you do? I’m talking about a day when you don’t have to worry about housework, cooking dinner, paying bills, driving the kids to soccer practice, or checking e-mails from work.  A day when you have no responsibilities at all—zip, zero, nada.

Sound pretty radical? Absolutely. But it also would be life-changing!

Even as a young girl, my daughter Abbie was hard-working and project-oriented. And although she loved spending time with friends and family, sometimes she had simply had enough. Deciding that she needed some “Abbie time,” she would light some candles, take a bubble bath, and then hide out in her room for a day or two. She would hang a big sign on her bedroom door:

ON A PERSONAL RETREAT

Please Do Not Disturb!

Abbie learned that she always came away from such times reinvigorated and full of fresh creativity and passion for life. This was quite an example for her hyperactive, Mrs. Fix-It mom.

As a wellness nurse, I’ve always been great at preaching to others that leisure, rest, recreation and play are crucial to their physical and emotional health. But I’ll admit…this is hard for me, and I’ve often found myself being quite a hypocrite.

During the rare moments of life when I find myself with nothing to do, a little voice tends to pop up in my brain, saying, “Don’t just sit there idly. Get busy and DO something!” At those frequent moments, my dear husband Jim has to remind me that even GOD took time to rest from His work (Exodus 20:8-11). Shouldn’t we as well?!

I hope you can periodically spend a few days at a mountain retreat center or even just follow Abbie’s example and hang a Do Not Disturb sign on your bedroom door. But if that’s not feasible right now, how about taking some baby steps? You can take a long walk in the woods, hike to the top of a nearby mountain, spend half a day browsing through books at your favorite bookstore, or taking a few hours at the park to pray, read your Bible, and write in your journal.

Author Stephen R. Covey calls this important process “sharpening your saw.” And maybe you’ve heard the old proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Well, taking frequent “radical sabbaticals” will keep you from getting a dull blade—or just being dull for that matter!

Your time away from the hustle and bustle of life will allow you to unwind, unclog your brain, and regain your sense of vision and purpose. You’ll be able to connect again with your Master Designer and rediscover His unique design for your life.

Let’s face it: Burning the candle at both ends is a sure path toward early burnout. It’s no accident that the first four letters of the word “restoration” are REST!

So get busy and rest! You’ll be so glad you did.

What about you?

 •            Take a few minutes to write down what you would do on a perfect “radical sabbatical.”

•             Now get out your calendar and figure out when you can block out some time to make this happen. You may need to also explain to your spouse, kids or employer why this is vitally important to you!