It is very easy to allow the incessant meetings, inevitable crisis, and pastoral care of others to exhaust you. Even when you are finding a great deal of satisfaction in your work, the constancy of the demands of your profession can take its toll on you physically and emotionally, and far too often spiritually as well. One of the unique contributions of the Jewish/Christian faith community that is not found in other traditions is the concept of the Sabbath. Since the Bible spoke of the Sabbath as of value for people, land, and animals and applied the concept of the sabbath to both weeks and years, we know that the sabbath principle can be practiced in a variety of ways. A major aspect of that principle is the interruption of our productivity on a regular basis to rest, restore ourselves, and nurture our human relationships.
All of that is introduction to the need to intentionally identify ways that you can interrupt the intensity of your work. In this particular post, I am suggesting that you consider interruptions that may take no longer than 30 minutes. Take some time to identify at least four different things that you can do that take 30 minutes or less which can serve to interrupt and release some of your tense feelings. The importance of these activities being able to be engaged in for less than 30 minutes is that it reduces the excuse for not using them when you need them.
It might be as simple as a walk around the block or draw upon your skills to play the piano for 20 minutes. Perhaps you can develop a series of stretching exercises, or it might be deliberately reading some Scripture purely for how it allows God to speak to you. Maybe it is savoring a good cup of coffee or a soft drink. (Note, it is not drinking that cup of coffee while you work but pausing to actually enjoy it.) Try to identify at least 4 such possibilities to have in your toolbox when you need them. Add others as they occur to you. It’s OK if some of them are frivolous or might be considered silly by others. This is for you and serves to interrupt work and provide some needed relief.
