Remembering that the sabbath is an invitation to cease productive work for one of three purposes–refresh self, connect with neighbor, and strengthen relationship with God. Over next several blogs, I want to explore how you can use sabbath breaks, sometimes as brief as 15 minutes, to attend to one or more of those three aspects.
In my work on healthy clergy, I look at health from six different aspects: physical, emotional, family, financial, spiritual, and vocational. Consider what type of breaks from productivity you can take on an ordinary day that might nurture your physical health.
Consider intentionally taking a break every couple of hours for some simple physical activity. There is real benefit to stepping back from desk and computer every hour or so and doing some simple stretching exercises. Even a brief walk down the hall and back has value. Many people agree that is a good idea but neglect to do it in a normal day. To break the habit of being compulsive about work, you might use a calendar alarm that would remind you every hour or so to simply get up, stretch, etc. Especially when you think you are too busy to take the time, the sabbatical moment is a good reminder that you are more important than the immediate project and taking care of yourself can make you even more creative.
Another simple practice is to occasionally stop and breathe in and out slowly. To give you a framework, and following the biblical fondness for the number 7, take seven deep breaths and let them out slowly. Do that several times during the day. Maybe when you first get to an appointment before you get out of the car. Maybe take a bathroom break and make use of the privacy of the toilet stall. The deep slow breathing several times a day can both relax your body and help you center yourself.
Try to think of at least three other mini-practices that only take a brief amount of time but when practiced with regularity can be good for the holy temple that is your body.
