And on the seventh day, she tried, and did not entirely fail, to rest
I do not practice a particular religion, but the idea of resting on the seventh day has consumed me for some time. When I was working, I found Sundays especially tough. I spent Friday night and most of Saturday detoxing from the previous week with movies, books, tv, and comics, alternated with errands like grocery shopping. Then Sundays I had to work like crazy to cram in all the boring, home and chore-type things that remained undone. The result was that I returned to work on Monday about as exhausted, sometimes more so, than I’d been on Friday afternoon. The dynamic changed somewhat, but not entirely, when I had a baby and then again when I resigned to stay home with him full time. Sundays still have been the day for the tasks that can no longer be put off.
Defining boundaries for a day of rest was difficult. Each potential restriction needed a loophole. No television–except football for my husband, and shows that I enjoy. No car rides–unless I need to go to yoga, or it’s ass-biting cold outside. No cooking–except we have to eat. No cleaning–except we have to clean up after cooking, and I had friends coming over who hadn’t seen our house. No computer–except I need to do just this one thing, and while I’m here I might as well check email. Then, rather than trying to define what not to do, it occurred to me to try to emphasize what I wanted to do: take a break and enjoy, spending time with friends and family and not working so much.
Yesterday, I made a not entirely unsuccessful attempt at a day of rest. I had lunch with two friends I hadn’t seen in months, and spent time reading to my son, and even just laid on the couch for a bit while he ran around and before we began dinner preparations. I did use the computer, make food, wash dishes and clean a bit. But I didn’t do laundry. At the end of the day, I had spent more time relaxing and with family and friends, and less time working, than I do on an average day. I figure this was my first attempt; perhaps I’ll get better with practice.
December 31st, 2004 at 2:18 pm
I have a friend who is a fan of self-help books, so she tends to know the sublime and the ridiculous. One of the better pearls has to do with what you describe (although it’s meant as a strategy for dealing with procrastination). Apparently, as a means of making sure work gets done, it can be effective to make time for the play, letting the work fill in the other parts of the day in whatever order or form it will. I’d wager this would make for a more enjoyable day as well.