Finding Rest Amidst Chaos

Life can be chaotic. There are seasons that feel like they’ll never end (much like the summers in Texas) full of stress, busyness, and pure unadulterated chaos. So how, if even, do we find rest amidst chaos in life AND business?

Recently my husband (Nolan) and I are in the process of moving from a 600 sq ft apartment to a new home. If you haven’t been following along on Instagram then as a quick life summary I’ll tell you that we were born and grew up in southern Texas, the Houston surrounding areas to give you a mental picture (if you’ve every been there), and long dreamed of moving to the mountains. In 2017 I quit the corporate world and started my own business, and in 2019 we packed our bags and said ‘adios’ to muggy Texas and ‘aloha’ to the paradise that is Durango.

Of course you all know the chaos (I’m seeing a pattern here) that ensued in 2020. As the election and corona virus filled our screens, ears and eyes, I often joked that the world was ending, but inside I knew that wasn’t the case. In fact, it would take a lot more than a little virus to eliminate that which God has created (all things are little when compared to God’s power). But I digress – chaos once again in the form of a virus that resulted in fear. Which resulted in businesses shutting down, people losing their homes or other possessions, and of course even lives.

But as we’ve learned through history, life goes on and through hard work, helping hands, and positivity we are on the uprise from a very rough couple of years. But back to us moving, since that was kind of the point that I lost while rambling, we have been moving this past week. Packing. Cleaning. Moving. Cleaning. Unpacking. Cleaning. Did I mention cleaning? I really hate that. And amongst all of this I was finding rest. Purposefully and with intent. I believe that is step one in finding rest amongst chaos. So let’s ramble a bit more and break that down:

Intention 

If you want to find rest, you have to look for it. It won’t just come naturally unless you’re living that retired life or the life of a cat. (My cat has no problems finding rest, too much at that.) Looking for moments to rest doesn’t necessarily mean taking a nap either, it can be in many shapes and forms. For example, pausing when you see something beautiful and appreciating it in that moment. Observing your children while they play instead of rushing off to do dishes that are overtaking your kitchen. Sitting down to drink your morning coffee instead of pouring it into a thermos so you can multi-task. Think about your daily routine. Where can you take moments to pause and in doing so collect a moment of rest.

The other way is to force it into your schedule through planning. In most cases that looks like waking up early and giving time to yourself– whether that’s beauty maintenance, prayer, reading time, meditation, or exercise like a walk outside or yoga.

Despite being in the process of moving (which I thought was the point of this post) I was making time for prayer and meditation. Quiet time – if you will. Allowing my mind to rest, focusing on my breathing and listening to, well, nothing. Also walks have been such a blessing during this time. Walking out of the house that had a kitty playground of towering boxes and dirty paw prints on my white rug (thank you for being Ruggable) and leaving it behind to come back to later. Because you know what? That’s okay. You can leave your office a mess right now in pursuit of rest, because once you rest you find the clarity to tackle things you’ve been putting off. Oh, I think that might be point two.

Clarity

Often we don’t want to take time off in the middle of our busy days because we just have too much to tackle. The kids have schedules to keep, or the house is practically unlivable in it’s current state, and your business emails aren’t going to read themselves. But have you noticed that when we are in this mindset we can’t think clearly, in fact we are so frazzled and stressed by that towering to-do list that we end up making stupid mistakes that then need to be corrected. More time spent. And time is money – as they always say.

When we find moments of rest we find clarity. It’s only when we can give our minds that much needed time off that it can think clearer the next time we use it. Think about it – our brains are muscles just like those that appendage the rest of our body. Let’s say you have an intense workout, like miles of running or hours at the gym, then wake up the next day extremely sore. It’s hard to even get out of bed, let alone think about working out again. So you rest your body, preparing it for the next time you exercise. Your brain goes through those days too, where it’s running full speed non stop and then you wake up the next day, instead of resting, do the same program over again. No wonder we keep making befuddled mistakes and writing snippy emails.

Rest your mind with intention and you’ll find it renewed and resulting in clarity.

Finding Rest

Going back to the title of this post, how do we FIND rest amidst the chaos. I’m not even sure if I directly answered it at this point. Probably, but I’ll summarize it for myself and you. You must intently search for it, claim it, and revel in it every chance you get. Pencil it in when needed, linger in moments when you can, and recharge yourself through it. Because it is essential for us to rest, our bodies need it – they crave it – but in a world that praises hustle and busyness we often don’t give it.

I don’t have any scientific facts (although I’m positive there are some), or some psychological analysis, but I do have my own personal experience I can speak from. And I find myself with better relationships, higher quality work, and an all around happier lifestyle when I seek rest on a daily basis.

Do you have a favorite form of rest? I hope you share it with the readers below.  And if not, I pray that you find what works for you and enjoy the benefits that come with it.

Rooting for you,
Hannah