Rest. It’s such a little word but it’s actually a crucial part of our physical, mental, and spiritual health. So why is it so hard for us to prioritize something that is so important to our well-being?

Like many people in the workforce today, I often find myself being a “workaholic” and having little time to actually rest and relax. My job can be quite demanding mentally and sometimes physically when I need to be in two places at one time. So as I try to keep up with local stories, my weekly column, community events, board and city meetings, deaths and anything else that’s relevant to our local newspapers, I often sacrifice the very thing that can keep me going in all those areas – rest.

So why is it so hard to make time for rest and relaxation? Is it because in our always-working society we feel guilty if we need to take a break? It’s funny we will adjust our work schedules over and over again to make sure we get everything done even if that means going into the midnight hour but we won’t do that to make sure we get enough rest throughout the week. Yet we need to realize that we actually perform better when we get enough rest – a valuable lesson I’m still struggling to learn.

Experts recommend that the average adult needs 7-8 hours a night and that if they get less they are more likely to have more health issues. I average 4-5 hours and have watched my health decline rapidly over the last five years.

Even though I know caffeine cannot replace my sleep, I often resort to grabbing a cup of coffee or energy drink just to make it through the day. To say I’m not a morning person is quite the understatement of the year.

I know personally that when you don’t get enough rest when you’re tired, you will eventually crash hard because your body cannot keep up with all the demands we have today. There is literally too much technology right at our fingers to keep us checking our emails from work, texting or messaging people at all hours of the day and night, and we constantly have a phone in our hands so someone can reach us 24 hours a day.

However, whenever we stop and make a conscious effort to get more rest into our daily routines we begin to see all the added benefits.

Some of the benefits of getting enough rest include:

• Helps our heart health and weight management • Reduces stress and improves our mood

• Increases our attention span and boost our memory to learn more

• Reduces risk of injury and keeps our immunity strong

• Helps us get along better with people and be able to accomplish the tasks at hand So really the secret to our longevity and success in life is to habitually build ourselves up by getting a good night’s rest. We have to realize that we aren’t Superwoman or Superman and even God created a day of rest. He also created rest in each day.

But if we don’t rest well, the consequences of that lack of rest will follow us throughout the day. Plus we know prolonged sleep deprivation abuses our bodies, which is God’s creation, and that takes years off our lives. So if you want to run on God’s grace you better learn to run on more rest. I really want a fruitful life and not just a busy life, and so I know I can’t sacrifice my sleep to get ahead. Now I just need to put those practical principles into my busy schedule, realize I can do everything in one day and schedule myself enough time to rest each and every day. So with that being said, I’m going to go take a short nap and get a little extra rest.