A pewter sky threatens rain, and I stand at the window as the little one calls from the living room. He wants to know what we’re doing for fun today. I’ve been thinking about establishing healthy rhythms lately, and one of our favorite rhythms is time in the woods together.
“Let’s head to the creek,” I declare, and within minutes, we’re strolling down the road.
“Better hurry up. It might rain, Mom,” he urges.
I feel anxious as I pick up the pace, but I catch myself immediately. Several years ago, I decided I was done hurrying—once and for all.
“A little rain won’t hurt us,” I tell sweet Aiden. He makes a comment about melting, and we both laugh.
Much to our delight, the rain holds off. We spend an hour throwing rocks into the creek and driving his toy trucks through the sand. The forest is quiet and smells like damp leaves and soil. It smells alive and free, and I feel nourished and blessed.
Tiny spatterings of rain have just started falling as we make our way home and sit by the window with our lunches. As the raindrops race down the windowpane, I consider the rhythms of this day and the other rhythms that are helping me connect with God, enjoy my life, and overcome stress.
Healthy Rhythms to Cultivate Joy
If you’d like to establish healthy rhythms throughout your days as well, these five rhythms might help you.
1. Refuse to hurry.
The healthiest rhythm I have found throughout the past few years is the rhythm of the un-rushed life. A few years ago, I decided to quit hurrying, and this commitment has transformed my life. I am far less stressed. I’m attentive to the presence of God with me as well as the presence of others. I snap at my kids far less often. Peace abounds in my life.
If you often find yourself in a hurry, consider fasting from hurrying for one day or one week. You might be surprised by the change you see in your life.
2. Enjoy.
Our heavenly Father enjoys us. He wants us to learn to enjoy him, and he wants us to learn to enjoy the good gifts he has given us. After slowing down, the next invitation is to find simple reasons to give thanks—gifts to relish.
God invites us to enjoy the people he has placed in our lives, the homes in which we live, the food he gives us to eat, and the work of our hands. I’m learning to slow down and enjoy my children’s shining blue eyes and freckled noses. I’m learning to pull off along the road to admire sunsets and pick wildflowers. The gifts surround us. God invites us to relish the gifts.
3. Spend time in nature.
Time in nature restores the body and the soul. Science supports these claims, with studies showing that time in nature reduces sympathetic nerve activity, improves immune functioning, and even decreases stress hormones.
Even a ten-minute walk beneath open skies can be helpful. For more on spending time in nature (ideas as well as benefits), join me right here.
4. Fuel your body wisely.
It’s easy to eat on the go without taking time to think about the fuel we’re putting into our bodies. There’s nothing wrong with occasional fast food or a serving of junk food from time to time, but our bodies need good fuel to run efficiently.
I’m learning to be more deliberate about the fuel I put into my body. I carry healthy snacks like nuts and protein bars in the car so that I avoid unhealthy impulse purchases when feeling hungry. Our bodies thrive on healthy rhythms when it comes to the food we eat. By creating healthy food rhythms, we eliminate decision fatigue and create structure that provides freedom from obsession over food.
Most days, my healthy food rhythms include four small meals per day. Each meal is similar from day to day. I eat similar ratios of proteins, carbs, and fats from one day to the next, and this rhythm helps my body function and feel well. It also frees me from obsessive thoughts about what I’m going to eat and when I’m going to eat it. When I eat in this way, food is a gift to enjoy and not an idol that consumes me.
5. End your day with a bedtime routine.
In my previous post, I wrote about morning routines that set our days up for success (read it here). Similarly, ending the day with a consistent routine sets us up for peaceful rest and a better tomorrow. Consider ending your day with the same routine every day. For me, this includes reading the Bible, reading a book that challenges me to grow in my faith, and talking to God before drifting off to sleep. Ending the day with this routine helps me process any wounds from the day, sleep deeply, and wake feeling rested.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by Shahariar Lenin from Pixabay
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