How Rest is Helping Me Lose Weight in a Healthy Way
Read aloud while kids fold laundry or eat a meal. My kids always take longer to eat, so at lunch on weekdays I read a chapter of the Bible, and sometimes during dinner if I’m too tired for questions or antics, I’ll read a book to the kids. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, Sarah Mackenzie has the BEST booklists for all ages and themes. I also have a collection of favourites in my Amazon store. Right now I’m re-reading Wind in the Willows and am incorporating a variety of (quite appalling) English accents for the different characters. 5 Minutes: Read a poem from an anthology you keep near the table or a chapter of the Bible if that’s your bent. 15 Minutes: Read a chapter of a longer book or a whole picture book.
Try sketching from life, a photograph, or a piece of well-known art while music, an audio book, or a podcast plays. Even if you don’t believe you have an artistic bone in your body, training your eye to observe and your hand to follow is an excellent skill that can help you slow down. Sometimes we sit in our living room and pick something to sketch, other times we sit at the table and copy a famous piece of artwork. And still others we crack open our watercolours in the garden and paint our nature finds. 5 Minutes: Flip open a small notebook or sketchbook and do a continuous line drawing of a simple item from your home. 15 Minutes: Sketch a nature find using a 2B pencil to create shading, shadows, and contrast. Keep a sketchbook, pencil, and eraser in a draw or on a desk nearby for easy access.
Set a beautiful table with table cloth, cloth napkins, and the nicest dishes you own. One of my daughters asks almost weekly if she can set the table with all the prettiest things. She adds little decorative pieces and elements from nature to make it extra-special. There’s something about sitting down to a well-laid table that helps us all slow down and savour both the meal and the time together. The meal, by the way, doesn’t need to be fancy, and rarely is in our house. It’s the atmosphere that matters in this case. Light a candle, pull up a playlist, and feel your nervous system reset! 5 Minutes: Light a candle, pull up a play list, and utilise one nice dish or piece of table linen. 15 Minutes: Have one person finish up the meal prep while another sets a full table. It doesn’t matter which meal you choose or if it’s a quick
Take a walk. Early in the morning or later in the evening can help reset your circadian rhythm. Around the neighbourhood can provide the opportunity to connect with those you know. Out in nature can lead to a special wildlife sighting or curious find that can lead to you bringing the outside in. With your family or a friend can encourage conversation that flows more easily when not face to face. Alone offers the chance to reflect, pray, or meditate.
Play a game, experiment with a musical instrument, work on a puzzle. During the fall and winter we have a temporary table set up in one corner of our living room where there is usually a puzzle on the go. This is another great activity to do with good music or story-telling as the backdrop – either live or recorded. Some of our favourite 15 minute games with the kids are: Blockus, Skip-po, and Memory. We love this US National Parks version of Memory. If we have more time, the girls enjoy playing Scrabble with us and all three like playing chess with Will or with each other. Instruments available invite experimentation, collaboration, and creative expression. Since it’s mid-October, we’re now pulling out the Christmas sheet music so everyone can start practicing in time for the holidays.
