Mental Health Days

Contemporary life is littered with interruption, frustration and both simple and complicated bother. Yet, the stimulus has always been there. Though convenience is closer at hand, today’s world has ironically brought us ever-proximal to stress, anxiety and overload.

How do we reconcile and conquer the noise that threatens to drown out what could be an otherwise peaceful life?

Balance is nine parts choice of wisdom and one part God’s graceful provision—for some are just under the pump right now, despite their need of relief and choice for it without opportunity.

Let’s deal with choice.

Choose to Covet Less

It’s a drive for more that sees us with less time. The too-much-is-never-enough philosophy of life is short-sighted and ignorant of obvious warning. Still, if it’s a choice how busy a life we lead, it’s a choice to see (or not see) the warnings to burnout. Many choose ignorance to their eventual peril.

Some are bent on their responsibilities and there are a few that must endure the time. Most of us aren’t in this position, however. Those assertive of their need of renewal can find a way to it, but it will involve less of what we typically desire.

Sacrifice is the price of balance.

Features of Mental Health Days

Besides the fact that every day (as far as possible) should be adopted as a mental-health-positive-day, there should be regular excursions from the busy life into the sanctuary of aloneness with God.

This is the practice of doing something personally reviving and inspiring.

This is not about going to the gym for a workout (though it could involve that) or gardening (without precluding it). It’s not ticking off the ‘to do list’ because that’s work, again, hurrying at our spirits. The aim is to have done our work, so rest is ably enjoyed and no thought of work consumes us. It’s even better to rest before work.

Plans for the best of life should factor in a day off per week—however creatively packaged it is—the principle of Sabbath. It is not ‘fat’ in our schedules to squeeze more out of. It’s to be kept sacred.

Activating Mental Health Days – Avoiding the Pandemic of This Age

Many seem hapless in avoiding a common outcome of life—ill-health as a cost of surrendering to life’s convenience and want-of-acquisition. One’s borne from laziness, the other from greed.

Activating mental health days assists prevention of the modern pandemic strangling Westernised societies around the world.

Let’s remember the nature of today’s dual-temptation: convenience and acquisition—they’ll be the wrecking of us without a fight back for discipline and balance. Wisdom is the king of these; creating discipline and redeeming balance.

© 2011 S. J. Wickham.

Graphic Credit: Private Party.