7th Day Reboot Program
“I like being busy and juggling a lot of things at the same time. I get bored easily, so I need to do a lot,” Said Ellen DeGeneres. Every day we are inundated with messages, meetings and social media. Texting, e-mails and phone calls fill our day. While we can physically rest, it is challenging at times to let our mind rest. We try to take the weekend off, but often return to work on Monday morning, feeling tired and scattered.
Research has shown that we need to take the time to restart and refuel when our tank is low. However, at times, our tanks can be running on empty. We simply cannot operate at optimum 7 days a week.
In a recent review of research, Mary Helen Immordino-Yang of the University of Southern California and her co-authors, agree that “when we are resting the brain is anything but idle and that, far from being purposeless or unproductive, downtime is essential to mental processes that affirm our identifies, develop our understanding of human behavior and to make sense of what recently happened.” Resting the brain is an essential quality for rejuvenation.
According to Devian Franklin, we need to take one day off each week, to recharge ourselves. It will help us recharge, refresh and prepare for the next week, while reducing stress.
Hence the 7th day reboot program was started in which participants take one day off each week and do 4 activities:
- No work
- Nix shopping or errands
- No cleaning or chores around the house
- Nix social media - it keeps us connected and can cause stress
Does this sound too good to be true? Now that we have all this free time, what do we do with it?
Use this one day to recharge and renew for your week.
- Take 1 hour and do anything you want to do for yourself. Spend time with family or friends to reconnect, watch a movie, learn something new or exercise.
- Spend 1 hour outdoors and enjoy nature. Go for a walk, hike or run, ride your bike or play mini golf with the Grandkids.
- Enjoy a power nap.
- Read a book or meditate.
- Cook with love and experience 1 new ingredient. Good health begins with good food.
- Write in your journal – Who I am, what do I want to do and plan how to get there.
A friend of mine started the 7th day reboot program last Sunday. After worship, she went out for breakfast with friends, walked outdoors for an hour, followed by a 20-minute nap. Upon waking up, she read a best seller book for an hour and then cooked a recipe using the spice mace. She watched the classic movie, Anne of Green Gables in the evening and did not touch social media. There were no problems sleeping and she felt refreshed and energized on Monday morning.
Try it out and see how it works for you!
