I teach writing to college students, and about this time in the semester, they are getting really tired. Students apologize to me after class for being disconnected during our discussion, because they were up all night trying to finish assignments after four midterms and they’re exhausted. Many of my students are experiencing their first year in a truly academically challenging environment, and the shock can be great.

Luckily, I feel rather sympathetic to their plight. My undergraduate degree was very difficult and stressful, and I’m in the throes of completing my M.A. thesis right now, so I am in some ways experiencing the same stress as they are.

The difference between many of my students and me (besides age and education level, of course) is that I’ve learned, painfully, how to manage my time more skillfully. I keep detailed calendars and meticulous to-do lists, and though I still forget things or procrastinate, I can generally keep on top of deadlines. I’ve also learned to avoid leaving things until the last minute, disciplining myself to set a deadline a day before the “real” deadline to write my articles or do my work. I’m not less busy, but I am a bit less frazzled.

However, all this attention to getting things done has had an unwanted effect on my life of which I’ve become more aware lately. I have not developed a discipline of relaxation. Since beginning graduate school two years ago, I have (rather strictly) kept Sunday free of work, but I find myself unable to take time for refreshment during the week, or feeling guilty when I do take that time. If I’m not spending every waking moment working on some project or another, I feel as if I am simply not doing enough.

I know this sounds like one of those “weaknesses” you are supposed to name when interviewing for a job (”What is your greatest weakness?” “I am too focused on success!”), but I’m struggling to fruitfully recognize that it is a deeper issue. I still have many questions, though. How do I learn to rest each day, and yet not grow lazy? What is the proper place of rest in my life? How can I cultivate a discipline of relaxation and enjoyment? How can I be faithful in how I choose to fill my relaxation time? In the words of one who has had great influence on my life, how should we then play?

What is the proper place of relaxation in our daily lives? What has God taught you about the discipline of rest?