Originally published on Substack on Sept. 25, 2026

“You can get up when the timer goes off,” I say as I set the timer on the dresser and exit my daughter’s room. She knows the drill by now. When the timer goes off in an hour, she and one of her brothers, who rests in the room with her, may go rouse their youngest brother and let him join them for quiet play. I’ve already tucked him into his toddler bed with a mile-high pile of books to flip through while he rests. Now three years old, he rarely naps.

I retreat to the living room and gratefully sink into the couch. I pick up my phone and quickly check my email. This is my time to catch up with the world.

Then I glance around me. Clutter from the morning’s play litters the floor, taunting me. Laundry piles beckon. The never-ending to-do list calls. “I should knock out that task while I can do it uninterrupted,” I think.

“No,” my body objects. “You need rest.”

I know it’s true. I tell my task-oriented brain that I’ve given myself permission to make nap time my rest time, too. Permission to recharge. Perhaps even–permission to thrive.

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Rest time is for the kids, right? Of course. Although my days of sleeping children in the afternoon are mostly over, they all do well with some time to read and play quietly. Everyone benefits. On the rare occasion we miss a rest time, it usually shows by dinner time. Time to slow down helps everyone without question.

Rest time also is for me—I need downtime. A few minutes to myself. A chance to pursue my own interests in those seemingly razor-thin margins. The list of ways I could use this time is endless. I’ve given myself permission to use it to care for myself.

I’ve loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember. Since I was capable of it, honestly. Over the years I’ve learned those things aren’t just hobbies for me, something I do when I have the time–if I do. I treated them that way for years. Instead, they are a form of soul care. They feed my soul and energize me in a way that’s more impactful than many other forms of “self-care.”

When I take time to read widely, work in some writing time, or pursue another hobby that brings me joy, I’m a better mom. I’m feeding my own soul, so I can pour myself out for my husband and children–and others–and have something to give.

To help me use my time wisely, I’ve dedicated rest times on certain days of the week to certain interests. Monday is writing day. If for some reason something else has to trump writing day on a Monday, then it moves to the next possible day. I’ve prioritized making time for writing because I recognize my enjoyment in it, my need to grow, and the need to write regularly instead of just waiting for inspiration to strike. I originally thought about scheduling my writing day for Friday, as a treat at the end of the week. I just as quickly realized I would be more likely to scrap it if I felt “behind” on something else from earlier in the week. By prioritizing it first, it’s much more likely to happen, even if other things have to fall to the wayside. Know thyself.

I also enjoy using rest time for reading. I typically have a few different books going at once. A work of fiction (usually read before bed), Christian nonfiction to help grow my walk with Christ, nonfiction to help educate me on a topic of my choosing (frequently history), nonfiction on parenting or homeschooling (continuing education of sorts), and a book on writing to help me grow my craft. I don’t always have each category going at once, but I will have at least a few going at a time. I set aside a few reading rest times a week and knock out a wide variety of books over time.

As a Christian, I know my soul only thrives when I am making regular time to spend with the Lord in God’s Word and in prayer a top priority. I try to do that in the morning, before the day gets started. If that doesn’t happen, time in the Word comes before anything else during rest time. I must spend time with God and tend my relationship with Him first.

Maybe reading and writing isn’t your thing. Choose something that invigorates you. Draw or paint, listen to music, play an instrument, watch a show, bake something yummy, play a game, work a puzzle, take a nap–find a way to engage in something rejuvenating that isn’t physically demanding. Spend a few minutes in restful play.

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Some days rest time is just something to look forward to for a few minutes of re-energizing soul care. Then there are days where I feel like I am barely holding it together until rest time, when I can let myself collapse on the couch and not move for a while. I also prioritize rest time because I need it physically. Raising and homeschooling three young children isn’t a sit-around-all-day kind of job. Throw in a couple of chronic vestibular conditions and non-anemic iron deficiency (working on that one isn’t as easy as it should be) and rest becomes a must. I can skip it here or there when necessary, but generally speaking, I need downtime every day in order to have energy for the second half of the day.

Add it all together and rest time is treated as essential in my home. I protect it. I try not to schedule appointments during that time. While it sometimes feels like a luxury, I’ve learned to give myself permission to treat it as a necessity.

As with anything else good in life, it is important to watch myself to make sure I’m not idolizing it. It’s great and beneficial, but sometimes life interrupts and there isn’t anything I can do about it. If I feel terribly bent out of shape when those disruptions occur, it can be a warning flag that I’m placing too much stock in my “me time.” Some days motherhood requires me to sacrifice that time to care for my children’s needs and do so with a heart to serve them well. Sometimes other responsibilities outside of motherhood call for my attention and I need to joyfully give of myself to those tasks, even if that work falls within rest time.

God designed rest. The Creator of the universe, who does not grow faint or weary (Isaiah 40:28), rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). He didn’t do that because he was so worn out from bringing the world into existence that he needed a break. God wanted to show us, his image-bearers, how we should pattern our lives. We reflect God, but we are not God. He is infinite, and we are decidedly finite. Our limits aren’t a design flaw. They’re intentional, something to embrace, not fight against or ignore. They’re meant to drive us to God.

Rest is one of the strongest statements of faith we can make. When we rest, we’re trusting that the one who does not rest will sustain us and provide for us. Acknowledging that the world will keep spinning on its axis, even when we take a break. We don’t have to keep going every waking moment. God will provide for our needs.

God invites us to rest. To rest in him spiritually, casting all our burdens on him (1 Peter 5:7), and to physically rest the finite bodies he created. He holds it out to us as a gift, not a reward we have to earn. Will we accept it as a loving, thoughtful present from an all-wise God and use it?

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I hear the beep of the timer, soon followed by my daughter’s footsteps in the hall. “Can we get up now?” she asks. “Yes,” I answer, setting aside my book and preparing to welcome my children into our afternoon rhythm. I’ll sit with them on the couch for a moment, then resume the to do list. Rest time is over, but I’m ready to take on the remainder of the day with a little more battery life after a quick recharge.

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Important note: What I’ve described is what works for me in my current season. Rest time won’t look the same for everyone! My hope is to encourage you to find something that works for you.

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post by Elizabeth Vanderhorst in the series “Permission.”