In the ancient Jewish scriptures, God created the world in six days then rested on the 7th. He then commanded those who followed Him to do the same, creating the Sabbath. Sundown Friday to sundown Saturday was meant to be a day of rest, contemplation, prayer, and reflection. The custom has since been observed by faithful followers of Christianity and Islam; and similar practices exist among believers as varied as Buddhists and the Baháʼí.
Of course, the acknowledgment of the need for rest is not solely the domain of the spiritually faithful. Ancient Romans had their nundinae. The French revolutionary calendar called for one day of leisure in every ten. Henry Ford adopted something akin to a five day work week in his factories, and the labor movement got the federal government to institute a five day, 40 hour workweek and (by convention) two day weekend in the United States in 1940.
But it’s fair to say that for many these practices have faded. Mobile technology including laptops and phones have made many workers available 24/7, and the post-COVID advent of remote work has exacerbated a trend where many simply don’t know how or when to stop working. When we do stop working, we often engage in anything but rest and contemplation. We are glued to mobile phones. We book weekends busy with kids’ sports, birthday parties, community service, and side hustles. And while many of these activities are excellent in isolation, they prevent us from observing a day (or even a few hours) of rest.
Unsurprisingly, this has created a society that is frayed and frazzled. This omnipresent world of digital distraction has crippled our ability to concentrate deeply. Sleep related problems affect 50-70 million Americans, and lack of sleep is associated with problems as wide ranging as obesity, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and substance abuse. Overwork itself can lead to lack of sleep, coronary artery disease, neglect of exercise and relationships, and substance abuse. And in a global society that is now always connected and always on, we are less happy and more stressed out than at any point since measurements of these conditions started.
We know rest, contemplation, reflection, and relationship would help us. We know we should shut off our phones and shut down work. And yet, most of us do not.
I’ll admit that I too am plagued by this problem. I’m inconsistent about taking a day of rest each week. I once had great phone habits but lately do not. And the quiet times I attempt to carve out daily and weekly are often interrupted or superseded by a work or family obligation. So, what’s the answer? Here are a few practices that might help.
Observe an actual Sabbath: Harvard professor Clay Christensen was a devout Mormon, and as such, steadfastly observed a Sabbath. In his life-changing article, “How will you measure your life” he talks about how it was difficult at times to maintain this observance. He played basketball in school and had to miss critical Saturday games. And yet, in his words, he found it was easier to maintain the habit 100% of the time than 99% of the time and stuck to the Sabbath as a lifelong ritual. What would it look like for you to take one day fully off? To not check email? To not do work? Perhaps, even, to eschew kids sports or yardwork in favor of family time, fun, prayer, meditation, and reflection. This may look different for different people. For some, this time may include a workout or run or a softball game with friends. For some it might be a day to genuinely stop everything. But even contemplating the practice, determining the rules you will follow, and beginning to observe them can change your life.
Practice a digital sabbath: Shutting down Saturday girls soccer games and Sunday gardening too much for you? Perhaps, in lieu of a full Sabbath, you might consider a digital sabbath. Recently, I’ve been (inconsistently) trying to leave by phone off and in a drawer one day a week on weekends, and I’ve found the practice liberating. When I worry I might be missing something important, I try to remember that before around 2003 I didn’t even have a mobile phone (much less a smart phone) and for something like 20,000 years humans didn’t have anything “digital” or telephonic at all. The hurdle to a digital sabbath is actually quite low. It’s a habit you could practice this Saturday or Sunday without much thought at all. It’s probably worth a try.
Make room for rest, reflection, and contemplation daily: While a full day sabbath is wise and important, so is daily disconnection. For me (when I’m at my best), this looks like a quiet time for religious observance each morning, engaging fully with my family at dinner and bedtime, and finding periods of time throughout the day when I leave my phone behind. For others, it may look like meditation, regular exercise, reflection, journaling, or something similar. But, whatever your approach, carving out time to disconnect from the stressors of work and reconnect with purpose and contemplation can improve your day-to-day.
Leave the phone outside your bedroom: Do you check your phone last thing before you go to bed and first thing when you wake up in the morning? Have you ever gotten an email right before sleep that caused you anxiety or early in the morning that caused you to dread the day? Have you foregone opportunities to spend time with your partner at night while staring numbly at your phone or tablet? Perhaps It’s time to leave the phone behind. What would it look like for you to store your phone in your office or kitchen at 7:00 or 8:00 each night and to pick it up only when you’re ready to start work? Could you buy an old fashioned alarm clock to wake you up each morning and sleep and wake like it’s 1999? Do you think it might help to protect 9-10 hours per day where you’re not even tempted by the lure of your device? If so, what’s the harm in trying tonight?
Many religious faithful believe rest so important that even God observed it. If Sabbath is good enough for the creator of the world, perhaps it’s good enough for you. And in an “always on” society, the most rejuvenating and countercultural thing you do is find moments to turn off.
Thanks for reading. You know what really might make good Sabbath reflection? The HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose, of course! Check it out and leave a review
Is a Sabbath still relevant?
It's been a big part of my leadership journey wrestling with Sabbath. Robert Morris' book "Take the Day Off" was profoundly helpful if you've not read it. Heschel's "Sabbath" is a master class, but I found Morris' work much more bullseye for me. It was really tested in early days of pandemic crisis.
Kind of like the battle of quiet time or "giving," a friend once asked, "Do you believe God can do more with 6 days surrendered to him than you can with 7 in silent rebellion and self-sufficiency? Can God bless 23 hrs of a day more than you can engineer out of 24 lived out of self? Can God meet needs and bless through surrendered stewardship more than you can through scarcity-based withholding?"