Waking up in the middle of the night, the feeling of being overwhelmed, anxiousness, and getting sick are all common signs of restlessness.

Restlessness is this feeling or need to constantly move and this inability to settle or sit still. 

As humans, we are naturally wired and created to work but as much as we are working we should be making time to rest just as much.

Rest is a gift that our God created and gave us to help replenish our souls from working. 

Genesis 2:2-3 states “ On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”

This scripture is a great model to follow and truly reveals the importance of rest. God himself even rested after creating the Earth in six days, so it’s definitely essential that we should rest as well. 

Here are 5 Ways to Help With Restlessness: 

1. Find Rest in Jesus 

Are you relying on yourself too much instead of relying on Jesus  ?

Restlessness can come in many forms and one of those ways is by putting too much on ourselves. 

Matthew 11:28 states, Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

We were not created to carry and handle so much by ourselves.  Jesus wants to help us with our burdens and the heavy lifting that comes with them. 

For instance, when you go work out and lift weights that are extremely heavy, it’s usually good to have a spotter that can help you with the heavy lifting. The spotter provides a lot of support and relief that makes lifting this load a lot easier than if you did it by yourself. 

In that same way, Jesus wants to be your spotter and help you carry and lift all your troubles, worries, and mishaps to him.

Jesus wants to be the foundation for you to fall on during challenging times and not on yourself. 

Learn to make it a habit to go to Him whenever  you are feeling overwhelmed or overly consumed with work or life. He wants to provide support and guide you through the heavy load you may be trying to carry. 

2. Empty Your Mind 

Do you make time to process your thoughts ? 

Sometimes just our thoughts alone are enough to keep us up at night. It is so important to make time to slow down and pay attention to what’s going on up there. 

Proverbs 3:13  states,  “Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.”

This scripture shows us the blessing of seeking God and others for wisdom and insight instead of keeping our thoughts bottled in.

Be vigilant with making time to empty your mind to help process your thoughts and filling it back up with God’s truth. This helps prepare and protect you from the enemy’s attacks of  filling your mind with lies. 

Some great ways to empty your mind are by going to therapy, journaling, and speaking with a friend. Then be sure to fill back up your mind with truths and thoughts that give you peace through prayer, reading the Bible, an insightful book, encouraging words from a friend, or listening to a good uplifting song. 

3. Take Care of Your Temple 

What are you feeding your body ? 

Maybe the reason you are feeling restlessness, is due to what you are putting into your body. We must remember that our bodies are only as good as we treat them.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  states, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

In this scripture, it speaks to how our bodies are precious and are homes of the Holy Spirit. It is our responsibility to nourish and take care of the temples that God gave us spiritually, mentally, and physically. 

For instance, food is a major fuel that our bodies need to keep going but the wrong food can have you crash fast. It’s probably not the wisest decision to eat ice cream and candy before you go to bed because it can possibly cause crazy dreams and keep you up at night. 

Social media, secular music,watching  T.V,  and overworking  are just a few other things that you could be filling your temple with that could possibly be causing restlessness.

Instead, try being more intentional with your temple by feeding it with good things like God’s word, healthy foods, vitamins, non secular music, wise counsel, or books full of knowledge to help grow and empower the Holy Spirit inside of you. 

4. Praying and Fasting 

Have you been approaching your restlessness with your spiritual eyes ? 

Sometimes our restlessness is a signal that we are in desperate need of a spiritual breakthrough. Prayer and fasting are both great ways to make room for God to cause a spiritual breakthrough in our lives.  

 Joel 2:12 states, “ That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” 

Both prayer and fasting puts us in a position to surrender our flesh and our situation to God. Be sure to make time to pray and fast so God can give you clear direction and insight about whatever is causing you not to rest. 

5. Go to Sleep

Are you physically resting by going to sleep ? 

Sometimes the issue of restlessness can be solved through the simple solution of going to bed to get some good rest.

Psalms 127:2 states, “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”

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This scripture challenges us to think about our reasons for working so much. It’s so easy to follow the hustle culture of today that makes it seem if you don’t work hard you won’t eat good, but God does not operate that way.

Yes, God wants us to work for what we believe in because faith without works is dead, but there also comes a point where we have to rest in knowing that God will come through for us.

Resting helps us trust God more and a big part of that rest is getting some sleep.

Learn to rest in Him and trust He will provide and meet your every need while you sleep. 

I pray this blog blessed you and helped you with any restlessness you may be experiencing.