I’m taking a Secular Sabbath this Weekend

I had a conversation with my old friend (and former Daily Jolt Co-Founder/ current MoveOn Campaign Director) Noah T. Winer this past weekend that made me think more about the value of regular rest and reflection.

I told him how it was really hard for me not to think about the projects I’m working on almost all of the time, and Noah talked about the calm and energy he got from taking a day off every week to disconnect, relax, meditate, and think.

Shortly after our conversation, I came across an NYT article about Secular Sabbath, and decided to try it. The concept of a day of rest exists in many religions, and logically I bet there’s a healthy reason for it.

So today I’m leaving work a little early so that I can run an errand and make it home before sun down. Then I’ll turn off my phone and my computer, and won’t buy anything, use anything that requires electricity or fire, or do anything that could be termed “useful work” until sundown on Saturday.

I may visit friends… though I’m not sure how I’ll do that without being able to arrange it in advance or use Google Maps. :) I’ll probably read and go enjoy the outside.

Update: Notes from my first secular sabbath

In researching Sabbath, I was surprised to learn Blue laws are still in effect in many parts of the United States, barring all sorts of things–liquor sales, commerce, hunting…–on Sundays as a state-instituted day of rest. I think that’s dumb. Also, Paramus, NJ, which has the zip code with the highest retail sales in the country, also has some of the most strict laws against commercial activity on Sundays. Go figure.