Here’s why a weekly vacation day is the remedy you’ve been looking for.  

I was insanely blessed to grow up in a house where every Saturday was like Christmas. Yummy food, lots of fun, time with family and friends, people took the day off from work, we went hiking, playing and made so many amazing memories. Many think Sabbath is a Jewish holiday - but it originated thousands of years earlier than Judaism.

Here are a few benefits and down below I’m going to connect the dots as to why they all lead to increase in longevity.

Stress Reduction: Engaging in regular downtime, as exemplified by a Sabbath, can significantly lower stress levels. Research indicates that breaks from routine work reduce cortisol levels and improve overall mood states[^1].

Improved Physical Health: A study from the University of California found that regular rest and detachment from work are linked to lower rates of chronic diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease, which are exacerbated by continuous stress and lack of rest[^2].

Enhanced Mental Clarity and Creativity: Neurological research has demonstrated that periods of rest contribute to better brain function, including enhanced creativity and problem-solving abilities[^3].

Sabbath is a weekly holiday to unplug from the rat race and reconnect with who matters - to Stop and Rest and Rejuvenate.

What does Sabbath have to do with Longevity?

The American Blue Zone (one of 5 places in the world Dan Buettner and National Geographic found to be living to 100 more than anywhere else), based in Loma Linda, California, was found to live about 11 years longer than the rest of the American population—not just longer but stronger and happier. These people are still hiking, biking, and swimming in their 80s, 90s, and 100s. 

The average lifespan in America is 77 years or 28,105 days in a lifetime. 

But what if someone took a vacation every week—in this case, once every seven days—throughout their life? What do you think happens with longevity for those who enjoy this weekly vacation? 

If you take that average life of 28,105 days—and every seven days someone takes a vacation—and treat that day like a vacation—i.e., unplug from all those notifications, spend time with friends or family, outside in nature, eat amazing meals—if someone did that once/week, you would see someone who would have taken 4015 days during their 77 years as a holiday or one-day-per-week vacation. 

But here’s where it gets neat—this group of individuals in this Blue Zone were the only ones whose longevity was not confined to a race, ethnicity, or a specific demographic.

The only common denominators were that they lived in Loma Linda, Southern California and that they took one day per week as a holiday, which they called - Sabbath, to reflect on and celebrate the beauty and creation of nature and humanity and to cherish community. 

So, if you take those 4015 days and divide them by 365 days, you would get 11 years. 

The exact amount of time this blue zone called the Seventh-day Adventists - lives longer than the rest of the American population. 

In other words, by taking one day per week to celebrate the Sabbath as a day of recreation and celebration of life, they end up living 11 years longer than the rest of society.

Takeaways: How to get the most of Sabbath

Work Hard to Rest Well: Getting the most out of the Sabbath takes planning. Its like Christmas - you are planning far in advance of the day it happens. Like a vacation, you don’t start planning the morning of.

Sabbath is 24/7: Ok so hear me out - how many times have you seen someone go on vacation only to - sleep?! What a waste of time and money right? To get the most out of the Sabbath, it means you balance yourself all week long and you don’t go screeching into the day completely exhausted with nothing to bring to the joy of being with family and friends and to enjoy any type of worship experience whether in a building or in the forest or at the beach. Walter Brueggemann says “people who keep sabbath live all seven days differently.”

It’s in our DNA: Take a journey down the rabbit hole called the Circaseptan rhythm. Here’s a fun article to read about the potential for optimal happiness hormones to peak on Saturdays. There are good arguments around why we have so many days in the year and minutes in a second etc but not as many on why we have a 7-day week. We see a case study in France when they tried to go to a 10-day week which failed in utter chaos. There’s something in us that seems wired for a 7-day cycle. There is perhaps no other strong argument for a 7-day cycle outside of the creation account in the book of Genesis.

Make it Memorable: Some of the greatest memories of my life are on Saturdays. My mom and dad poured their energy into making it the best day of the week and my wife and I have carried on the tradition and our little girl Ava without hesitation will tell you Saturday’s are her favorite day every week.

No Bastard Sabbaths: I read a line by the author Eugene Peterson about a typical ‘day off’ - a bastard sabbath. Why such strong words? Because most of us on our ‘day off’ - fill it with tasks, duties, catch up, and don’t ever get a true reset and refresh day like Sabbath was designed for.

Unplug: Your phone is a distraction dealer - you won’t die if you turn it off for a few hours or more.

Sabbath is a spiritual discipline that says “ I was created for more than the rat race. I deserve to enjoy life, friends, family, food, in a very intentional way every single week.”

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I’d love to hear your thoughts on the idea of Sabbath. 👋

I’m always looking for feedback. What would you like for me to cover? Anything in the newsletter you like or want to see more or less of?

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How Self-Doubt Can Become Your Superpower 

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna

Forgiveness May Be Your Missing Ingredient

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

[^1]: Smith, L. & Roberts, K. (2023). “Stress and Recovery in Professionals: The Health Impact of Weekly Rest.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

[^2]: Johnson, M. et al. (2022). “Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Work Breaks on Cardiovascular Health.” American Heart Journal.

[^3]: Turner, R. (2023). “Creativity and Rest: Neurological Insights into Detachment and Innovation.” Neuroscience Today.