“You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday” (Psalm 91:5-6).

It may seem ridiculous to say, given the current state of the world, but: We have a serious problem.

OK, we have a lot of problems. But there’s one in particular that we need to address, and it’s fairly mundane.

I’m talking about acedia.

If you’re not familiar with this term, it’s Greek, and it means, “lack of care.”

Many of us start the workday full of good intentions. We have our devotionals, our coffee, and maybe we even squeeze in a workout before the day’s to-do list piles up. You start work driven to seize the day.

Then, you have a big lunch, or a soul-sucking Zoom meeting, and the motivated person you were this morning seems like a distant memory from another life.

That’s when you give in and grab a candy bar, snap at your co-worker, ignore the novena reminder on your phone, or cut corners on a project.

Beware the “Noonday Devil”

Our modern Christian understanding of acedia comes from the Desert Fathers — the early Christian monks and hermits. The spiritual restlessness and malaise they describe is a complex concept, and, indeed, whole books have been written on the subject. Essentially, the Desert Fathers explained acedia as the temptation peculiar to the time of day when a monk is bored: He feels dull because no one’s coming to visit him, and the time seems to creep by.

In this scenario, the monk feels his only relief can come from a nap or by visiting someone else, relying on them to entertain him. More bluntly, St. Thomas Aquinas called it “disgust with activity.”

Will Power: You’ll Need Something Stronger Than Coffee

Personally, I was thrilled to find out my afternoon slump had a name. I’m a morning person by nature, and I’d been struggling to verbalize my problems with the afternoon.

Once the midday blahs had a name, the challenge was clear: I had to overcome it.

Part of the solution, of course, is simply powering through. I have clients and deadlines. “I was experiencing a form of existential malaise” is not an excuse that’s going to fly (except maybe in France).

I decided to go to the source: Since monks identified and named the Noonday Devil, I reasoned, they must have the solution.

Prayer and Work

I’m going to share with you my acedia-busting reading list.

It’s too late for me to become a monk, due to accident of birth and my station in life as a married parent of three. Fortunately, these holy men have seen fit to share their wisdom with the rest of us, and the results, for me, have been life-changing, professionally and personally.

Strangers to the City, by Michael Casey

Casey, a monk of Tarrawarra, explains and makes accessible the Rule of Saint Benedict, the centuries-old model for monastic life. His chapter on the generative nature of work and our call to use our talents and affinities at the service of God and others is especially convicting.

Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence

A Carmelite monk who worked in the kitchen, Brother Lawrence has some great tips for keeping yourself on track despite the daily grind. By constantly checking in with God and offering every little thing out of love, Brother Lawrence was able to say, “The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees.”

A Mother’s Rule of Life, by Holly Pierlot

This one reads as if Brother Lawrence had written his book for moms — and also included charts. Pierlot is a stay-at-home mom of five on a farm on Prince Edward Island, so her book isn’t necessarily for everyone. However, we’ve all been staying at home a lot lately, and she has some amazing practical insights on how to replicate the monastic rule of Ora et Labora in your life.

Let Jesus Carry You Through the Afternoon

Give Jesus everything. He can handle it — really!

Feeling “Meh”? He cares, and He wants to help. Make the opening lines of Psalm 70 your prayer as soon as the temptation to acedia sets in: “Graciously rescue me, God! Come quickly to help me, Lord!”

In “A Mother’s Rule of Life,” Pierlot recommends offering even the most mundane activities for love of Jesus. Since work is generative, and everything can be prayer, she argues, you’re participating in God’s ongoing work of creation. If spreadsheets for Jesus doesn’t motivate you, I honestly don’t know what will.

“Give me the strength of your will,” I ask God when I feel the Noonday Devil approach. “Thy will be done!”

Maggie Phillips is a freelance writer and military spouse with three small children and an incredibly patient husband. Follow her work at mrsmaggiephillips.com and on Instagram at @maggies_words.