It can be a habit to stay in the mode of taking care of everyone else and letting sneaking in a nap to refuel being a win, but that is about surviving. Though getting a massage or pedicure is a treat, we need good daily self-care to have more to give. It is about taking care of your physical, emotional and spiritual needs. First, we will review a short list of needs followed by some time saving tips.
You know the drill for Physical Needs:
✔️ Get your daily nutritional needs met (9-13 cups of fruits & veggies of all colors) and make healthy choices for food
✔️ Hydrate
✔️ Exercise (include taking a class like Zumba that exercises the brain by learning new steps)
✔️ Get 15-30 minutes of sunshine and fresh air on arms and legs, or take a good Vitamin D3 supplement
✔️ Get 7-8 hours of sleep, preferably starting about 10 PM
Emotional Needs:
✔️ Care for your appearance
✔️ Socialize with friends, family
✔️ Be connected with a community
✔️ Work on personal development (reading, hobbies, classes, network marketing) setting growth goals
✔️ Contribute talent and skills to bless others.
Spiritual Needs:
✔️ Prayer and praise time
✔️ Scripture study
✔️ Journaling, including what you are thankful for
✔️ Community worship
✔️ Unplugging from technology and getting into God’s creation/nature
All of this is easily said, but the demands on time is a factor in the first place, so here are some tips you may not have considered.
• Schedule time for good self-care so it gets into practice. Include calendaring dental cleans, physical check-ups, a vacation and a retreat that is about renewal.
• Make a standard to turn off the digital devices by 9PM and in bed by 10. The hours asleep before midnight are worth double in quality. Have a routine that serves you. Consider adding affirmations to read before you go to sleep and when you wake up. Being well rested you can get up earlier and have that quiet prayer time.
• Walking is a good exercise. Turn it into a time to listen to a podcast or audible book, or make call a friend while you are also getting sunshine. If the house needs some cleaning, crank up the music to make step up your moves and get the heart rate up. Find a fun exercise you love to do too (skating, tennis, badminton…), that is both physical and emotional care!
• Become familiar with the popular Instant Pot and collect favorite recipes. It really does cook in a fraction of the time, and steam is a healthier mode of cooking. I love soup, and will make a big batch and freeze in Souper Cubes, so I can have homemade soup for lunch during the week.
• Have cut up veggies (carrots, celery, cauliflower, broccoli) with a healthy dip or hummus for an easy to grab snack
• Keep your fruit bowl stocked, it is the ultimate fast food!
• If you have unhealthy habits, make a plan to substitute it with a healthier one.
• Become a label reader, if it has nonfood ingredients or added sugar, don’t buy it and you won’t eat it!
• Delegate when you can. When its time to stock your pantry, what about hiring a shopping/delivery service. Hire someone to clean your house. Enlist help from others in your household to divide up tasks.
• Get tips on being organized, have everything in its place as you go along. You may need to plan to declutter drawers, closets. Have too much email? there are programs that help manage email Have a place to write a list of projects that need to be done so you can prioritize them and make a plan.
• Limit time on social media, that can easily be a time drain. Some people find their day of rest includes putting their cell phones away for part of Sunday.
• Look for creative stimulation, a concert, dance performance, art show or museum, make the effort to find a clean comedy show—we need to laugh more.
Self-care goes beyond adding into one’s routine good care, it is also about attending to our needs as they arise to maintain our well-being. It could be that you have been rushing and need a brief break to slow down, or you feel spent and need time to do nothing. You may need to reassure yourself that it’s okay to take the time to care for you. Self-care isn’t selfish. We are to love our neighbor as our self, so the more we love ourselves we can have more love to give.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12
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