Have you said, “I’m too busy to take care of myself?” If so, eventually you will be too sick to be busy. Read that again.
Taking care of yourself includes body, mind and spirit. This is the foundation of well-being and it fuels everything you do. You’ve heard the saying, ‘you can’t pour from an empty cup.’ It’s not just a saying, it’s fact. Taking care of self creates more energy which leads to greater productivity, more effectiveness, less stress and overwhelm. It helps you to feel better about yourself – all of which leads to better health!
In our age, many people wear being busy as a badge of honor. It’s not.
In fact, chronic busyness can be code for taking care of everybody else but yourself. It could also signal lack of boundaries or hiding behind all the things you do to mask something you are avoiding. Perhaps emotional pain?
Without intentionality, the different quadrants of life can tend to blend and overlap; especially when one quadrant is particularly demanding, it can infringe on another. An example is telling yourself, ‘As soon as I finish this big project, I’ll start taking better care of myself.’ The problem is it never ends. Projects, demands, requests, others, there’s no limit to the number of distractions that rob our time.
I teach about making priorities for what matters most to you. Boundaries are essential too. Think of boundaries and priorities like a fence around yourself and what matters most to you. You get to choose what comes inside your fence and it aligns with your values and purpose. That means, not everything is invited inside. Some things are good but not best and this too requires saying a polite no to some people or activities. It takes courage and focus to be diligent about protecting your fence but you won’t be sorry!
As we know, time is a precious commodity and we have a finite amount that can never be taken back. This requires a high form of stewardship of time which includes taking care of yourself. Even Jesus rested and took care of himself. He excused himself from the masses and even from his inner circle (the disciples) to go away by himself and pray. We can use this as an example in our own lives. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is not a waste of time. Self-care is essential to health, effectiveness, and longevity.
Self-care includes getting enough sleep, eating nourishing meals by fueling your body with essential nutrients and avoiding junk or unhealthy substances. You know what that is. Taking care of yourself and stewarding your health honors God who created you.
Do you not know your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Cor. 6:19-20
Some Ideas for Self-Care:
- 5-minute breathing practice.
- Going to bed 30 minutes earlier.
- Drinking more water.
- Taking a short walk outdoors.
- Preparing one nourishing meal.
- Listening to worship music or journaling a scripture.
Schedule Your Self-Care:
- Treat self-care appointments like you would any other commitment.
- Use the “one thing” method—what one small thing can I do for myself today?
- Add it to your planner—what gets scheduled gets done.
Call to Action:
- Ask: “Where am I running on empty?”
- Commit to one self-care habit you will do this week.
Good health is built upon one small, loving decision at a time!
In love and health,
Terri
