“One of the most important things you can do is to create a nurturing environment for yourself so you can enjoy a peaceful start to your day. When everyone else rises for the day, you are moving in the peace and calmness that you have set.”
Min. Patricia Witherspoon Dyer.
According to Wikipedia, self-care is taking care of oneself with behaviors promoting a healthy and active lifestyle. With so much calling for our attention, family, church, businesses, careers, and life in general, the danger is putting ourselves at the very bottom of the list.
The ‘Oxygen mask analogy’ clearly depicts the danger of neglecting ourselves. When you are in an airplane, when the oxygen masks drop down, you are required to put yours on first before you can help others. If you choose to attend to others before you, you will eventually faint and not be in a position to help.
If you neglect your temple, you cannot deliver excellence in your sphere of influence. Self-care is a beautiful gift that allows us time to appreciate ourselves. God after His work of creation rested on the 7th day. We are to set aside dedicated time to rest, re-energize and rejuvenate. Is self-care complicated? Absolutely not.
Let me point out the 7 main pillars of self-care:
- Recreational-Take time out to engage in some fun activity after a busy week for instance. Tap into your hobbies and talents and it sure doesn’t hurt to engage in some new exciting experiences.
2. Social– Whose company do you enjoy having around you? Which social events spark a light within you? Please think about these and make sure you include social times or moments with friends and family.
3. Mental– Keep a journal and dedicate some time within the day to pour your heart out in this way. Journaling is a refreshing activity and it helps you introspect and think through your day objectively, appreciating every little experience you have gone through or are yet to go through.
4. Spiritual– I love me a good me and Jesus time. I actually get to praise dance or flag during these times! Isn’t it amazing? In this extremely busy world, we most often than not focus on the physical and the material, neglecting our spiritual lives. Meditation, sitting quietly in His presence, and having a dedicated devotion time helps.
5. Emotional– Our emotional well-being is fundamentally important because come to think of it, how you relate with those around you is directly proportional to the state of your emotions. You can take time and unwind under very beautiful songs that you really love or affirm yourself with words from scripture. Shower yourself with love for the sake of those you care about.
6. Physical– Good exercise, a healthy meal, and intentionally taking time to focus on your personal care, which is a big boost for your physical well-being. How you appear tells a lot about you, but it all starts from the inside and blooms outside.
7. Environmental– Let us talk about the most assumed pillar of self-care. Your environment; your home, your place of work, your garden, where you lay your head to rest. Any space that surrounds you, and you are constantly in has to be peaceful and well-maintained for you to function at your best. Spaces and places around you should be neat, well decorated, and have a touch of you here and there.
When you start your day with a little self-care, you will discover that you feel better and become more energetic to do all the things you are called to do. The joy of the Lord will be your strength. Self-care also creates an atmosphere that is nurturing and peaceful, reminding us that we are important and we are God’s treasured possessions. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself is a call to self-care because we cannot draw from an empty cup. We cannot love others if we do not shower ourselves with love. It starts with you first, then it trickles down to those around you, and voila! Ripple effect!
Make self-care a priority starting today and bless yourself with a copy of ‘Pearls’ loaded with wisdom nuggets on how to make self-care a daily routine.
