- When your child is a prodigal.
- When your marriage is falling apart.
- When your doctor gives you a terrible diagnosis.
- When a loved one dies.
- When you lose a home, a job, or a friendship.
- When finances are tight, or non-existent.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
When you seek something other than Jesus for your joy, you've made that thing an idol.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Most of the moms I know who are stressed out and in desperate need of self-care are the same moms who insist that they simply don’t have time.
Between full-time work; distance learning with multiple children; running a household; building a business; supporting a husband; and being a friend, there just seems to be no time left at the end of the day.
I think a lot of the time, we equate self-care with taking a long bubble bath, or spending an hour at the gym.
What if I told you that some self-care activities could be done in just minutes, or even seconds?
If you find yourself too busy to commit to regular self-care, check out a few of these instant (or almost-instant!) self-care ideas.
1. Stretch
Stand up, put your hands on your back like they’re in your back pockets, and do a back extension. We spend so much time hunched over our computers, leaning forward over the stove, putting laundry away. This simple stretch is SO good for our backs! Then just raise your hands overhead and stretch upwards.
2. Drink water
The time it takes to get up and fill a glass of water, then drink it, can be used as just a minute to breathe. This also helps you to get a little more hydrated, which can do wonders for your mindset and health.
3. Check out the daily story on the Bible app
This is a new feature that has only just recently rolled out. It’s the verse of the day, a 1-3 minute video thought from a pastor or Bible teacher, a quick devotional to read, and then a 1-2 sentence prayer. It’s new every day, it’s not a plan that requires you to stay caught up, it takes only minutes, and it’s always refreshing. If you miss a day, it’s no big deal. You’re not behind, you just check out the story the next day.
4. Use a Stress Away roller
Stress Away is one of my favorite Young Living essential oil blends. I keep a roller in my purse to use any time I need it, and I diffuse it a LOT now being home all the time. If you’ve never used it before, I would be more than happy to send you a sample! Just one quick inhale of this blend and you feel like you’re transported to a tropical island.
5. Pet your dog or cat
Did you know studies show people with pets live longer? Why is that? Because spending a minute petting our furry family can slow our heart rate and release dopamine and seratonin, which regulates your mood and reduces stress. Just make someone else clean up the poop.
- Send a short Facebook message or text to check in on a friend
- Mail a hand-written letter or quick postcard
- Go for a quick, 5-10 minute walk
I also know that the idea of making sure you complete some kind of self-care can feel daunting and stressful in itself, because it’s just one more thing you “should” be doing. If none of these activities resonates with you, find something that DOES.
True self-care is taking care of yourSELF, not anyone else, so you need to find things that make you feel good. If you miss a day, don’t stress.
Just know that YOU are important. You can’t serve anyone if you’re stressed to the point of sickness. It’s imperative that you stay healthy, and one major component to this is finding whatever self-care works for you.
So tell me, if you had all the time and money in the world, what act of self-care would you choose?
I have been wracking my brain to think of how I can best serve and help you during this time when we're out of our normal routine and thrown into unusual circumstances. I met Deborah and loved how she infused self-care with energy, and I gratefully accepted her offer to guest post on the blog this week.
We all have demands on us that drain our energy. In fact, that is how humans are designed right? We put forth all day and then sleep hard at night!
But sometimes we struggle to really RESTORE ourselves and our energy.
The truth about Self Care that gets lost in pop culture is that it is more than getting massages, or treating yourself to a girls day, or taking the most amazing vacation ever.
Self Care is any intentional action we take that cares for our mind, body, spirit, or emotions. Using that as an outline, let's talk self care!
1. Care for Your Body.
It’s so easy to let caring for your body slide, especially if you don’t like what you see in the mirror. Out of sight, out of mind, you’ve got more important things to do right!??! Wrong!
Taking care of your physical needs is most important, because if you don’t, then you have nothing to give.
It’s so easy to recommend sleep to reenergize, but if you are a mama, sleep doesn’t just come!
So what are other, practical ways, to recharge you throughout the day?
Schedule yourself 10-20min to exercise: yoga, walking, bench pressing babies... 😊
Pause to rest your mind and body for 10 minutes.
Make your favorite smoothie.
Honor your physical space; cleaning can be a gift to yourself.
Celebrate one aspect of your body; this will lift your mood and improve your ability to care for it well.
2. Care for Your Mind.
Mental health is no joke and we see the effects of neglected mental health everywhere.
The truth is, our minds aren’t safe. At some point we can get so wrapped up in our own thoughts and beliefs it can be difficult to untangle them all without professional help.
The first step of good mental health is acknowledging where you are. Is postpartum still kicking your head? Are long, lonely days at home leaving you confused as to the day? Are you struggling with being a working mom, the battle between heart and need? You aren’t alone! So why stay alone?
Acknowledge out loud where you are mentally, telling your partner or a friend.
Remember to take time throughout your day to talk to other adults.
Make a list of topics or tasks that excite your brain, and make time to enjoy them.
Read books and write in a journal.
Remember to dream a little, set your inner creative free, down a happy path, and enjoy the ride!
3. Care for Your Spirit.
We don’t always like to think about our spiritual selves; religion might not be your thing, but you still have a soul.
In ancient Greek the word used is “Psuche” which means breath. The idea is that your spirit is your very breath, it is the core of who you are, and the ultimate purpose in your life. The Greeks also didn’t break humans down into these four parts, instead recognized that they are all one, all interconnected, and all valuable.
In neglecting your spirit, free, religious, or otherwise, you neglect a very important part of who you are and all you can be.
Make time for your daily religious practice.
Identify passions that you can live out every day within mom-life!
Identify your personal values; if you aren’t living in line with these values, you will have inner battles that are very draining. Living aligned with them, you will free up energy.
Take time to identify who you are now, and who you want to be growing forward, and embrace your true spirit!
4. Care for Your Emotions.
Emotions, feelings, are just information telling us about what is happening around and in us.
Because so much can change moment to moment, our feelings can often feel like a roller coaster.
Scientists have now begun to see how these feelings are stored in the cells of our bodies, trauma, anxiety, and such.
Remember that when you feel like you cannot care for your emotional world, that it's too overwhelming, psychotherapy can really help.
Crying is healthy. There is no shame in it. So have that good, cathartic cry.
When juggling multiple emotional worlds, remember your kids' emotions are theirs, they need to learn to process them. While it is your job to teach this, it's not your job to process it for them.
Make a habit to enjoy self-soothing practices, anything that calms and re-centers your emotional world.
Name your emotional need, and learn to identify what meets it, so that you can learn to ask for what you need.
Giggle, flirt, and celebrate life with your partner; it's easy to get bogged down in the emotional depths of life - pause to enjoy the fun parts, too.
Today’s guest blogger is Deborah Sprague, a Certified Professional Coach who delights in helping clients break through barriers and reach personal goals! Teaching others how to Self Care has long been a passion of hers, and her favorite ways of caring for herself are hiking; listening to music; viewing art; and enjoying healthy, delicious, food! She can be found encouraging you to self care on Instagram and Facebook @PsucheLife
How in the world are we supposed to know exactly which foods can give us the energy we need?
Breakfast:
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Watermelon
- Eggs
- Coffee and Green Tea
- Whole Grain Cereal
- Greek Yogurt
- Chia Seeds
Lunch and Dinner:
- Avocados
- Dark, leafy greens (Spinach, Kale, etc.)
- Quinoa
- Lentil
- Tuna Fish
- Beans
- Wild Salmon
- Lean Beef
Snacks:
- Dates
- Raw Almonds (no added oils or salt)
- Edamame
- Trail Mix
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Dark chocolate (70% cacao or more)
- Caffeine can help you feel more alert
- Caffeine can help you be more focused
- Caffeine's effects are short-lived
- Caffeine is a drug, so it can create dependency, induce withdrawal symptoms, and cause negative side effects
