We live in a world that tells us we need to do more, more, more. We are constantly encouraged to give something our “all.” But how are we supposed to give so many different things our all? We quickly deplete ourselves, and too often, we don’t take the time to re-fill our energy stores.
As humans – as children of God – we have inherent worth. We are precious. Why wouldn’t we want to care for ourselves in a way that reflects our gratitude for this life we’ve been given. If someone were to gift you a brand-new car, would you ignore the oil change light or try to drive it on an empty tank? Probably not! Yet we treat our bodies as such: ignoring signs that we need to spend a little maintenance time on ourselves, go in for a check-up, or refill our own tanks.
Even though it’s becoming more recognized how important self-care is, many people are still intimidated by it and see it as something that will take a lot of time out of their busy days. Although there are certainly self-care practices that can be time-consuming, they certainly don’t have to be!
Here are just a few ideas that don’t have to be time-consuming, yet help you to care for your mind and body.
Get more (or better) sleep
Sleep is literally a time for your body to recover. If you aren’t sleeping enough (in terms of quantity or quality), it can have a big effect on your mental and physical health. Look at your sleeping habits and ask yourself: am I getting enough sleep? Is my sleep truly restful? If your answer is no to either question, there is room for additional self-care here! If you aren’t sure to how create a sleep routine that is more conducive to more/better sleep, reach out to our health coach. Yes, she works with people to improve sleep!
Drink more water
Don’t force your body to run on empty – literally. Our bodies are so adaptable, but water is one thing they simply can’t thrive without. The suggested rule of thumb is to drink about half of your body weight in ounces each day. For example, if you weigh about 150lbs, aim for 75oz of water. If you are an active person, you may need to increase this to make up for the hydration lost through sweating and heavier breathing.
Try setting a reminder on your phone or put a note somewhere that you’ll see often to tell you to drink water.
Focus on your breath
This is a great technique for people who are on-the-go and don’t have much time to incorporate self-care into their daily life. If you can spare a minute or two, you can work on integrating breath work into your day.
Place one hand on just above your belly button and one on your chest. Take a deep, slow breath in, counting to five and focusing on expanding your belly while keeping your chest stable. Try not to let your chest rise with your breath. After 5 seconds of slow breath in, hold for a couple of seconds. Choose what feels right to you (typically within the range of 3-7 seconds). Breathe out slowly, feeling your belly fall and again keeping your chest stable. Do this is a way that is comfortable for you. Some people prefer laying down, while others prefer to sit or stand. You can breathe in and out through either your nose or mouth, or alternate by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat several times, for whatever duration of time you desire.
By focusing on deep breathing, or diaphragmatic breathing, you stimulate the vagus nerve and help your body return to a parasympathetic state (the “rest and digest” state). Research has shown the importance and numerous health benefits associated with vagal tone.
Remind yourself that you are [insert your own reminder here]
Too often we think of self-care as being a physical practice. Yes, there are plenty of physical ways you can care for yourself. But we also need to take care of our minds. Self-care can be a very emotional practice for this reason. Create a daily slogan to repeat to yourself several times throughout the day. An example might be, “Choose purpose over perfect” or “Time spent loving God’s creation is never time wasted” (yes – that means spending time taking care of yourself or slowing down to enjoy some nature is NOT a waste of time!)
Choose foods that honor your body
What foods energize you? I don’t mean for the short-term like coffee or energy drinks. Which foods really fuel your body and leave you feeling good for the entire day? Focus on giving your body more of the food it thrives on.
Spend 30 minutes to yourself
It is A-OK to want some alone time. Block off 30 minutes of your schedule each day to check in with yourself and see what you need. Maybe it’s something basic like food, water, or rest. Maybe it is having fun or laughing. Dedicate this time to tuning into what you need so you can either do it then and there, or start creating a plan for how you’ll cultivate more of it into your life.
If you’ve struggled with incorporating self-care into your life, check in with our health coach, Elizabeth, to see how she can help you build a sustainable self-care practice that works for you.
