When we hear the words “Self-care” we associate words like “selfish, or  self-centered-ness” with it. When you think about self-care as working out, eating your fruits and veggies, saying no when you are busy instead of being overwhelmed it suddenly makes sense. Self-care is a beautiful wonderful thing to add into your daily routine.  This is because, after some thought, You Can’t Serve Others If You Are Physically, Emotionally, or Spiritually Empty. If you are a person who panics, gets tired easily, or stresses out, then you should take care of yourself. Everyone should take care of themselves.

You Can’t Serve Others If You Are Physically, Emotionally, or Spiritually Empty

My story

I never knew anything about self-care or self-love. I am a super people person. I  love being with groups of people. But I soon realized that after spending 2-4 hours in a big group, I will get cranky. When I started my job as a school Case worker I would come home and be so mean to my sweet Nate after a long day of work. When he would ask me anything, my answers to his questions were short and snappy.

One day after work, I came home and Sweet Nate was still at school. I had a good 20-50 minutes to myself. I didn’t have to talk to anyone, didn’t have to answer any questions, and I most certainly didn’t have to think about anything or anyone. It was just me, myself, and I. I enjoyed it. I watched a mini 30 minute show. I had fruits for a snack, I was able to breath and just. simply. be. When Sweet Nate came home I was able to welcome him home, I was willing to make dinner, and I was  interested in all the questions he had for me.

From that day on, I fully understood the importance of self-care and just BEING instead of DOING. The verse “be still” really resonated with me. It made my heart smile because I had found a way to be able to recharge. Wanting 30-60 minutes of rest after a long day of school or work is not a bad thing. Telling a friend no in helping them with either homework or taking them to the grocery store is okay. Saying no to going out to eat with friends or hanging out with your girls is okay. Sometimes you need a little time to yourself, but some people need less time for themselves and start doing more. Ask God to show you where you need to be.

Tips on Making SELF-CARE a priority

So here are a few things you can do to self-love/ self-care for yourself:

Beloved Its okay to self-care
One of my favorite verses is Mark 1:35 which says “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” I love this verse because it talks both about both your inner and outer self. It is talking about 1) taking time with the Lord and speaking to Him through prayer and 2) taking time for yourself to breath, get your thoughts together and get guidance and direction from the Lord.

Another verse in Mark 6:31 talks about how Jesus saw how his disciples hadn’t eaten. Jesus actually tells his disciples to go with him to a solitary place to rest and recharge. If Jesus the son of GOD who died on the cross so that you can have peace, love, freedom and rest took time to be alone and take care of his physical and spiritual body then we definitely need to. Maybe you should ask yourself “Why cant I?”. I am the type of person who fully believes that if us as individuals are not healthy, then we cannot fully serve others well. We can serve them, but we cannot serve them to the full extent that the Lord would like us to do.

Love yourself, care for yourself, and most importantly enjoy it while you’re doing it. Self-love over self-neglect.

P.S. The answer to the question “Why can’t I?” is I CAN. You just have to be willing, even if you have to sacrifice something to spend some time with the Lord and learn how to take care of yourself.

With grace and love, – Winnie