Happy Sunday friends! I took a week off from my Sunday Series last week because I was, well, practicing self care! I NEEDED some time to get some things done around the house, and I’m feeling much less stressed and overwhelmed so it was the right choice.
Which brings me to day’s topic: self care.
I think sometimes self care can get a bad rep… and there’s good reason for that. When most people think of self care they think of bubble baths, eating chocolate, etc. And those aren’t bad things!
But the criticism I hear most often in regards to self care is that when you’re in a season of motherhood that takes a lot of time like a lot of us are, those things either can’t happen or you have to choose between those things and your kids.
Which is often true! I can’t just stop in the middle of a bedtime routine and go take a bubble bath! And more often than not, I’d rather get 8 hours of sleep in than take a bubble bath.
But guess what? That 8 hours of sleep? It’s self care.
This past year I’ve come to realize that self care really is doing the things that make you function at your best… and that’s going to look different depending on the season you’re in.
For me, in this very physically busy season of having four young children, self care is getting good sleep (and if you have a new baby, it might be choosing a nap over washing the dishes), squeezing in a workout (even if it’s just 10 minutes), eating well, and spending a few minutes every day in reflection and prayer.
Those things don’t seem like self care at first glance, but they absolutely are. Those are things that make me function well and make me a MUCH better person. And for the most part, they don’t take a ton of extra time or money to pull off (just a little motivation).
And some day, when I have more time, I’ll hopefully add massages, longer runs, and regular therapy to that list.
It’s easy, in the midst of busier seasons, to just give up on everything. But little moments of good habits throughout the day will eventually translate into longer, better habits that are so ingrained in your rhythms that you don’t even think twice about doing them.
Are there ways that you’re already practicing self care and you didn’t realize it? Or are there some easy, quick things you can do this week to introduce healthy habits into your life?
Until next time,
Karin
