Who Has Time For Self-Care?

Good Evening my brothers and sisters in Christ. It is the last Sunday in 2018. What a year it has been. I pray you’ve spent this year living intentionally and with purpose. We have made it to day 5 of “The Top 5 Things Yahweh Showed Me About Myself in 2018.” As a recap, I’ve shared how He showed me that I had no idea who I was, I believed in my own ability versus His, I struggled with unforgiveness, and how I placed everything except Him at the throne of my heart. Seeing as “Mindful Of Me Moments” was created when I received a revelation that God was mindful of me when I wasn’t mindful of myself. It was only right I ended this mini-series speaking about how He showed me that I was unaware of how to self-care. I pray that this post encourages you to self-reflect and if needed inspires you to alter your own ability to self-care. Blessings.

If you been following this mini-series the last 5 days then you have a good idea of the areas that I struggled with in my lifetime. You’re also aware of how Yahweh has healed me in those areas. I won’t spend time revisiting any particular instances where I didn’t properly consider the care of myself. What I will do is talk about how Yahweh has enhanced my knowledge of self-care as well as share a list of things that I do now that promote positive self-care.

If you’re anything like me then you’re use to always having something on your plate. No time to sit down. There is work to do. Clean the house, cook dinner, tend to my spouse, do schoolwork, respond to emails, attend church, attend family functions, be the mediator in friendships, and take care of the kids for those who have children. This year Yahweh showed me what my to-do list consisted of and guess what? I wasn’t anywhere on it. Out of all my obligations, I never considered myself as an obligation.

It’s amazing how we can make time for everything and everyone else except ourselves. The crazy thing about that is you spend the most time with yourself. When Yahweh revealed that to me I literally had to ask Him what I should do. I had no idea what it meant to have a positive self-care routine. Piece by piece He showed me. Before I list my self-care routine I want to mention that you will not be as effective to anyone or anything if you are not taking the time to self-care. You need a healthy mind, body, and spirit in order to function at your highest capacity. With that being said, here is my self-care routine.

1. I find moments of quiet time daily. Doesn’t matter where I am. I can be at work, at home, in the car. I make it a point daily to sit in quiet and meditate. Sometimes that consists of a 15-30 min breathing technique. That helps me to focus on my breath instead of my mind running all over the place. Other times I recite positive affirmations over and over.
2. I write daily. You don’t have to be gifted in writing to write. Even if no one ever reads what you wrote it’s a healthy habit to keep a journal. Writing has always been therapeutic for me. It allows me to put my thoughts, ideas, revelations, and goals on paper. Out of my mind and on paper.
3. I use aromatherapy scents daily. I have a diffuser that sits on my nightstand. If I need to relieve stress I’ll drop some eucalyptus. If I need to calm my spirit I’ll use lavender. To wake up I use orange or grapefruit in the morning. I also use aromatherapy in the bath along with Epsom salt to soothe my body. I have aromatherapy body oils that I put on depending on how I’m feeling. Our sense of smell sends triggers to our brain. If you don’t currently use some type of aromatherapy I encourage you to try it out. It helps.
4. I drink tea. I have a complete section in my kitchen that’s dedicated to tea. I have my electric tea kettle, mason jars filled with loose leaf tea, and a pitcher of bagged teas. I probably have about 30 different teas. Tea is RELAXING. I drink it daily. If I’m sick, if I need energy, if I need to sleep, if I need to be calm. Tea is a big part of my self-care routine.
5. I eat healthily and workout. This is something that is on my 2019 Vision Board. I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure earlier this year and am currently working towards getting off my meds. This means that the way I eat has now become a goal for me moving forward. If we are unhealthy in our physical body then we for sure limit our opportunities. Along with that comes working out which should also be a priority in our ability to self-care. How we feel in our body affects what we do.
6. I monitor my thoughts and speak life into myself. There is life and death in the power of the tongue. We shall have what we speak. I have become very cautious about the things that I allow to come out of mouth especially about myself. Our thoughts determine how we feel about ourselves. Being mentally sound stems from what or who we listen to, and what we say about ourselves. So be conscious of what you’re thinking and saying about yourself.
7. I spend time with myself outside of the home. That’s right. I get a break from home and work. Lol. Majority of the time I do this while getting a mani and pedi which again is, RELAXING. Other opportunities include getting a facial, massage, shopping, or getting your hair done. Any activity that relieves stress or anxiety I’m all for.
8. I listen to music. Music is another avenue that alters your mind. I listen to a lot of gospel, worship, and Christian rap. When I’m looking for a chill/funky type of music to zone out or write too I listen to, Sango Radio on Pandora. Go check it out if you haven’t. You’re welcome in advance. It’s a VIBE.
9. I buy myself something every month. Sometimes I get expensive things. Sometimes I buy something as simple as a new journal. This is something that my husband taught me to do. I use to be very frugal. I still am in some respect. What he taught me was I should not work just to pay bills. Now we’re wise when it comes to finances. However, it’s important to treat yourself consistently not just for special occasions. You don’t know how many women and men I’ve come across that can’t remember the last time they bought themselves something. I promise it matters in your self-care routine.
10. I invest in my spirit daily. Understanding that the Holy Spirit lives within me. It was important to implement a self-care routine for my spirit. I read the word of God every day. I pray every day. I deny my flesh so that my spirit can be strong every day.

As you can tell there is a common theme among my top 10 self-care techniques. The theme being anything that I can do to promote relief, relaxation, growth, and appreciation for me. All of the techniques have made a tremendous difference in my ability to self-care. I’ve learned what I like, what I don’t like, how to relax, how to wake up, how to focus on me, and how not to forget that I have an obligation to myself to be healthy enough to be effective.

This year has been the most impactful year that I have had to date. I’ve acquired so much new knowledge of Yahweh and myself. I’ve grown in my relationship with Him and with me. All of which has made me more effective in my marriage, friendships, business, and ministry. In less than 12 months I’ve reached a level of intimacy with Christ that I never knew I could, I learned my true identity, my purpose was born, I faced my greatest fear, my marriage completely leaped in progression, I started a business, I fell out of agreement with things and people that blocked my spiritual growth. For the first time in my life, I finally started living intentionally and with purpose.

Thank you, Yahweh. 2018 Blessed Me.

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  Quiet time in my prayer area.

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  Writing and Bible study.

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  Aromatherapy DIY Bath Salt Cakes.

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  Aromatherapy Bath Night at Home.

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  Facial at Home.

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  Tea Corner in My Kitchen.

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  Eating Healthy.

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  Working Out.

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  Good Blood Pressure.

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  Spending Time Outside the Home. Nail day.

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  A Vibe!

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  My December Purchase.

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  My At Home Office Space I Use to Write, Read, & Everything In-between.

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  I Invested In Me!