What I Do for Self-Care

When it comes to self-care, I’m not the greatest. It’s a muscle I’m learning to exercise, but I have a long way to go. (I might have serious FOMO . . . )

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if COVID wasn’t God’s way of grabbing my attention in this department. For months, we had nowhere to go and no one to see. I found myself working in my yard, doing at-home workouts in our basement, going for family walks, and reading endlessly. I definitely had more downtime than I am used to.

As we’ve been searching for our new, post-COVID normal, I’ve been thinking more and more about self-care and what that looks like for me amidst the chaos of daily life. Here’s what it boils down to:

1. Good sleep: I can make it on six hours of sleep a night, but if I want to function at maximum capacity, I really need eight hours of sleep. The key to this is forcing myself to shut down my brain at night. My next day is fully dependent on my bedtime the day before. Needless to say, I’m likely not your favorite late-night party-animal friend.
2. Early morning exercise:  I was crazy enough to do 75 Hard last fall (Google it) and learned something vital to my life: early morning exercise is lifegiving. The early morning alarm is brutal, but coming home to enjoy a hot cup of coffee in a silent house, knowing my workout is done, really starts the day off right. Currently, I’m training for the Purdue half marathon, which takes place on October 22. It’s not my favorite to train for a distance run; however, I love having something to work toward!
3. Quiet reading and/or meditation: Usually, once my coffee is made, I’ll find a spot on our sofa to read while the house is still quiet and dark. My current daily read is New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, which is a daily gospel devotion. One of the best books I’ve enjoyed recently was Time Off: A Practical Guide to Building Your Rest Ethic and Finding Success Without Stress. (Admittedly, that’s a mouthful. LOL) It was in reading this book that I realized the critical importance of SLEEP!
4. An organized home: My family can attest that without this I nearly break down. Everything in our home has a place. Things like to be in their place. (HA!) One of the best ways I take care of myself is a three-to-four-hour time block each week (Sunday afternoons, if we’re not at football!) to get organized—I figure out our meals, carpools, and ensure the laundry is underway!
5. Vacations and time away: This one is my favorite. I LOVE to travel. A wise person gave me this goal: Take one day off a week (no phone, appointments, etc.). Take one weekend off per month (same rule . . . just rest, relax, and have fun). Take one week off per quarter (seven solid days). Scheduling time off in my calendar is usually where I begin. It’s critical to work from rest, not the opposite.

So how about you? What do you do to take care of yourself?