Seven Self-care Habits

If you are striving to develop your own personal “self-care” routine or have begun to introduce self-care into your schedule and are looking to expand, consider adding one of these seven habits. To care for yourself, you have to nurture your spirit, mind, and body daily. Stop feeling overwhelmed, and start feeling peace and calm with these easy self-care techniques.

Speak life

We all engage in self-talk throughout our day; therefore, make a conscious effort for that self-talk to productive and nurturing. Have a scripture or Word-based confession that you will focus on during the day. Doing this will care for your mind and build up your spirit. Confessing the Word through the day will keep you ever present with God and in continual remembrance of who you are as His child. You’ll know you’re not alone as you go through your day. It will also help you to be a friend to yourself and give yourself grace through the day. Father God gives us new mercy every morning. Therefore, when you wake up, remember that it’s a new day and receive God’s mercy.

Move

Moving and exercise are essential to caring for your body. Start your day with movement by really stretching when you get out of bed each morning. Make an effort to get outside daily. God created you to move, and the more you physically move, the better you feel. You will also be more motivated to eat right. Additionally, studies show that people who exercise regularly have healthier brains that perform better than the brains of people who live sedentary lifestyles.

Nourish your body

You’re going to eat, so make self-care part of every meal. Do this by including fruits and vegetables on your plate. If you’re preparing the food yourself, make the act of preparing a pleasurable experience. Use a good knife on a wood cutting board when cutting fruits and vegetables. Be mindful during the process. Think of the nutrients within the food. Consider and pray for those who will eat the food you are preparing.

Remember, what you eat and drink can affect how you sleep. Be sure to hydrate throughout the day. Consider consuming foods containing tryptophan that will aid in sleeping. These include potatoes, bananas, turkey, almonds, oatmeal, milk, and fish such as tuna and salmon. To further aid sleep, avoid caffeine in the late afternoon.

Fellowship

God created woman so that man would not be alone. Human connection can increase the feel-good chemical dopamine in your brain and make you happier by regulating your mood. Take time to fellowship with family and with those who build you up and enrich your life. Share the love of God by finding ways to help others.

Expand your mind

Read or listen to audiobooks or podcasts. Select reading material or podcasts that give you access to experts in your field of interest. You can use time wisely by listening to audiobooks while you commute, clean the house, or fold the laundry. These are times when multitasking is beneficial. Reading exercises the brain and expands your mind to new possibilities. Reading an actual book may help to calm you down. Reading a book can signal your brain that it’s time to slow down and rest. It provides a break from bright screens and media.

Put pen to paper

Taking time each day to put pen to paper is a great way to unplug. Use the time to make a list of your gratitude and create a to-do list. You can also write out your goals for the day, the week, the month, the season, or the year. Take time to write out your dream goal, then post it where you can see it daily. Perhaps you’re not sure where to start with putting pen to paper. If this is the case, then do a brain dump. Consider writing a review of the day, the good, and the less than good. Get everything out of your mind and onto paper.

Unplug and sleep

You’re going to sleep, so why not create a before-bed ritual as part of your self-care. Create and stay on a schedule for sleeping. Perhaps start by letting go of the day and washing off any stress or negativity during your bath or shower.

Consciously forgive yourself or anyone else who may have disrupted your day. Consider using essential oils or Epsom salt as part of your bath or shower routine. These are little things that don’t take a lot of time but elevate an everyday activity to a form of self-care. Enjoy these moments to self-soothe and ensure you maintain optimum performance for your spirit, mind, and body. Remove distractions such as media and clutter from your sleep haven. Create a nighttime routine that lets your mind and body know that it’s time to sleep

Use these tips to make self-care a way of life. By caring for yourself, you’ll be better able to be of service to God and humankind.