8 Tips for Self Care as a Christian Woman
Self Care or Soul Care if you prefer to call it is something I am becoming very passionate about and advocate strongly for as a Christian Woman. First off let me state this with sincerity...
It is not selfish to put yourself, your mental and physical health first in the day.
Time and time again, looking after yourself is mentioned in the bible & that alone shows how seriously God takes the situation. Here is one verse I love...
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul - 3 John 1:2
I learned a while ago that serving others is such an essential part of doing God's work. Every day we do that with our family, friends, church or a workplace, but... If you don't replenish the oil in the lamp, it's going to run dry and the flame will die.
So often we keep going and going until we become so depleted, our bodies just cannot cope emotionally or physically. With that, we wind up exhausted and often times ill. And let's be real here, Jesus knew this and that is why we read time and time again that He rested, prayed, spent time with His Father in a quiet place, where His strength was renewed.
Now I'm going to be real honest here and admit that I'm kinda preaching to myself here also! God has been reminding me often that the best kind of self care for me is to rest in Him. So with that, I wanted to give you a few starting points, 8 to be exact of areas where you can self care and find a renewed strength. But please note that not everyone does things the same, so find what works for you.
1. Read the Word
This is so essential to keep us close to God's truth and sets us up for the day.
2. Get Rest
I'm not just talking about a nice nap. Although sometimes that helps me! Just sit with God, Journal, Worship, Read or pray.
3. Drink Water
Okay, so I know this sounds like it's just been thrown in but I have added this tip on purpose. Your body is a temple and it needs to be kept well watered.
4. Say No
This is something I had to learn for my own mental well being. I will also be doing a post on this in a few weeks. Saying no can be a powerful thing, it saves anxiety and over committing to things that can exhaust you.
5. Talk about it
It's good to talk about whatever is going on in your life, and get it out. Speak to a friend, a pastor, a family member you trust. Even just discussing it out loud with God can lift a heavy weight off your chest.
6. Reach Out
If you're anything like me, we tend to isolate ourselves when we're tired, hurt or going through something heavy. Offering to help someone in need or volunteering can take the focus off our own needs for a moment and remind us that God's plans extend further than our own bubble. You may not think this could be self care, but sometimes we actually need to escape and rest from our own thoughts.
7. Take a walk
This is for your emotional and physical health. Sometimes a change of scenery can change our mindset. You can listen to worship. a sermon or even my Podcast (Hint, Hint) while youre walking. Or just talk with God as you keep your body strong. True Fact- Most of my podcasts are recorded while I'm on my daily walk.
8. Pray, Pray, Pray
I promise, that spending your entire day talking and praying to God is the best kind of self care you can give yourself. Our Heavenly Father is always there, listening, encouraging, carrying our burdens and will not run from anything we tell him.
Love your neighbour as you love yourself- Mark 12:31
The reason I want to leave you with that verse is because if you look after yourself and you take care of your wellbeing, you can bless those around you that much more!
SO take care, look after you and remember that self care does not equal self indulgence and is necessary.
Feel free to copy the image below as a fun checklist and reminder to self care!
Be blessed, Be a light, Love Sarah xx
*Feel free to share and encourage those around you to do the same, and don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to receive blog posts straight to your inbox, new release products and latest news!
#selfcare #christianwomen #womensministry