“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV)

Last month, I discussed finding balance in our lives. In order to find balance, we must practice self-care. Oftentimes, we continuously pour into others while at the same time there is no one to pour into us resulting in becoming physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually depleted, overwhelmed, and run-down. Although now retired, I still lead a full life of church ministry obligations, volunteering, and entrepreneurial pursuits. I have been busy wrapping up church ministry obligations and looking forward to summer break.

Have you ever had the feeling you didn’t have anything else to give?  The more you agree to do something, the more you are asked to do something else. Well, that is me. I love to serve others and I am a giver of my time; however, I have learned a valuable lesson—pull back and restore yourself by practicing self-care. I am looking forward to the next three months of self-care to restore, renew, reinvigorate, re-energize, and revive my mental, physical, spiritual and emotional well-being.

In an article titled, “Self-Care: 12 Ways to Take Better Care of Yourself,” Tchiki Davis, Ph.D., provides the following strategies to implement self-care:

1. Make sleep part of your routine. Sleep can have a huge effect on how you feel both emotionally and physically. Not getting enough can cause health issues.
2. Take care of your gut. The types of foods you eat crucially impact the bacteria that live in your stomach resulting in negative or positive effects.
3. Exercise daily. In addition to losing weight, exercise can boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
4. Eat right. Eating right can ward off weight gain or diseases and keep our minds working and alert.
5. Say no to others, and say yes to your self-care. Once you learn to politely say no, you will begin to feel more empowered, and you will have more time for your self-care.
6. Take a self-care trip. Getting away for a weekend every now and then can help you disconnect, relax, and be rejuvenated.
7. Get outside. Spending time outside can help you reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and be more mindful.
8. Let a pet help you. From giving unconditional love to providing companionship, pets can be beneficial for our self-care.
9. Get organized. Getting organized is often the first step to becoming a healthier you, because it allows you to figure out exactly what you need to do to take better care of yourself.
10. Cook at home. At least once a week, consider making a healthy for yourself or your whole family.
11. Read a book on self-care. Instead of scrolling your phone, read a book on self-care. It could improve your mood and also help you to stay more present and mindful.
12. Schedule your self-care time and guard it with everything you have. It is extremely important to plan regular self-care time. Moments alone can help you to ponder the best way to move forward in your life and keep you grounded.

I would like to add one more strategy to Tchiki’s list:

Do not allow anyone to steal your peace. If someone displays negative energy, remove yourself from the situation. This includes your children, family, friends or whomever. In her book, “In Pursuit of Peace,” Joyce Meyer states, “One cannot enjoy life without first having peace. Without it, we live in turmoil—always worried, anxious, and upset about something.”

During summer break, I plan to spend lots of time with my grandbabies, travel, exercise more, watch more movies, catch up on Audible books, and connect with friends. I hope not to engage my brain in anything mentally exhausting—I actually plan to practice self-care.

Because I want to honor my self-care, I will be posting throwback posts for your reading pleasure during the summer. It’s possible you may not have read them or will read them differently the second time around.

Wishing you a happy and safe summer break. As always, I look forward to reading your comments and please share with a friend.

If you are interested in a free 30-min coaching session, book an appointment at calendly.com/new-wine-consulting.