3 Practical Self-Care Tips: Making Yourself a Priority

Being busy is the norm. For working moms, the reality is there will always be responsibilities at work and responsibilities at home. Even in our busyness, we have to find moments in our day that are just for us. How do we find time when our planners are filled? Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.”  We can learn three practical tips from this verse that will help us discover time for self-care.  We need to pray.  We need to commit.  And we need to be flexible.

Pray

First, we need to pray about our self-care.  As working  mothers, and women in general, our self-care is the first thing we sacrifice.  But if we don’t make taking care of ourselves a priority, we won’t be able to take care of the one’s we love.  Ask God, what areas of your life do you need to focus on this year? How can you make yourself a priority?

The term self-care is thrown around but many are still clueless as to what it means or what it looks like. It means caring for yourself. What are you doing to care for you? That looks different for each woman. For me it’s yoga, for another mom it’s simply finding a cozy spot to read a book. Think about what makes you feel good. Do that!

Here are some ideas for self-care to pray about and consider:

• Taking a dance class
• Going for a walk
• Reading a book
• Crafting
• Taking a bubble bath

Commit

My busy schedule had made it virtually impossible for me to commit to my self-care. I enjoy yoga but finding a class, driving there and back–where would I find the time? Then, I remembered the words of Zechariah.  “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,” (Zechariah 4:10 NIV).  Instead of trying to find a yoga class, I could do 10 minutes.  After searching online, I found a free 30-day challenge from doyouyoga, 10 minute sessions each day I could easily fit into my schedule.

Give yourself 10 minutes a day.  How? Where? When? Here are some options many moms have discovered to be helpful.

• Wake up 10 to 15 minutes earlier – use this time to pray, read your Bible and then indulge in self-care
•  Lunch break – Most jobs give you an hour. Use at least 10 minutes to do something for you.
• Bedtime – Night time is usually swamped with bedtime routines and preparing for the day ahead but you can spare a few minutes for you.

Make yourself more important than the dishes, the laundry and even your favorite show so that you have time to care for You!

Because I knew I needed extra accountability, I asked a couple of friends to join me in the challenge.  I knew part of my self-care for 2020 needed to be physical.  God helped me find a plan that would work for me, one that I could commit too.  First, we pray, then we commit.

Be Flexible

And the last thing we need to do is be flexible.  Maybe your 10 minutes won’t be at 5:30 every morning or 8:15 every night. As Solomon says, “He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3b).  The beauty of including God in our self-care goals is that He will help establish the plans.

The 10 minutes I find to do yoga each day are not at the same time.  I had the best intentions of doing yoga each morning as a part of my morning routine.  Not once has it happened.  The first day, I forced myself to do it right before bed.  We had been traveling home from the holidays, I was tired. I already wanted to give up.  But I didn’t, I was flexible, both literally and figuratively.

I didn’t do yoga when I had originally planned, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t do it when God planned.  We had driven over 8 hours that day to get home.  My entire body was stiff.  If I was only doing 10 minutes of yoga, the best time to do it was after the drive, not before it as I had planned.  The first session was on opening the hips, exactly what I needed after a long day’s drive.  I had made plans, but God established them.  Don’t give up because things don’t go as you planned.  God has a plan, be flexible as He reveals it.

Your self-care is important.  God never intended for us to put our selves on the back burner.  Instead, He asks us to trust Him.  He will provide all our needs out of His glorious riches (Phil. 4:19 NIV).  Our needs include taking care of ourselves, so we can take care of others.  If we seek Him, He’ll direct our steps (Proverb 16:9 NIV).  He’ll help us make self-care resolutions that fit into our personal lives, ones that we can commit too for the next 12 months. He’ll establish our plans as we pray and commit the days ahead to Him.