What does that even mean?

So many things, I could probably write a book…but I don’t have time…

See what I did there?

Stop. Just STOP! Stop saying you can’t. Stop saying you don’t have time. Stop saying you have to do this or that first. Stop saying you will later. Stop saying I wish I could. Stop saying you can’t afford it. Just STOP.

Because, honey, if you don’t STOP saying all those things, making all those excuses, wishing you could…you’ll never truly take care of of yourself. If you have children, I know you don’t want to teach them to NOT value themselves. Right?

And, I promise, it’s not as difficult as the enemy is making you believe. He wants us to fail. He wants to be exhausted. He wants us to feel unworthy and unloved. Spoiler alert: He doesn’t win.

God did not intend for us to merely survive in the beautiful world He created. He wants to thrive. He wants us to enjoy His majestic creations. He wants us to care for one another, and take JOY in that and in our work.

Listen:

YOU CAN!

Whether you are taking care of only yourself, a small family, a small army, aging parents, sick children, friends or family members, your job, your colleagues, your school, your church….(the list goes on and on doesn’t it?)… If you don’t STOP and take care of yourself, you’re absolutely useless to all of those other responsibilities.

How can you? Let me tell you a little secret. Self care can be free, or uber expensive. That’s up to you. It can be sweet and simple, or it can be major. But, it’s important. We’re going to chat more in depth soon about how to take care of yourself if you are caring for others (whether that be a child, friend, or family member), or if you yourself are not well.

Here’s a list of some sweet and simple things you can do to care for yourself:

• Wear your good panties (yea, I said it!)
• Drink your favorite coffee
• Take a few extra minutes in the bathroom
• Eat the good chocolate (I love Dove Chocolates)
• Say the word No!
• Take a shower.
• Call or text your bestie (make the call while you’re driving to all those so important things!)
• Take a bath with a glass of wine and bite of really good chocolate. I know, it sounds cliché, but it’s legit.
• Wear your favorite slippy socks.
• Do your hair and make up.
• Get dress…all the way to your shoes.
• Go for a walk, or run.
• Lay in the grass and soak up the sun. My daughter and I love this.
• SLEEP IN. As late as you want to!
• Go to the store…alone. Or pretend to. If I have a virtual meeting, I love to go sit at the park and have that there.
• Walk your dog, or just snuggle with them. They need you, too!
• Read. Even if it’s just a page or two a day. I have random books all over the house that I just pick up and sink into, and do my best to read scripture every morning as well.
• Buy the nice cardigan. You’re worth it. And, you’ll get lots more wear out of it than the one that’s ‘good enough.’ Can’t afford? Find one you love at a discount store. Some of my favorite clothes have been found at Bargain Hunt and Goodwill!
• Attend your church service. Whether that’s online or in person…don’t miss out on this vital connection. If you don’t have a church home, try one out locally! And, I can’t stress enough, connect with a group. It may take a minute to find the right fit for your family, but it’s worth it.

Here are a few ‘next level’ things you can do:

• Camp in the backyard, or even on the patio.
• Go on a camping trip.
• Take a short beach trip. Even just 2-3 nights and a day or two with sand between your toes!
• Go to your favorite restaurant. Can’t go? Order take out.
• Plan a coffee or lunch date with the girls.
• Go hiking on a local trail, or even take a day trip to one not so local! Or, just a drive. A beautiful place in the south is Natchez Trace Parkway. Over 400 miles of beautiful, especially in the Fall. You can also turn this into a history lesson.
• Get a FULL pedicure…like a REAL one.
• Treat yourself to a massage…I’m not talking about one of those pretenda homemade coupons you never cash in on…I MEAN BOOK IT, AND GO!
• Are salons open in your area? Schedule a haircut! Don’t need one? Just go in for a shampoo or a blow out!

Ok, hopefully you have the idea now. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just respect that you are a human being, deserving of love, of care, and basic human decency. All of these things above may sound like a normal part of the day to some women, but for others, they are things we simply neglect or thing we don’t deserve…kind of like buying our children new shoes, and not getting a new pair for ourselves…if you’ve ever been there, I feel ya, love.

Over the coming days, we’re going to dig a little deeper into this topic. Because, I know. All of the things I said above, you’ve likely heard before. Maybe if you hear it enough, you will believe it: YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE. YOU ARE WORTH TAKING CARE OF! I’m not even going to mention the part where you can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself…oh, wait…I just did…but you’ve heard that too, right? It’s so true. And, I don’t know your age or life experience…but I can you with absolute certainty…there are times in our lives where it is certainly more challenging to take care of ourselves…but at NO TIME are we unworthy or undeserving. And you can take that one to God. Or the bank. Or where ever you want to take it…just TAKE IT and let it soak in.

I’m practicing a little extra self care this week…so, it may be a couple of days before the next post gets up…but, what we’ll talk about is either caring for yourself while you care for others, and then we will take it a step further and talk about taking care of yourself while OTHERS are taking care of YOU…that can be a tough one, and a very delicate balance. I have some firm thoughts and opinions on that one, based on my experiences and I hope that they will encourage you!

I ran across this tweet this morning, an entire thread devoted to self care…maybe reading through it will encourage you if for no other reason, that you will see that you are not alone in this struggle.

I’d love to know your thoughts, and where you might struggle in the area of self care. Or, if you don’t struggle…what are some ways, big or small, that you ensure that you are well taken care of?

Blessings, dear reader! I’ll be back with more on this topic soon!

Don’t forget to join the Have Hope Challenge!

Much Love to you and yours!

Cindi

^{Self proclaimed Godmother of the Messy Bun Mafia.}

Let’s get connected!

_{This site contains affiliate links. Shopping through these links, for any items, supports this blog and my family. Thank you!}