The Significance Of Self-Care

I’m in a funk.

I’m not sure if its the seasonal depression-type funk where I just need some sunshine, or if it’s the fact that the last week or so has been gloomy and cold and rainy, or if it’s just a funk. What I do know is that I’m tired, and I don’t want to do anything. Which is hard for someone like me, who is ALWAYS doing 1,000 things.

Now that I think about it, maybe it’s that last part.

I don’t know if anyone else is like that, but I have a to-do list for every. single. day. of my life. Even if I’m working, I have a list of things I would like to get done while at work. Is that normal? Not sure. But it’s my normal. And quite honestly, I’m tired of it.

I’m tired of have a thousand things to do at any moment. I’m tired of filling up my schedule with errands and extra things that don’t bring joy, or happiness or really anything positive. I’m just doing it to do it. WHICH IS NUTS. I’m tired all the time, mentally and physically, and I’m not ok with it.

I mean, seriously, I work 3 days a week. I have 4 days off and I am busy every single one of those days. But ask me what I do in my time off and I LITERALLY CANNOT TELL YOU.

It’s a month late for resolutions or whatever, but I’m a constant work in progress, so changes are happening all the time. I’m going to have to make some changes if I want to stop being a crazy person.

Naturally, I have a plan. My plan is, to practice a little self-care.

I know its hippy-dippy and all the millennials are talking about it, but hang in there with me.

No, I am not going to fill my days will facials and mani/pedis, and drink wine in the bathtub. I mean all that sounds great, but it doesn’t really fill my cup, so it really wouldn’t help, and I don’t think it really helps that many people in reality.

The first step in this whole “figuring out my funk” was to admit that I’m not giving myself any grace here. I make giant lists of things I need to get done, and then when anything takes too much time and I can’t get 30 tasks completed in one day (which is impossible, by the way, I am aware of that), I get angry at myself and tell myself that I’m lazy and inefficient. Honestly, when Elliot gets home from work, he asks how my day was, and I start with “Well, I didn’t complete everything I wanted to…..”. WHAT IN THE WORLD, REBEKAH. Because that kind of attitude sucks the life and joy out of you. I am basically becoming a Negative Nancy, and nobody likes that.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s super difficult to change your mindset, but I’m working on it here. I’m starting to shorten my “To-Do” list into things that ACTUALLY need to happen TODAY. If it can be done next week, I do not need to stress myself out to get it done today. That is my version of giving myself grace. Admitting that I do not need to do all things in one day, and that it’s okay to not have 1,000 things to do.

So yesterday, I made a plan that today, I was going to set aside two hours of my day for self-care, or rest, if you will. And with these two hours, I am going to do things that fill my cup. Things that rejuvenate my body and soul. Things that give life, and don’t drain me. Today, that looks like a workout, a protein shake, and reading some of Girl, Stop Apologizing. It’s not much, but it’s a start. This morning, I ran some errands and did the grocery shopping, so this afternoon, I am doing the things that make me feel like the best version of me. Working out makes me feel 100x better, and fueling my body with the nutrients it needs gives me energy throughout the day.

I know everyone is talking about self-care, and it’s a worn out topic, but I need it. We get super caught up in the million things going on and all the things we have to do, and I for one, am falling behind. I am just a human, and I simply cannot keep up with everything around me if I don’t take some time for myself. Some people think self-care is treating yourself, but I really just think it’s taking time intentionally to recharge. Sometimes its a walk in nature without your phone for 20 minutes, or half an hour of reading a favorite novel. Maybe it’s having a cup of coffee with a friend and letting time pass by without checking your watch. Sometimes it’s making yourself go for a run because you know your body needs the activity. Today, for me, it’s working out, reading, and getting ready to go out on a date with my husband. I love dating my husband, so I want to feel my best tonight, not sluggish or stressed.

We’re humans. We’re not superheroes, and we’re not characters on a TV show. We’re not designed to take on stress every day and function perfectly. The amount of stress that the average human deals with on a daily basis is absurd, and we consider it normal. Our Creator did not design us to be able to work and stress and struggle every day and never need a recharge. God rested, and he created us to rest as well. So show yourself a little grace today. If you made a mistake, you’re human. If you’re struggling right now, you’re human. If life is hard, you’re human. And you need a little rest.

One of my favorite Instagram influencers, Aubrie Bromlow, sums it up flawlessly. She posts workouts, and at the end of her post, she always writes, “Know God loves you, and REST WHEN YOU’RE DONE.”

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Isaiah 40:30-31

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28