Self-Care

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My husband and I have used several forms of accountability check-ins over the past year and a half.  Most of them form some sort of acronym that is easy to remember.  I wrote about one of of our favorites, SPERM - which stands for Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Relational, and Mental.  We use these categories to discuss how we are doing in each area.

I've also come to realize that the same categories can be used to define self-care.  We need to make time for ourselves and yet too often I find that we overlook many aspects of self-care or limit ourselves to one or two very narrow categories.  At least I know I have.

Since we are women, let's rearrange the letters and go with PERMS.  (Anyone else admit to having a perm in the 80's???  Just me?)

P- Physical:  What can you do to care for yourself physically? 
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Exercise, take a walk, stretch, yoga
  • Eat well & stay hydrated
  • Take a bath, shower
  • Go to the chiropractor
  • Get a massage, manicure, and/or pedicure
  • Make an appointment for that overdue pap smear, mammogram, etc
  • Keep up with your medical, dental, and vision checkups
E - Emotional:  How can you care for yourself emotionally?
  • Talk with a friend
  • See a counselor, therapist, life-coach, and/or pastor
  • Journal
  • Go outside for fresh air and sunshine
  • Do something you enjoy
  • Take up a new hobby or invest in an old one
R - Relational:  How can you nurture positive relationships?
  • Call a friend
  • Go out with a friend
  • Go on a date with your spouse (if that would be positive)
  • Have a girls night out or even a weekend away if possible
  • Be a good neighbor
M - Mental:  What can you do to care for your mental well being?
  • Take control of your thought life
  • Listen to good music
  • Read good books
  • Read and meditate on scripture
  • Learn something new (a skill, a language, a recipe, anything)
  • Take a break from your phone
  • Exercise your brain with a puzzle, crossword, etc
S - Spiritual: How can you care for yourself spiritually?
  • Pray
  • Spend time in the word
  • Go to church, Bible study, small group, etc
  • Find an accountability partner
  • Worship through music
  • Use your gifts to serve God and others
Self-care is not selfish!  It's a job that only you can do, so do it well.





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