7 Practical Tips to Prioritize Physical and Spiritual Self Care
No matter how hard we try or how well placed our intentions, the enemy has a way of rearing his ugly head at what always feels like the worst possible time. Running late to an appointment and there goes a flat tire or waking up late on a day when you have a very important meeting only to find a child under the weather.
As women and moms, our demanding roles can feel like mission impossible to take proper care of ourselves but that is precisely why fighting for our physical and spiritual self-care should be a priority.
Ephesians 6:11-18 tells us we must fight to protect ourselves and the good news is we are not facing this daily spiritual battle alone. Paul tells us we must equip ourselves with God’s Word so we can protect ourselves when the enemy tries to shake our peace and confidence. By having a strong mindset, where we can feel empowered and not defeated, we can face our day and be prepared to stand strong physically and spiritually.
While self-care can feel like a struggle, it doesn’t have to. With these seven practical tips, you can carve out moments throughout your day to fill yourself up and do the work God has called you to do by serving the people in your life who need and depend on you.
1. Go to God’s Word First
When you wake up in the morning, make spending a few minutes with God the very first thing you do. If you have an hour to spend- great, if you only have 5 minutes that’s okay, too. Make it a powerful 5 minutes. Pick out an encouraging Bible verse and put it where you can see it throughout the day. Call out to God in prayer. Give Him your burdens and let Him know that you are fully trusting in Him. There are several great apps that can make this easier each morning.
2. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Your body needs to be properly nourished in order to have the energy for what your day will demand of you. You can’t expect to keep up physically and mentally if your body is run-down. Stay away from sugary breakfast foods loaded with carbs. Here are three of my favorite breakfast recipes to help me start my day the right way.
3. Make Time to Exercise
A busy lifestyle is no excuse not to take care of our bodies. Not only does it lower our risk of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer, but it’s a great stress and anxiety reliever, too! Don’t have 30 minutes to put into a workout? No problem! Here is a fun dance/cardio style workout that is less than 10 minutes to get your heart pumping (along with some longer cardio workouts too for when you have more time!)
4. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential for our physical and mental well being, but what we hydrate our body with is also important. Sugary drinks like sweet tea and soda will leave you feeling sluggish and those drinks with artificial sweeteners aren’t any better. Strive to drink 50oz of water each day and if plain old H2O gets boring jazz it up with some sparkling water (make sure to read the ingredients for no added sugar) and lime. Add a sprig of mesh mint or crushed ginger (I use my garlic press to mince ginger in my water!).
5. Get Outside
Any time the weather permits, get outside into mother nature and recharge the soul batteries. Go for a walk, a hike or bike ride. Go alone and spend quality time with God or grab your spouse, child or friend. God created this beautiful planet for us to delight in so anytime you can get outside and soak up God’s creation definitely do it!
6. Limit Your Sugar
As you go about your day, be mindful of how much sugar you are putting into your body. Study after study has shown us that sugar is just BAD. It adversely affects our brains and our hormones so if you have been struggling with feeling fatigued, anxious, middle of the night insomnia, sugar could definitely be the culprit. Work to limit your added sugar intake to under 24 grams per day (less is even better!) You will need to read the labels of the foods you are eating to look for the grams of “added sugars”. I bet you will be shocked at how much added sugar is in the “healthy” foods you are eating.
7. Go To Bed Early
Depending on your schedule and lifestyle this may not always be possible but when it is, take full advantage of it by putting away the electronics and other distractions to turn in early for the night. God rested on the seventh day of creation, so if our Heavenly Father felt it important to rest, we should too. You will wake up in the morning feeling more refreshed and ready to tackle your day.
Self-care should be a daily priority and I pray with these tips you will see it doesn’t have to take a lot of time or be complicated. Small, intentional changes can add up to a you that feels stronger mentally, physically and spiritually.
Above all, remember you are never alone. God wants to see you thrive in all areas of your life including your health. Lean on Him for Him for strength and guidance, always!
For more faith and fitness resources to help you grow stronger in mind, body and soul visit FaithfulWorkoutsPlan.com.
Hi, I am Michelle Spadafora. In 2009, after 25 years in the fitness industry, I founded Faithful Workouts to create a community where people could feel welcomed just as they are and invest in their health, both physically and spiritually.
My greatest passion is to see people living full of physical and spiritual strength, excited to go and share the love and truth of Jesus with others. I lived the first 40 years of my life without knowing the “Good News”. I know how hard it is to try and muscle through life on your own. I believe the most loving thing I can do is to tell others that God loves them, He’s there to help them, and with His help there’s nothing they can’t do!
I am far from perfect, but every day I am learning how to follow God more deeply and be the best version of myself. I want nothing more than for you to do the same. I can’t wait to guide you on your journey to better health!