Self-care. It does a woman good!
As I think about the title of this blog, I think about the scripture, “In Him, I live, move and have my being” (Acts 17:28, NIV). What does that mean? Well, simply it means that the more we dwell in the presence of God, we will live more like him; we will move like him, and we will become more like him. Live. Move. Become. How do we do that? By taking care of YOU. God made us in three parts: spirit, soul (mind, will, emotions) and the physical body. Taking care of all parts of yourself is important in maintaining balance, wellness, and wholeness. Sometimes, people focus more on the physical body and soul, neglecting the spirit. Others focus more on the soul and spirit, neglecting the body. Then, there are those who focus more on the spirit and body, neglecting the soul. And so on, get the point? We live, move, and become by taking care of all parts of ourselves. As a therapist, I give my clients homework at times to practice and reinforce what we have been working on. Here’s your homework:
1: Identify what it would look like for you to take care of all three parts of yourself. This is personal and unique to you. 2: Once you identify what that looks like, commit to it. This is key to breaking old habits and creating new ones. 3: Be consistent. Think of this process as a lifestyle that will lead to lasting changes in your life. Taking care of yourself does not have to be boring. Have FUN! Shanda Y. Smith, PhD., LMFT