Top Self-Care Habits for 2022
Feeling a little worn out? Overwhelmed? Anxious? Scattered? Depressed? We could all use a little more self-care in 2022, so today we’re diving into the top self-care habits we can implement to make sure we are taking care of ourselves all year long, not just when we have no other choice but to implement self-care.
Check out the video version of this blog!
MOVE YOUR BODY
It might feel counterintuitive to everything your body is asking for, but sometimes moving is the best thing you can do to alleviate stress and renew your mind.
Moving your body doesn’t mean you’re trying to be fit, strong, or skinny. It’s in our human nature to move and it’s likely that you could use some good, clean, natural movement.
A short walk outside can make all the difference. A little stretching. Maybe you need something more, like some weight-lifting or running.
Don’t push yourself too far if you aren’t used to movement, but implement more movement into your routine to get your blood flowing and your mind relaxing.
MEDITATE
We use our brain everyday – probably too much.
Every day we are making different decisions, from smaller ones about what to eat to larger ones about our futures.
We cannot make good decisions if our minds are overwhelmed and overburdened.
For us to be healthy mentally and psychologically, we need to give our minds some time OFF. We can achieve this through meditation. Some people prefer mindfulness or centering prayer. That’s fine – just bring your mind to rest.
Personally, I’d recommend the app Headspace or breathing deeply and observing where your mind goes. You can also pick a word or pay attention to certain parts of your body – just give your brain some time off of planning, thinking, doing.
Start small with this too, you can easily go too hard with meditation and ruin it for yourself in the future.
BREAK TIME
Speaking of time off, are you working too much?
Professional self care is all about having life balance at work.
You are only human, you need to eat, drink and rest. You need some break in between work time, and the great thing about breaks is they will actually help you enhance your productivity.
Work is important and, in our society, sometimes a necessary evil.
But remember there is more to you than your work. You are more than an employee and more matters to you than the paycheck.
Plan breaks and time off in your calendar so you are better at sticking to them. Make sure to use all of your vacation time. Actually rest when you are offered time away and stop checking email when you’re not supposed to be.
Healthy work boundaries can be some of the most important self-care tactics. This is especially true in ministry and nonprofit work where the needs of our communities may try to trickle in even on your off hours.
Hold strong. Taking care of yourself well benefits more than just you in the long run.
FEED YOUR SOUL
Spiritual Health is not just going to church. It’s about finding peace around and within you.
What does that look like for you? Do you even know?
Lately, for Sammy, it’s getting back into the martial arts, a practice she’s been involved with since she was 4 years old. For Michele, a good walk can do wonders for her spiritual health and overall health.
Maybe it’s Scripture reading, maybe it’s reading poetry. Maybe there are a select few people who revive your spirit, maybe those spirit revivers are actually pets.
Take some time to get in touch with what fuels your spirit as we kick off the year.