Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 1 Corinthians 6:19
Welcome to Strategy #5 of 12 Strategies for a CalmHealthySexy New Year. Let’s talk for a few minutes about taking care of ourselves. As wives and mothers, we spend a lot of time taking care of other people, which is good. Sometimes though, we fail to care for our own health, mental health or well being, which is not good. In order to live fully, enjoy our lives, and handle our responsibilities, we need to maintain our health. And that requires spending some time, effort, and maybe even money to take care of ourselves. If you’re already doing that, great. If you aren’t, can you commit to taking better care of yourself this year? Here are some things to consider:
- Do you need to see your doctor for preventive health care – a mammogram, pap test, blood tests, a physical?
- Have you put off any tests your doctor said you need?
- Do you go to the dentist at least once, and preferably twice, a year?
- Have you stopped taking (or never started taking) prescribed medications? (I don’t believe that medication is always the answer, but if you aren’t going to take it you need to research your health condition and develop an alternate plan, preferably in consultation with your doctor.)
- Have you put off dealing with a health problem that needs to be addressed, such as pre-diabetes/diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or excess weight?
- Are you struggling with anxiety, depression or another mental health problem that you need help addressing?
- Do you make time for everything except taking care of yourself? Are you unable to exercise, eat well, sleep well, or release stress because you are so busy doing things for others ?
- Do you take time to read and learn about ways to care for yourself?
Some of you are already doing many or all of these things. Great – keep it up! However, some of you wonderful ladies are not caring fully for your body, mind or spirit. If that’s you, please consider taking care of those things early in the new year. Pray about them, talk to your husband about them, get whatever support you need to make them happen. And while you’re thinking about these things, check out an excellent article on this topic by Alison at Experimental Wifery.
Are you good about taking care of your health, or is it a struggle for you? Do you have plans for taking better care of yourself this year? Please share your thoughts in the Comments – I would love to hear from you. Gaye
Stephanie says
stumbled on your blog via the blog hop at:
http://www.whatjeanlikes.com/
LOVING this post!!!
New follower via email! 🙂
http://mscomposure.blogspot.com
http://www.infinitelifefitness.com
GC says
Thanks Stephanie! I am a follower of your Infinite Life Fitness blog.
Gaye
Chelle says
Such good advice-so glad I found you at Thoughtful Thursday. We often care for everyone but ourselves. I tell myself all the time, “an empty pitcher cannot pour…” and then I run down again.
I think I’ll bookmark these as healthy reminders,
Peace and good to you in the New Year.
GC says
Thanks so much, Chelle. “An empty pitcher cannot pour” – I love that; it’s a great visual.
Gaye
Alison Solove @ExperimentalWifery says
I grew up with at least a vague idea how to take care of myself physically. But I had no idea how to do it emotionally. I thought my suicidal thoughts and self-loathing were normal. They weren’t, but I just didn’t know. I posted a few months ago about what depression felt like to me.
GC says
Hi Alison – I’m sorry that you have had to struggle with such a difficult illness. It seems like mental illnesses are still such a mystery to us – we don’t seem to know when we or a loved one have one, or how to treat it, or how to help someone who is suffering.
Gaye