“Treat yourself as you would a good friend.”
-Kristin Neff
Cover image by Michelle Wingard
For the month of February, let’s focus on taking care of ourselves in the everyday moments, little and big.
This month, Michelle and I thought it would be worthwhile to focus on self-care. Bubble baths and naps are super nice, but self-care is so much more than that!
To me self-care is nurturing your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health regularly, if not daily.
It’s taking little steps each day in our decisions and priorities toward a healthy and purposeful life.
It’s listening to our bodies when we are hungry or need to sleep.
It’s letting go of past hurts and fears that make us feel like we don’t deserve better, because we do.
We can’t be the best versions of ourselves when we are run-down, exhausted, hungry, or discouraged. You know?
It’s okay to take time for yourself to grow, heal, rest, and do what you are passionate about. You can be a light to others, but don’t leave yourself in the dark.
My experience with self-care
During my freshman year of college, I had to learn how to be independent for the first time. I struggled with eating healthy meals regularly. I remember a time I would live off of green beans, french fries, and ramen. It was not a good time! I needed to change my eating habits because it’s a real blessing to have a healthy body, and it deserves to be nourished. Thanks to my awesome roomies, Rachel and Liz, I learned how to meal prep and cook healthy and easy meals.
I also had to learn how to balance my new social life with classes and schoolwork. I didn’t know how to say “no” to my friends when I needed to get things done or rest. I used to choose hanging out with them in the evening over taking care of my responsibilities. Because of this, I felt drained all the time.
Honestly, I needed to change how I took care of myself. It wasn’t until my senior year that I finally decided to put more effort into my mental, emotional, and physical health.
For this month I will be posting new ideas for practical and meaningful self-care on this blog on Sundays and Wednesdays. Stay tuned on THP’s Instagram for daily inspiration of ways I practice self-care too! (PS I hear Michelle will be sharing some yummy and easy recipes later this month!)
What does self-care mean to you? Comment below! I’d love to share ideas!
Petit à Petit,
Lauren
The Honest Pursuit 
Self Care to me means being honest with yourself all throughout life. Being my best friend instead of my worst enemy in the midst of the tough times in life is helpful. I used to be hard on myself all the time for making mistakes. Overtime I have learned to been good to myself and motivate myself when life tries to bring me down. I also know God wants the best for me. Sometimes, I do not get the full picture of where God is leading me. However, when God gives me a Word that would make the most sense for that particular moment I listen and follow through with his counsel.
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Self-care is believing you are worthy. School can be hard and overwhelming, but for me and I’m sure many students it has to be done. I start each day with quite time. I center myself through worship, do my devotional, and pray that I am reminded of the greater picture. I can not get through my work load unless I pray, pray for attention, motivation, and strength through God. This has helped me develop a new passion for my studies and future career that has moved me to tears. It is no longer a chore but a desire that the Lord has ignited in me.
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Yes Rachel!! Thank you for sharing how you do quiet time. Looking at the greater picture and starting each day with intentional prayer in a game-changer!
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I went through the same thing my freshman year of college. Balancing out everything is the key.
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I agree! How did you learn to balance things?
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I put God first . My health second . Then college last. If college was affect my relationship with God or my health then I would just take less classes. We get into college and think is a race to get a diploma. We end up stressing our selves out. If we look back in college and it’s nothing but stressful times then maybe we should change something. It doesn’t matter when you finish your goals just as long as you finish them.
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On college *
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True! I agree that college, or life in general, isn’t a race to finish. I see it as more of a season to endure, persevere, and grow in. It’s okay to make adjustments to do things with more efficiency than stress, as long as we keep moving forward. Thanks for sharing Danielle!
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I love your post. I hope you enjoy my blog post. I’m a young high school teacher that overcame depression and suicide when I was younger. I love reading positive down to earth post. You gained a follower!
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Hi! Thank you for reading and the follow! You’re alive for a reason friend, and I’m sure you are making a great impact in your students lives. I’ve lived through times of depression too, and I’ve found so much hope through God and the friends He’s put in my life. Keep writing! 🙂
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