Self-care: Rest and rejuvenate
What is self-care? In our world, self-care is thrown around in an equivalent to “treat yourself.” We use it to splurge on ice-cream and spend the day binge-watching a new show. A search labeled “self-care” shows images of baths and skin-care routines, probably driven by the companies wanting to sell products. On the other side of the spectrum are the people who take no time for rest or self-care. They may be the people who are available for everyone else or the people who work from 6 AM to 10 PM with no time for themselves. These two extremes are not pathological in themselves. There may be seasons for working less or spending extra time working. There are even days for savoring the sweet and creamy ice-cream and enjoying a show.
Where it does become problematic is when we use work or “self-care” to try to permanently escape our own insecurities or nagging fears. For some of us, we are driven to do more, be more, learn more because we believe that at our core, we will never be enough. We may have existential concerns that we will be forgotten or insignificant. Or we may have gotten exhausted by trying to do it all and simply given up. We are too tired to even rest. Rather than setting aside time for actual rest or self-care, we spend hours scrolling through our phone and then feel more depleted and guilty than ever. Healthy self-care is practiced with intention and mindfulness.
In one sense, resting is an act of humility and faith that the world will not fall apart if we step away for a minute. Resting allows us to get perspective that we could not have when we were running through the maze with our nose to the ground.
So again, what does self-care look like? I believe it is about paying attention to what will be refreshing and rejuvenating in our particular season of life or for a particular day. It may be going on a walk because our bodies need movement or our souls need connection with nature. It may be taking a nap because our bodies are physically tired. It may be painting a rock or designing a house because we need creative output. It may be reading a book because we need intellectual input. It may be putting away our cell phone and books because we need a rest from sensory overload. It may be coordinating with your partner to care for the kids so both of you can take turns getting rest. It may be seeking social connection or seeking silence and solitude. It may helpful to ask ourselves what we need a break from or what we need energy for.
The goal is not to permanently escape your life, but to provide energy to return to your work with vigor. It is the difference between eating a nourishing meal or eating cookies and candy before a hike. One will provide prolonged energy and the other will burn out quickly. In our current culture, however, we have tended to confuse the two. Either we call the candy nourishing or we feel guilty for eating the protein, thinking we should be able to push through our exhaustion without ever stopping to catch our breath and recharge.
Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith provides some helpful categories with her seven types of rest.
· Physical
· Mental
· Sensory
· Creative
· Emotional
· Social
· Spiritual
Depending on our day-to-day life, the types of rest may look very different from the type of rest another person needs. If we still feel exhausted after attempting to rest in one area, we may be missing another type of rest.
To learn more, check out her Rest Quiz below
https://www.restquiz.com/quiz/rest-quiz-test/