“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? “

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV
 

People usually quote this Bible verse to caution others not to defile their bodies, whether it be through eating junk food, getting tattoos or piercings (oh! the horror!), engaging in dangerous activities that could cause bodily harm, etc. But I’ve come to believe that treating my body like a temple also entails practicing self-care, the seemingly small actions that contribute to my overall sense of physical, spiritual and mental well-being.

We live in a culture where “Busy” has become an acceptable reply to, “How are you?” When we’re so busy that that’s our answer, it’s likely that nurturing ourselves has dropped to the very bottom of our to do lists…if it’s on there at all.

Nurturing ourselves, or self-care, is essential, not only for our own well-being, but for that of our family, friends, coworkers and perhaps even strangers on the street. Don’t believe me? I invite you to take a moment to read one of my previous posts: Put Your Oxygen Mask on First. Don’t worry. The rest of the article can wait until you’re done.

Finished? Welcome back!

Please read the following list of self-care activities. Pick a couple that you think will improve your quality of life. The list is by no means exhaustive, so feel free to select actions that occur to you. Then the next time someone asks you how you are, you’ll be able to say, “I’m well, thank you!” instead of, “Busy.”

• Getting enough sleep at night and taking a nap when you’re tired
• Resting when you’re sick
• Drawing boundaries around time off. This is particularly important for those of us who work from home or whose managers feel as if we are on call 24/7/365.
  • Tell anyone who needs to know that you will not be available to discuss work-related matters after a certain time at night, on weekends or while you are vacation.
    • Then turn off your computer, turn on your away messages and disengage
• Meditating every day, especially when you feel like you’re too busy
• Making time to do hobbies or engage in other activities that bring you joy, such as gardening, photography, knitting, hiking…
• Taking a walk
  • Take your significant other, child(ren) and/or dog with you
    • Talk to them, listen to them, pay attention to the scenery and don’t talk on your phone!
• Do nothing