4 Keys Ways to Take Care of Your Body through Stewardship and Self Care
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Have you ever settled on the couch with a blanket, all cozy and comfortable, and someone crawled up next to you and wanted to share? As a mom, this is a big part of my daily life.
I started really thinking about what I was eating and being more strategic about food. I made sure that I was getting adequate protein, fruits, and vegetables, and I started taking additional vitamins and supplements. My body responded well. My brain fog began to clear, and I had more stamina.
When I treated my body better, I was able to do more. I also didn’t get the sniffles as much.
Stretching is really important for me. I’m in my midlife now, but when I was in my early twenties, I worked out at a gym led by a man in his eighties who was incredibly limber and energetic. He told me his secret was stretching. He said that if you can stretch every day, you will always feel young.
I can attest to this as truth. Stretching is a physical challenge; it keeps your muscles and tendons loose and supple. It’s also a mental challenge — you need to release and surrender when you stretch, and if you push too hard, you can hurt yourself.
After a lifetime of stretching, I didn’t think that ignoring my own self-care for a few years would take such a toll, but it definitely did. My muscles were really tight when I started. But I persisted. Often I would stretch while I did other things, like petting the cat, chatting with my kids, or reading the Bible. It sounds strange, but I still often do my floor stretches while reading the Bible. Having something physical to do helps me focus better on God’s word.
Taking a few minutes to stretch reminds us of the gift of our bodies and how all its parts are interconnected.
I also started getting more intentional about general daily activity. For me, that meant walking on my treadmill or in my neighborhood. When I walk on the treadmill, I watch a show on Netflix, and that keeps me distracted long enough to embrace the habit. When I walked in the neighborhood, I’d listen to audiobooks at first, but then they turned into prayer walks, and sometimes they would turn into writing sessions. Again, I know this sounds strange, and this is not for everyone, but walking and praying triggers a lot of creative ideas for me and really puts me closer in touch with the Lord on my end. Midway through my walk, I’ll open up the notes app on my phone and start talking. I have written many devotionals this way.
The movement I was getting was helpful for my body, releasing feel-good endorphins and other chemicals that improved my mood. It also gave me more stamina and muscle tone. I feel like I have more energy to do things with my family or whatever God is urging me to do.
I also enjoy a little bit of weightlifting again and push-ups, because I’ve always had spaghetti arms and getting stronger makes me feel better.
All of us are at different stages, and these are the things that worked for me. You might have tremendous food allergies or physical disabilities that prevent you from doing self-care stewardship exactly the way I do, but you can do something to take better care of your body.
I can attest that self-care equips us to work better, but it also helps us be better at resisting temptation or mood disorders.
I encourage you to pray on whether self-care can be an act of stewardship for you.
God bless you.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/piola666
