The Importance of Self-Care [2024 Repost]

[00:00:00] In our culture, we get so busy. Every moment is jam-packed with activities. Increasingly,

[00:00:08] we neglect self-care to compensate. Tune in!

[00:00:15] Hello, and welcome to MoMo 634, the daily podcast chock-full of faith-filled inspiration and motivation.

[00:00:25] MoMo 634, Motivational Moments, just for today.

[00:00:47] Like most of you, I wear a lot of hats. So many that I tend to push self-care to the bottom

[00:00:55] of the list. However, that's one of the quickest paths to burnout. As you were always told at

[00:01:04] the beginning of a flight, if you are a caregiver, put your oxygen mask on first. Yet we fail to

[00:01:12] enact this principle once the plane touches down. Part of the problem stems from cultural biases,

[00:01:19] such as thinking that self-care is selfish, indulgent, or self-absorbed. Another reason is,

[00:01:27] because we relegate it to last place, we often time out at the end of the day without attending to our

[00:01:34] needs. So what do we do? Make a date with yourself. If you've listened for very long,

[00:01:43] you know I'm big on tasks and calendaring. Put your self-care items on your to-do list or calendar.

[00:01:52] Be diligent. Commit to these dates and self-care routines. Investing in yourself, mind, body,

[00:02:01] and spirit is good for you. Protect those boundaries. If something should come up where we're tempted to

[00:02:10] cancel those dates with ourselves, say no. You don't have to offer an excuse or explanation.

[00:02:17] You have a commitment on your calendar. Going back to our airplane scenario, there's a reason you put

[00:02:26] your oxygen mask on first. You can't help others or do the things that are needed if you don't care for

[00:02:33] yourself first. Parents, caregivers, employees, no matter what your role, if you're tired, cranky,

[00:02:44] and depleted, you won't get much accomplished and may even get behind creating a never-ending cycle.

[00:02:53] You may think you can't afford the time to invest in yourself, but it's proactive. It's better to do

[00:03:01] now and be refreshed than when you are burned out or digging yourself out of a hole because you are so

[00:03:07] far behind. Further, the stress due to not making yourself a priority can have long-term health effects.

[00:03:17] Stress, among other things, can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, and the like.

[00:03:26] Additionally, prioritizing yourself models to your children and those around you that taking care of

[00:03:33] oneself is important and helps break down some of the societal prejudices around self-care that we

[00:03:40] discussed at the top of this episode. In his creation work, God built in a day of rest. Not that he needed

[00:03:49] it, but as a model for us because we do. Further, Jesus modeled spiritual self-care by prioritizing his

[00:03:59] solitary prayer time. Our meme for today says, Prioritizing self-care is like putting the oxygen mask on first

[00:04:09] in an airplane. Do it for yourself and others. Chime in. What do you do for self-care?

[00:04:23] Thanks for listening to MOMO 634, Motivational Moments just for today. If you enjoyed it, please

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