My mom always tells me, “If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else.” It has taken me many years to realize that this is the best advice I ever received. Self-care needs to be a priority, not an after-thought.
When I pour all my energy into everyone else, pretty soon I am empty. Which makes me cranky, tired, and resentful. It is only by taking the time for self-care, that I then have the energy and desire to pour out to others again. I try to use the Body-Mind-Soul concept to practice self-care.
Taking care of your body
This is an area where I am continually challenged. For many years I got by on six hours of sleep a night during the week, and then spent the weekend trying to make up for it. There was always so much to do, that it seemed like getting to bed early never happened. In my season of little ones, I couldn’t really count on a whole night’s sleep even when I did get to bed. As the kids got older about the time I should be getting to bed was when the teens got home. In order to connect with them, I stayed up to chat.
To make up for my lack of sleep, I consumed lots of sugar and caffeine. This is not self-care, only a means to stay semi-functional. Of course, this led to my pre-diabetes becoming diabetes.
Care of the body consists of three legs, cut off or shorten one of the legs and your stool will not be stable.
Rest
This is my first priority right now, because I spent so many years shirking sleep. So I am going to bed by 9:30 or 10 at the latest. It is good to try to be consistent within an hour or so. I also try to maintain my normal wake up time (6:15), but I try to turn off the alarm on the weekend. I am usually waking up by 6, so I think my body is getting the rest it needs. Today was one of those days when I needed extra sleep. I woke up at 4:30, but then went back to sleep until almost 8:00. I will also work in short naps on the weekend if I am feeling a bit drained. Even 20 minutes can rejuvenate me enough to get back to my to-do list.
Along with nightly rest, it is important to make times of rest with the family – no agenda, just relaxation. This can be an afternoon picnic and nature walk, a camping trip, or family games or puzzles. Nicholas told me he couldn’t wait for winter so we had more time for puzzles (summer was always filled with gardening and canning). This summer since we didn’t have a garden, we have gotten out a few puzzles already.
Nutrition
This is an area where I am struggling to retrain my taste buds. Convenience foods are not really diabetic friendly, and I love convenience. I especially find it hard to remember my go-to scriptures 
and plans at the end of the day when I am tired and peckish.
I know that bad nutrition makes me lethargic and wears down my decision making. My work involves lots of processing so I need my brain to be well fueled. Knowing what to do is not the problem. My problem is with implementation.
Since my personal chef moved back to college last week (cue tears), I am having a hard time wanting to cook something diabetes friendly once I get home at 6:30.
One thing I am doing well at is keeping hydrated. I love my Trim Healthy Mama Good Girl Moonshine! You can look up tons of varieties on Pinterest, but I just find the original with ginger, apple cider vinegar, and a bit of liquid stevia to be perfect. It tastes refreshing, curbs my appetite, and doesn’t make me feel bloated like too much plain water can. Plus it is easy to have the ingredients on hand at work to drink all day.
Movement
This is another area where I am struggling to meet my goals. My Fitbit will give me reminders to move throughout the day, but I am not always good about heeding them. It is so easy to just sit in front of my computer, but I know that if I do not get up and move every hour, I get stiff. So I keep trying to get my steps in.
With the start of fall semester, the fitness classes at the university fitness center are back. This is giving me more opportunities to work movement into my day. I tried out one class last week, and will try a couple more this week until I find a few that will fit my schedule.
I am also going to have to make myself do my yoga routine more consistently. This is getting to the top of my care list since I have fallen twice in the past week. The first time was in exercise class! I just lost my balance and tipped over. The second was a bit more dramatic as I fell (I guess over my feet) getting into stadium seats. Hit both of my knees pretty hard. I am fine, but two falls in one week makes me concerned enough to work more on my balance.
Taking care of your mind
This is one area that I do better in. I love keeping my mind engaged. Now, I do get my weekly NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans fix. But I try to limit my passive activities so that I can nurture my mind. Nurturing your mind can mean different things to different people. During my days with little ones, I did scrap-booking, quilting, and cross-stitch to nurture my creative side. Recently I have taken a photography class, and taken on an extended reading challenge.
One of my long-term goals is to learn a new language, so I am listening to language CDs in the car as I commute. Some people play an instrument or learn to paint. For a quick mental pick-me-up, I will play a game of Sudoku or do a crossword puzzle. Whatever you choose to do, do something to keep your mind engaged and learning.
Taking care of your soul
For me, this is my daily Bible reading (I use the YouVersion app to track my reading). This last week I joined a women’s Bible study at church so I can have fellowship, as well as Bible study.
My commute time is also my regular praise and prayer time. I am using Pray for the World as a way to become more focused in praying for the nations. I try to read about the country in the morning, and then I can pray for them as I drive. Doesn’t work every morning, but it is the plan.
In the evening after I tuck Talia, I try to work on my Bible study. That way Scripture is the first thing I read in the morning and the last thing I read at night.
Whole self-care
Self-care may look different in different seasons of your life. When I had lots of little ones, napping was my best form of self-care. (Of course, I still love a good nap.) It might be coffee with a friend, an exercise class, or a bubble bath. It might be a solitary run in the morning (NOT my thing, but I have known people like that…)
Whatever self-care looks like for you, make sure you are taking the time to do it. You can’t take care of anyone else if you do not take care of you.