REPOST FROM 6/29/2021
There has been a lot of talks lately about self-care, especially for women and specifically for mothers who tend to have busy schedules that include taking care of kids, husband, house, work, etc.
I definitely believe it’s important for us all to make self-care a priority as the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. So putting yourself first and taking care of yourself is important to not just your own well-being but for the people who are close to you.
In this post, I will be talking about not just self-care but specifically soul-care, what does it look like to take care of your soul on a consistent basis?
Self-Care
According to dictionary.com self-care is defined as the act of attending to one’s physical or mental health, generally without medical or other professional consultation. Self-care activities are usually defined as activities such as a massage, pedicure, manicure, spa days, yoga, afternoon nap, etc. A large percentage of activities associated with self-care are focused on physical needs.
Soul Care
According to dictionary.com, the soul is the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.
Soul care activities can include guarding what enters your mind by being careful about what you watch, listen to, or read as these things can impact and affect your soul. Last year during the political unrest in the US, I had to guard my mind by making sure that I didn’t watch the news consistently as the stories and negative climate were too much for my soul. I still limit how much news I watch today because of the simple desire to guard my mind.
Soul care also includes guarding your emotions by not putting yourself in situations that will be upsetting or stressful. Toxic relationships and work environments can contribute greatly to your emotional well-being. Checking your relationships and environments to make sure they are not negatively impacting you is important. Then make adjustments as needed. As business owners, this could include relationships that you have with clients, vendors, partners, etc.; make sure these relationships are positive and mutually beneficial.
Your will is another area that you have to care about. As Believers, it’s important for us to not work from our flesh but from our Spirit and the best way to do that is to stay connected to the Holy Spirit by prayer, meditation, and reading the Word. As human beings, at times, we may be tempted to work from our flesh and ignore the Spirit. Making sure we are connected to the Spirit is key to taking care of our soul.
How can you focus not just on your self-care but niching it down to making sure you are taking care of your soul? What kind of soul-care activities are you doing or can you add to your daily routine?
Share your thoughts on self-care and soul-care in the comments below.