July 24 is International Self-Care Day. Image courtesy of Fort Collins Nursery.
July 24 is International Self-Care Day. In today’s world we are constantly on the go and 24 hours is not enough to get everything done that we feel we need to complete. The concept of “self-care” is not a priority for many people and as a result people suffer from stress, anxiety, fatigue, and a myriad of other symptoms as they rush to complete their “to-do” list for the day. International Self-Care Day is an opportunity to focus on ourselves and prioritize activities that help us to “recharge our batteries” and focus on things we like to do, but never get a chance to. Let’s take a look at how we can use this day to introduce more “self-care” into our schedules.
When you take care of yourself to stay well, you are practicing self-care. Staying well includes taking care of your whole self: physically, mentally, and emotionally. For some, self-care also includes taking care of themselves spiritually. So what exactly does self-care look like? It could be as simple as having some quiet time each day. Others might have coffee with a friend at least once a week.
In my early years I was a member of the Methodist church where I was baptized as a child and eventually became a lector for the church. I always felt I was a very faith-filled person, but that something was missing. My wife is Catholic and my children were baptized as Catholic and this helped me to find what I was looking for, to be part of something so much bigger than myself walking together with Jesus. I was welcomed into the Catholic faith and received the sacraments as a full member of the Catholic Church in 2004. I am a Spiritual Director, and very active in ministry serving as a Lector and Eucharistic Minister in addition to providing spiritual direction. I have spent time working with the sick and the terminally ill in local hospitals and Hospice Care centers and found these ministries to be very difficult, but extremely rewarding. You can read more about the author here.
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