I’m learning about self-care

I start classes next week. While I don’t really desire to move at a rapid pace through a graduate degree again, I am excited to get back into a schedule of life. I’ve let myself get relaxed the past couple of weeks. But during that time, I feel like I’ve learned something I didn’t really know much about before: Self-care. I didn’t really think I needed self-care…which is exactly why I needed it. I thought I had a lot under control – that everything was moving along swimmingly. But as you’ve probably noticed in recent posts, I’ve been changing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s a weird phenomenon that happens when you can step almost outside yourself and see your life from an outside perspective. That’s happening to me now.

I really began to think about self-care in my Advocacy and Social Justice class this summer. I took the following notes on the subject of self-care and advocacy:

“Self-care is very important in [working in advocacy] types of issues. Remember that the devil is very real. Get a group of people who are committed to you and who would be willing to pray for you. Situations get really waring, but it’s important to care for yourselves well. Have friends around you that you can talk to – you need at least one person you can trust that you can share everything with, and that is vital. You need a way to process through your stories and find a place to process and heal through them.”

As I’ve been processing that, I’ve also picked up this book:

As I’ve been journeying through this book, I didn’t realize how much I needed it until now. I didn’t think I was a perfectionist (while all of you who know me best are certainly free to disagree, I suppose) but I’ve realized that in areas of my life, I certainly am and that it isn’t a bad thing. It’s helped me to achieve a lot of the amazing things I have in life. But it’s also helped me to realize that I cannot be all things to all people at all times. While this isn’t something I can fix overnight, I can take steps in my self-care journey to aid me in the process. So while I might be returning to the fast pace life of grad school and commune-living and wifely duties, I need to include myself in my list of priorities. I need to make sure that I am taken care of in order to take care of others to the absolute best of my abilities.

Practically, I don’t really know what this looks like yet. I’m toying around with ideas at the moment. Things like, making sure I really do have a sabbath of sometime in my life, monthly massages, or taking time to build something like a garden (if it ever gets below 100 freaking degrees). In all honestly, I’ll probably fail at all of these things at one time or another, but what matters is what I do with that failure. I need to learn to give myself grace and to not try and kill myself for messing up what feels like, yet again.

As I learn on this journey, I encourage you to as well. Take sometime this week for yourself. Take time to be with loved ones. Turn off the TV, the iPod, the computer, and the brain and really be. Be who you are. Be who God created you to be. Be yourself.

If you want more information about Kristin Ritzau and her book, A Beautiful Mess: A Perfectionists Journey Through Self Care, check out Kristin’s Website or to get her book, let me know! I know her personally and would love an excuse to go visit her and get a book for you. Hey – I might even get it autographed for you 🙂