A good self-care regimen is revisited just like any good plan personally or professionally. As situations change, plans should be revisited for possible updates and enhancements. There are six main areas that affect our personal and our professional lives and we owe it to ourselves to do health checks periodically to keep our scales balanced.
Spiritually
When church feels like a habit or a routine instead of a passion or a necessity, it is time to do a heart check. When serving feels like an obligation or a burden instead of a privilege or a blessing, it is time to do a heart check. When your attitude towards church has shifted and it no longer phases you if you miss a Sunday here or there, it is time to do a heart check. The heart check may do with personal challenges in your life, professional struggles in your career, or it could be the actual church itself, but until you reflect and regroup, you won’t know the root cause. Although you have grown up in that church, or your family goes to that church, sometimes seasons shift, and you feel it is time to find a new church home. Sometimes the relationship with God loses focus when you serve because of rules, traditions, and protocols. While these things are certainly very important for structure, I am reminded of the movie (and the book) “The Shack” where it highlights the relationship with God as being the important part. What good is it to be involved in ministry, but not have the relationship with God to allow you to love unconditionally, give willingly of yourself, and serve limitlessly? The Bible is clear on seeking the Kingdom of God, that having various spiritual gifts are great, but love is the greatest of them all. Haven’t you seen mean church members? They may sing beautifully or dance wonderfully, but their attitudes and demeanor could use some work, and it’s because they need a heart health check on their relationship with God. When you spend quality time with God in private, it is sure to come out in public. The same holds true if you do not feed your spirit man anything pure, lovely, holy, or righteous, it will not bear that type of fruit. What is your heart saying about your Spirit? Is it dehydrated? Is it starving? Be sure to feed your spirit daily and throughout the day for those continuous downloads and connections for you spirit which fuels every other part of your life.
When you are Spiritually connected, it fuels your attitude and your perspective for every other area of your life. Financially, you may have debts and woes, but you can handle the pressure better when you are connected to God as the source of your strength, your creativity, and your discipline. Emotionally, you do not require as many meltdowns to get yourself together after a challenge arises. You can write it out, sing it out, shout it out, vent it out, and be done with it. Educationally, you have the focus to match your desire to learn something new. Relationally, you have the patience and the compassion to build relationships, repair relationships, and the capacity to forgive. Physically, you have the additional discipline and commitment to be consistent. When you restock in every area of your life, you reinforce the self-care you previously had and find more ways to ensure that self-care continues to be a healthy part of the core of who you are. This promotes growth and serenity about you that is second to none. It helps you walk in God’s peace that surpasses all understanding when you restock and complete health checks. Every area of your life is enhanced because of your connection to receive direct downloads from God for whatever challenges you may face.
She equips herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] And makes her arms strong. ~Proverbs 31:17 (AMP)