Lesson 26:
Take care of your body & soul.
This past weekend was a lot of fun. There was A LOT of driving, playing, talking, visiting with family, picture taking and so on. There wasn't much sleep or rest or taking care of my body. I am now paying the price and that is ok, because it was a special event and I wouldn't have missed it. I don't regret it at all.
Seriously, though, I keep re-learning this lesson. I feel so much better and happier when I am taking care of myself. Taking care of yourself can mean so many different things - for me it looks like this:
exercise, eat fruits and veggies and minimize sugar, do something creative, take photos, shower and get dressed and dry my hair and do my makeup (even if I'm not going anywhere - it just feels better), cook healthy dinners, read good books, hug my kids a lot, stay connected with great people, play around in the garden and flower beds, water plants, listen to good music, go to sleep at a reasonable hour at night, write in my journal, paint with bright colors, refinish an old piece of furniture, read books with my children, have a lemonade from Chick-fil-A, go on walks, pick flowers for a vase, pray, watch something inspiring, eat a little ice cream, snuggle children, drink a lot of water.
Now, do I do all of those things every single day? Of course not (good thing I don't live close to a Chick-fil-a). I am in that never-ending struggle that we all have of finding balance. What I have learned is that by IDENTIFYING the things that contribute to my happiness and making time for them makes me a much better person. And taking care of myself goes beyond exercise and food - because my soul is part of me and it gets fed in different ways. I just need to remember what they are, and make sure taking care of my soul is just as important as exercise and healthy eating. Sometimes I make sacrifices for certain things or deadlines or events, and that's ok with me. But overall, I MUST remember this: take care of your body and soul Emily!!!
Take care of your body & soul.
This past weekend was a lot of fun. There was A LOT of driving, playing, talking, visiting with family, picture taking and so on. There wasn't much sleep or rest or taking care of my body. I am now paying the price and that is ok, because it was a special event and I wouldn't have missed it. I don't regret it at all.
Seriously, though, I keep re-learning this lesson. I feel so much better and happier when I am taking care of myself. Taking care of yourself can mean so many different things - for me it looks like this:
exercise, eat fruits and veggies and minimize sugar, do something creative, take photos, shower and get dressed and dry my hair and do my makeup (even if I'm not going anywhere - it just feels better), cook healthy dinners, read good books, hug my kids a lot, stay connected with great people, play around in the garden and flower beds, water plants, listen to good music, go to sleep at a reasonable hour at night, write in my journal, paint with bright colors, refinish an old piece of furniture, read books with my children, have a lemonade from Chick-fil-A, go on walks, pick flowers for a vase, pray, watch something inspiring, eat a little ice cream, snuggle children, drink a lot of water.
Now, do I do all of those things every single day? Of course not (good thing I don't live close to a Chick-fil-a). I am in that never-ending struggle that we all have of finding balance. What I have learned is that by IDENTIFYING the things that contribute to my happiness and making time for them makes me a much better person. And taking care of myself goes beyond exercise and food - because my soul is part of me and it gets fed in different ways. I just need to remember what they are, and make sure taking care of my soul is just as important as exercise and healthy eating. Sometimes I make sacrifices for certain things or deadlines or events, and that's ok with me. But overall, I MUST remember this: take care of your body and soul Emily!!!
I'm also learning the importance of taking care of myself, body and soul. It can be so hard at times but it's so important.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking time out of your weekend to come see us. We really loved seeing you guys and wish we could get together more.
I love the pic of your brothers and BILs. I so love seeing pictures of your kids. We miss you guys. Your search for balance so resonates with me. I read a blog post from a friend about this very subject over a year ago and still think about it. Love you
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