“God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”  ~Psalm 46:5 (NIV)

Entering into a new year, it’s easy to feel a renewed sense of hope. It’s like you have the opportunity to start fresh and press the reset button. However, the beautiful truth is that you don’t have to wait for January to have this renewed sense of hope. Each and every day you are provided with the opportunity for a new beginning. 

Every morning when the sun rises you receive, like a gift, a brand-new day. Sometimes you may open it in haste, running out the door feeling rushed, scattered, and overwhelmed. And, other times, you may open it with a sense of intention, savoring the meaning of the moment. The reality is that you are continually living between two tensions, two different types of moments. There are moments when things are running smoothly and clicking along and other moments when things feel disjointed and out of alignment. 

No matter how well you structure your time, things can and will run amuck. Life can go from feeling predictable to unpredictable – in a matter of minutes. You can wake up feeling as though you had everything planned and prepared, and then something (or someone) can throw a wrench in your schedule, without any warning. Learning to pivot is key in these circumstances, but what’s even more important, is that you are equipping your soul and self by filling up spiritually and physically. 

Prioritizing your time for soul care and self-care should be protected practices.

These necessary practices will help you to better respond to the demands, distractions and duties in your daily life. Notice I said “practices.” Practice implies it’s a practice and that you will most likely never have it perfected. (Isn’t that freeing?) 

Soul Care

Let’s move away from formulas, check lists, and to-do lists. This isn’t and doesn’t need to be complicated. Soul care is checking in with your Lord.

It can be little things like a whispered prayer before you lift your head from your pillow. Or, noticing His prompting for you to not say something in response to someone. Or, hearing your favorite worship song and having it move you to tears at the traffic light. Or, feeling compelled to send a text to someone at just the right moment. 

It doesn’t have to mean a specified amount of time, or a fill-in the blank bible study or a time of prayer spent on your knees. Could it mean any of these things and more? Yes, and yes. 

What’s most important is that you are in God’s presence. You are seeking Him, looking to Him and asking Him to walk with you every step of the way. You want Him to fill you with His spirit, be with you and you desire to be in close relationship with Him. You may read one verse and spend time reflecting on what it really means to you. You may ponder one attribute of God. You may light a candle. It doesn’t have to look one way or stay the same. 

God loves you and wants to be with you. Let Him fill you up! Carve out the precious and necessary time to care for your soul. Practice leaning into Him and letting Him hold you up.

Self-Care

You cannot run on an empty tank, but that’s what many of us try to do. We see the gas light alert and we try to just keep on going. Here’s my encouragement: commit to keeping your tank full and to keeping it simple. 

Start small. 

What is one small personal self-care priority goal that you could work on, starting today? Do you need to drink more water? Would you like to start going to bed earlier? Do you want to exercise more regularly? Pick only one area to work on and then commit for the next three weeks to work on developing this one habit. Once it becomes more of a regular practice (there’s that word again), you may then consider adding another priority. Working in small steps will help motivate you and keep you going!

Schedule your self-care.

Look at your calendar and schedule what you can now – from necessary appointments like medical or dental, to treatments like a massage or a facial. And don’t forget the important ones too, like your mammogram! When you treat your self-care as an appointment, it then becomes a commitment – a priority to you and your physical health. 

Slow down.

In our current culture, we are inundated with information and there is accessibility overload. Often, it can be challenging to simply unwind and unplug. To practice slowing down, protect some time within your day to recharge or restore. This might be a brisk walk or some down time while you savor your morning coffee. As a physical being, you need daily down time. Again, like with soul care, don’t worry about a specific formula, but instead, consider your physical needs and what you might need within your daily moments.

If you start with a foundation of prioritizing your soul care and your self-care, you’ll be better equipped for your day-to-day living. Foundationally speaking, you’ll then likely have an increased level of stamina too, both spiritually and physically. 

God wants to help you, each and every day. Accept his gift!