Practice Self-Care: Resiliency Habit #6

Written By Cam Taylor

This is the sixth habit in a series on resiliency habits that will help carry you when walking against the strong winds that with any loss or season of adversity in your life.

In case you missed the previous five habits, they are:

Now let’s turn to habit number six — practice self-care.

Caring for and about yourself is a key part of resiliency. If you’re not paying attention to issues like sleep, diet, exercise, self-talk, and emotional wellbeing — resiliency will difficult to maintain.

When self-care is built into your life as habits you practice, you’ll find yourself with more stamina and strength to face the challenges in your life.

I’ve learned how important self-care is from first hand experience. Not only have I practiced self-care while navigating the emotions of loss but during the long arduous journey after my motorcycle accident. Healing won’t happen without self-care. Let me give you five pillars I’ve used to support self-care.

Five Pillars of Healthy Self-care

1. Respect the rest-run cycle

Self-care is about balancing rest and action. It shows up in the creation story where God rested on day seven, not because he had to, but because we needed an example to follow.

I’m wired to produce. I love to check off action items and get things done. When I was forced to stop because of physical injury or overwhelming sadness due to loss, I learned quickly to respect the stops of life.

When you embrace the rhythm of the rest-run cycle, healing become possible. Rest includes getting adequate sleep as well as catching your breath while awake.

2. Eat when you’re hungry — stop when you’re satisfied

Self-care includes the quality and quantity of the food we consume. During the first few months of my recovery after my motorcycle accident, I gained over 40 pounds. It crept up on me slowly but shocked me when I realized how much weight I had added to my 5 foot 6 inch frame.

I realized that self-care in the area of what I ate would help me feel better and lighten the load I was carrying around on my injured knees and legs. I stopped eating nuts and barbecue chips plus start riding a recumbent bike. Over time, it made a noticeable difference.

The advice is simple but helpful: “Eat when you’re hungry and stop when your satisfied.”

3. Get exercise that increases your heart rate and brings on a sweat

Exercise in any form is part of the pathway to healthy self-care. This was true for me after my motorcycle accident and after Vicky died. In both cases, I started small but formed consistency in moving my body so both my mind and body were refreshed.

Physical activity, even in small doses, improves your resiliency. It helps you deal with stress, anxiety, and improves how you feel about yourself.

4. Pay attention to your emotional gauges and adjust as needed

You coax emotional health and wellbeing down the stairs like a slinky by monitoring your emotional gauges frequently. When I noticed a low reading on one of my gauges, I took action and addressed the problem.

When I felt down and melancholy, I found someone to talk to. When struggling with isolation and loneliness, I reached out and found an empathetic friend. When I needed to vent, I went for walks, journaled, and cried. I matched the emotional doldrums with the appropriate solution.

5. Feed your mind and soul to stave off stagnation

Self-care includes paying attention to the growth needs of your mind and soul. If you’re not putting into your brain positive and life enriching content, you’ll grow stagnate, lose your drive and your enthusiasm for life. Your soul also needs food. Whether you’re a person of faith or not, we are all spiritual beings who need to feed our souls.

The mind and the soul are fed by reading positive books, listening to podcasts, interacting with people, meditating, journaling, and watching uplifting movies and videos.

Reflection Questions

  • What are the activities that represent healthy self-care for you?

  • Who can you partner with to support you in your pursuit of self-care?

  • What aspect of self-care is missing and what can you do to take one small step forward?

Check out my new book:
Unlocking the Mystery of Grief

Cam Taylor
Next

Learn to Live With Purpose: Resiliency Habit #5