Building Habits to Care for Yourself

How do you care for yourself well? Many of us are tired or burnt out, as we have had to take in so much lately. Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder last year (Statista 2022).

At Redeemer Counseling, our counselors believe that God made people in his likeness to dwell in physical bodies. The two parts of being human –the physical and the spiritual–are distinct, yet interrelated. Therefore, when we think about self-care, we have to consider both what it means to be made in his image and to be given a physical body. Here are ways to build habits in five aspects of our wellbeing that you can remember with the acronym ROPES: Relational Care, Occupational Care, Physical Care, Emotional Care, Spiritual Care.*

1. Relational Care - We are made to be in relationship with other people. Be intentional about spending time with family and friends and going to a church where you connect with other believers. Contribute to the communities you live in or belong to with not only your money but also your time. Find ways to volunteer–this helps to build others and yourself up at the same time.

The busier life gets, the easier it is to lose focus on one of or all five of these ways to care for ourselves. The more intentional you are about building these habits, the more your soul and body will flourish.

*Adapted from RCS Counselor Sharon Richards’s teaching and Olga Phoenix’s Self-care Wheel

3. Physical Care - We are given a physical body to exist and experience life in this world. Take care of your body. Attend preventive doctor’s appointments and find an exercise you enjoy to help you stay consistent with it. Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. Attune to your physical surroundings, to nature, and the beauty around you.

4. Emotional Care - We are made in his image with the capacity to feel an array of emotions. Observe and describe how you are feeling in healthy ways. This can happen through journaling, conversations with trusted friends, or counseling. Build yourself up and affirm yourself to break the habits of talking down to yourself. If social media makes you feel worse about where you are in life, build in limits. Are there parts of your life that always make you feel worse? How can you minimize the more emotionally draining parts of your day? How can you build more emotionally healthy habits into your day?

5. Spiritual Care -We are made to be in relationship with God. Build in time for prayer, fasting, worship, and meditation on scripture. As you practice spiritual disciplines, notice how your body and emotions are taking in these practices. What is easy to do spiritually? What is harder? How do you best connect with God? Reflect on Christ’s place in your relationships, your work, your hobbies.