57. Practical Self-Care: Real Ways to Refuel

You're listening to the podcast where we ask, how's all that working for you?

Because sometimes all you need to change your life is a moment of reflection.

In this space, we are done with sugarcoating and we embrace keeping it real.

I'm your host, Rachel D.

Baker, guiding you on this journey to create some breathing room, set healthy boundaries, and reclaim your time guilt free.

This is real talk with a bit of sass and we are always seeking the truth in God's word.

Welcome back.

If you caught our last episode, we talked about what self care really is and what it's not.

You can go back and listen to that in episode 56.

It's short and sweet.

Quick recap in case you missed it.

Self care is not about indulging in whatever we want just because we feel like it.

And it's definitely not about running ourselves into the ground in the name of serving others.

True self care is about taking care of ourselves so that we can continue showing up well for the people God has placed in our lives.

Jesus modeled this for us and Scripture reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

So if you want to go back and listen to that episode, it is linked in the show notes for you.

So today I kind of want to extend that conversation a little bit further.

I want to get super practical.

We are diving today into real examples of what self care looks like and what it can look like for different types of rest.

Because, let's be real, sometimes we don't even know what we need to feel better.

And now we know that true self care goes way beyond just bubble baths and Netflix binging.

Right before we get into the different types of rest, let's pause right here just real quick and talk about one of the simplest but most overlooked forms of self care appreciation.

The Psalms are filled with reminders to be still, to marvel at God's handiwork, and to Express gratitude.

Psalm 19:1 says, the heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

When we take a moment to soak in a sunrise or just breathe in the fresh air, just listen to the birds singing.

We are engaging in self care in that moment by grounding ourselves in God's beauty and presence.

All right, now we can talk about the four main types of rest that I want to talk about today.

I'm sure there are multiple books out there and they'll talk about the different types of rest and ways you care for yourself and all the things.

This is just me.

This is just me talking and being Aware of myself and my life and my people and what I've observed and experienced.

So this is not the end all, be all, but for what I want to talk about today, we're going to look at four types of rest, along with a few practical examples of self care for each one.

First of all, this one is the one we probably talk about the most or we think of the most.

And it's physical rest we cannot serve well if our bodies are depleted, right?

Physical rest can be passive like sleep, or it can be active like stretching.

So here are just a few ways I've listed out to care for yourself physically.

Number one would be breathe.

Don't forget to breathe.

We talk a lot here about create some breathing room, right?

But literal breathing, deep breathing resets your nervous system.

Also things you can do, napping, sleeping.

We've got to prioritize rest and quality sleep.

I am probably the worst of this.

A couple of really easy things that you can do.

Adjust the lighting so you might need a bright light to energize yourself.

Or if you're ready to wind down, you could dim the lights.

There's also just the basics of food and drink to fuel your body.

You need to nourish your body with real energizing food.

And I have this conversation a lot with my teenage son.

We talk a lot about the things that we put in our butt because he's like, oh, I'm hungry, I'm going to get a snack.

Which usually means like chips.

I'm like, ooh, how about a banana or an apple?

And it's back and forth all the time.

We're talking about how we have to fuel our bodies.

So that one is top of mind for me just because of those conversations happening in my own home.

Some other things that are more physical are movement.

These are ones you are familiar with.

Walk, dance, stretch, get outside in the fresh air.

You may know of yoga, but do you know about yoga Nidra?

Yoga in and of itself, just the stretching and the moving and the breathing is awesome.

Yoga Nidra, is not actually the physical movement.

It's more of a guided meditation practice that promotes deeper rest.

And this has been crucial for me in times when I've been either in a lot of pain or my nervous system is just amped up.

It really helps me reset my nervous system and calm down.

So I will link to a couple of my favorite videos in the show notes for this because it's one that's been really, really helpful.

And then my last thing for physical stuff is just sensory Care and this, you know, we've got our five senses.

You might need silence or darkness or a soft light.

Candles, essential oils, music.

All of these things can help regulate your nervous system.

Every body needs something different, so you just kind of have to play around with it a little, figure out what you need for your body and what's gonna really help you rest and care for yourself.

The next one is emotional rest.

This looks like giving yourself permission to feel and to set healthy boundaries.

Some practical things in here.

Talk it out.

Sometimes you just need to connect with somebody else and talk out whatever's going on.

This could be a trusted friend, a therapist, or a ment.

Journaling is another one.

If you're not a talker, you're more of a writer.

Journaling could be great for you.

Get those thoughts out of your head and onto the paper.

If you need a journal to get started.

If you're like, I don't have anywhere to keep my thoughts.

Got you covered.

I have several designs that I've come up with.

They were made just for you, and I've linked those in the show notes as well.

They are available for you at any time and they're inexpensive.

So go grab one, get started with that.

One way to take care of your emotional health is to limit the emotionally draining relationships.

And this is a tough one, because one relationships are hard.

People are hard.

We know this.

But some of us don't know deep down in our souls that it's okay to say no.

We talk so much about setting healthy boundaries, protecting what needs protected.

And so a piece of this might just be, you've gotta set some healthy boundaries in place and limit those relationships that do drain you emotionally.

All right, mental rest is our third one.

If your mind, like mine, is always going, you need a break from input.

And for me, one of the quickest ways I like to kind of disconnect from all the things that I'm doing is I think I'm taking care of myself by just scrolling social media, watching a show that's actually the opposite of what I need when I am mentally worn out.

So some ideas to actually care for yourself when you need mental rest is unplug the opposite of what I tend to do to myself.

So I'm working on this right along with you.

But unplugging means taking breaks from screens, from social media, the news, and even books.

Sometimes I have found myself where I'm like, I just.

I can put no more information into my brain, no more words.

Everything just needs to hush.

And that can even Include books.

Another thing I really have found to be helpful is a brain dump.

And we've talked about this one a lot.

You just write down everything that is on your mind to free up that space, and it's so helpful.

And then simple tasks, you just do something that is repetitive, something that's calming.

This could be knitting, gardening, coloring.

It kind of depends on what you enjoy.

For me, please don't ask me to go garden.

I don't want to be in the dirt.

But one of my dearest friends, that is her happy place.

So for me, I could sit and color all day long with some music on, and that would be lovely.

My daughter loves to knit and crochet.

So, like, everybody has their own thing.

What could yours be?

Something simple, repetitive, calming.

It doesn't take too much mental energy and you enjoy doing it.

And then our last one is spiritual rest, which might sound kind of odd.

Why would you need spiritual rest?

But this is about reconnecting with God and allowing him to fill you up.

Because we fill ourselves with all these other things, but we do need to stop, slow down, reconnect with Him.

So very practically reading scripture, Open up your Bible, soak in God's truth, pray, talk to God like you would a friend.

That's prayer.

Just sharing life with Him.

That's how you grow that relationship.

Worship and worship can look like a lot of things.

This could be playing or singing or listening to worship music.

I love music.

And so this is a big one for me.

I'll just turn on some of my favorites and blare it through the house while I go about doing whatever it is.

And then solitude.

And this one I know is hard for multiple reasons, but to sit quietly with God and just be.

What would that look like for you?

And if you have no idea, I want to remind you that we do have a renewal retreat each fall.

There's another one coming up this fall.

I have not released all the details about it yet, but there's a wait list.

If you think you want to find out what it could look like to sit quietly with God and just be.

To have the time away from the chaos to do that and to connect with other women who are in that same boat, trying to reach the same goal, the renewal retreat is what you're looking for.

So I will leave the link for the wait list in the show notes so you can go get on the waitlist.

And then as soon as I get ready to share the details, you are the first to know.

And finally, let's not forget to Play, fun, laughter, joy.

These are just as important for our well being as rest.

When was the last time you did something just for fun?

Play might look like hobbies for example, and we've talked a lot about hobbies in previous episodes.

If you want to to hear more on this particular topic, you can go back episodes 9 and 11.

I believe you do not want to miss that interview with Holly Girth.

In episode nine we talked all about hobbies, how they help us thrive.

And then in episode 11, that was created for you and by you actually, we were sharing your favorite hobbies to inspire others.

We talked about painting, writing, crafting, playing an instrument.

There was a whole slew of things.

So if you need a little more hobby inspiration, head back to those two episodes.

We'll link those in the show notes as well.

Play could also be games, sports, something that is light hearted and enjoyable.

And come on, laughing.

Just the joy of laughing.

Watch a funny movie or spend time with people who make you belly laugh laugh till you cry.

I love playing games with family and friends and those tend to lean towards laughing by the time it's all said and done.

So as promised, this was a no Fluff episode.

We covered several legit practical ways to practice true self care.

It's about more than just relaxing, right?

It's about filling yourself up in ways that allow you to show up well in your life.

And if you need help figuring out what this type of self care looks like for you, I would love to chat.

Schedule a free coffee chat with me.

Let's talk through how you could start incorporating these right types of self care into your life without any guilt.

That's a kicker for a lot of us and I don't want that to get in your way.

There's no guilt in caring for yourself so that you can show up for your people.

Until next time, take care of yourself so that you can keep shining your light.