Self-Care

Some things that I am having trouble getting my head around about taking proper care of myself:

1. I feel better if I don't eat bread...cake, cookies, candies, and anything else that gives me a massive carbohydrate-sugar hit.

2. There is no such thing as a perfect schedule.

3. Just because I can't do something (yoga, blog, fence) every day doesn't mean it is not worth doing at all.

4. I don't have to find a way to feel good about everything because there isn't one.

5. It is okay to want to take care of myself even if it means I don't get as much work done.

6. Not everything has to happen at once. It is enough to change one small thing at a time.

7. Doing God's will is easy. It is fighting it all the time by telling myself that I should be in control that is hard.

Comments

  1. Thomas William JensenAugust 4, 2010 at 8:05 AM

    I empathize. For many years I was a senior R&D executive and my daily list could appear insurmountable. I found I could deal with it by prioritizing and delegating. But most importantly, I finished by asking myself if, at that moment, I was doing the very best thing for the many people depending on me. If I wasn't I revised my plans. It was a way of ensuring I was acting with emotional and intellectual integrity and it was calming. It seems to me that in light of your faith, your interests and professional responsibilities you may be able to formulate a similar question that gives you a similar sense. Good luck and keep fencing!

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  2. Fencing BearAugust 4, 2010 at 10:11 AM

    Thanks, Thomas! Actually, the question that I've found is "does Mary want me to do this?" I quite easily get distracted by worrying about things like whether what I'm doing is going to help my c.v. or (if I'm in a really depressing mood) the world (to which, in a global perspective, the answer always feels like it should be, "No"). Thinking about what I'm doing as service to Mary rather than saving the world or furthering my career helps me stay balanced. Perhaps, as with your question, it is always a question of service: whom does my work serve? But I do find it is easier for me to stay calm if the answer is Mary, rather than "my field" or "human knowledge."

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