A Spirituality & Health article title caught my weary attention! “Practicing self-care during stressful times” Yep. That would be just great to know how to do, is what I said to self!
I don’t consider myself a rookie when it comes to self-care. I am a Reiki Master, an EFT practitioner and I have written for Women of the ELCA about self-care in Sacred Spaces and Sacred Space as Metaphor a few years back. But stress happens!
Every three years the staff of this women’s organization pulls together a life-changing, mind-blowing experience called the Triennial Gathering. The thing is we staff members do this ultra-exciting work on top of doing our regular, also-exciting work, so stress levels go up for each and every one of us! I eagerly read the article and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a welcome break from emails, budget projections and timelines!
Their idea of taking five minutes to sit in silence and pay attention was not new to me, but I confess I only do it on weekends (when I take as much as 15 minutes). I only do five minutes two or three times over the weekdays. We really need only five minutes to listen to our heart, our mind and our body. If we check in with and listen to each of these three areas, each will tell us what is needed—if we listen.
The article says that self-care is about balance. “Balance between movement and stillness” is what we require, according to Ashley Eder, LPC who is a psychotherapist in Boulder, Colo. and one of the contributors to the article. I would add prayer, adequate rest and hydration.
I see many of us doing our best here in the office as excitement and work snowball toward the grand July event in Charlotte, N.C. I hope to remember to take that five minutes each day!
Inez Torres Davis is director for justice.
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Photo by Linda Post Bushkofsky. Used with permission.
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