Self Care
The list of ways I practice self-care at present will be sparse and slightly sarcastic. First, some days (most days) I sleep in and in doing so get more adequate sleep regardless of whether it was planned. I spend time with people I hold dear by carving out time for one person in particular and allowing my buzzing mental space to be frustratingly interrupted by a host of other people who desire extended conversation. Lastly, on occasion I try to eat better by convincing myself of the benefits of “eating more green things” and then including a few leafs here and there.
I could obviously improve my self-care situation by intentionally having a plan and making this a priority. I do see, and often feel, the need for self-care. However, I have always caved to external pressures rather than taking time to cultivate my internal space. A few self-care practices I have thought about for a while include: meditation, consistent exercise, Sabbath, simplicity as a lifestyle, making time for hobbies, finding and establishing myself in a community, keeping up with old friends and family, going outside, and finally allowing myself more space to further process intense theological deconstruction. I enjoy making lists, so I’m sure I could amass a whole host of things I could do; which points to simplicity as priority even in making this list.
At first, I was very stressed and frustrated with the assignment of keeping Sabbath this semester. I wasn’t sure it was possible. Now, I am looking forward to having a day for rest and things not related to my job or school. It has already motivated me to stay on my game more between Sabbaths, because otherwise I will be stressed through my day of rest. Even completing this assignment today is in preparation for taking Sabbath tomorrow.
Sabbath would be of great importance to pastoral counseling. Who you are as a person matters to the pastoral counseling relationship and is affected by self-care. I know my presence is affected by my lack of self-care. I become more distracted, tired, less empathetic, "slightly sarcastic", etc. if I am not taking time for rest. I am interested to see how keeping Sabbath will affect my presence.
The list of ways I practice self-care at present will be sparse and slightly sarcastic. First, some days (most days) I sleep in and in doing so get more adequate sleep regardless of whether it was planned. I spend time with people I hold dear by carving out time for one person in particular and allowing my buzzing mental space to be frustratingly interrupted by a host of other people who desire extended conversation. Lastly, on occasion I try to eat better by convincing myself of the benefits of “eating more green things” and then including a few leafs here and there.
I could obviously improve my self-care situation by intentionally having a plan and making this a priority. I do see, and often feel, the need for self-care. However, I have always caved to external pressures rather than taking time to cultivate my internal space. A few self-care practices I have thought about for a while include: meditation, consistent exercise, Sabbath, simplicity as a lifestyle, making time for hobbies, finding and establishing myself in a community, keeping up with old friends and family, going outside, and finally allowing myself more space to further process intense theological deconstruction. I enjoy making lists, so I’m sure I could amass a whole host of things I could do; which points to simplicity as priority even in making this list.
At first, I was very stressed and frustrated with the assignment of keeping Sabbath this semester. I wasn’t sure it was possible. Now, I am looking forward to having a day for rest and things not related to my job or school. It has already motivated me to stay on my game more between Sabbaths, because otherwise I will be stressed through my day of rest. Even completing this assignment today is in preparation for taking Sabbath tomorrow.
Sabbath would be of great importance to pastoral counseling. Who you are as a person matters to the pastoral counseling relationship and is affected by self-care. I know my presence is affected by my lack of self-care. I become more distracted, tired, less empathetic, "slightly sarcastic", etc. if I am not taking time for rest. I am interested to see how keeping Sabbath will affect my presence.
After completing the semester long commitment to observe Sabbath, or a 24 hour period of rest, I have experienced the benefits of this practice. I began the "experiment" feeling the need to plan my rest day to incorporate everything I was putting off in my rushed and overwhelmed work days. This caused a lot of frustration and seemed to cancel out the point of a Sabbath day. Later, as I gleaned the wisdom of other students in their own Sabbath experiments, I learned that leaving the day unstructured and open to what my mind, heart, body, and spirit need that day was most refreshing.
I found keeping the practice became difficult, as my natural tendency to procrastinate and underestimate what a certain project or responsibility would take tried to drag me back into crashing from one day to the next. I did discover that I came to look forward to the Sabbath day. It was nice feeling like I was completing an assignment, but it was particularly nice because of the rest.
I hope to continue with Sabbath keeping. I know it will be even more difficult now that it is not an assignment and I do not have a weekly check-in. But I am hopeful, that my self-care will improve as I continue to learn what works best for me and I prioritize my own health.
I found keeping the practice became difficult, as my natural tendency to procrastinate and underestimate what a certain project or responsibility would take tried to drag me back into crashing from one day to the next. I did discover that I came to look forward to the Sabbath day. It was nice feeling like I was completing an assignment, but it was particularly nice because of the rest.
I hope to continue with Sabbath keeping. I know it will be even more difficult now that it is not an assignment and I do not have a weekly check-in. But I am hopeful, that my self-care will improve as I continue to learn what works best for me and I prioritize my own health.