Elder Compass - June 2020

By: Linda Wise

Smart Self-Care in These Challenging Times

The world keeps changing every day. Normal looks different than it used to and we find ourselves being pulled in many different directions to fulfill our various roles and responsibilities. God calls us to take care of each (and ourselves) but these days we are sometimes so overwhelmed that we don’t know what to do.

I wanted to share a Smart Self-Care Exercise that I received not too long ago. It was created by Elizabeth Barbour, a life and business coach that I follow. The exercise helps me to center and I pray it will prove useful to you now and in the days ahead.

Elizabeth says that Smart Self-Care is all about connection with three things - Self, Others, Spirit. Here is her simple self-assessment, that you can do when things get stressful:

Self

1. How am I doing today on a scale of 1-10?

2. What emotions am I experiencing?

3. What do I need (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually) to help me feel better, balanced, grounded?

4. When I get quiet, what is my intuition telling me?

5. Am I breathing consciously?

Others

1. How is my family doing today?

2. What emotions are they experiencing?

3. How can I actively work to keep our connections open, positive and uplifting?

4. How am I connecting with friends, neighbors, relatives, colleagues and others who may need support or who could help to support me?

5. Am I asking for help when I need it or am I offering my help to others?

Spirit

1. How is my heart today?

2. What spiritual practices help to ground and center me?

3. Am I allowing my spirit to be lifted by inspirational reading, caring friends and time in Nature?

4. Am I making prayer and/or meditation a priority?

5. What are 3 things I’m grateful for today?

While you could journal about these questions or discuss them with a trusted friend or family member, it’s also easy enough when you feel your stress rising to say “Oh! Let me do my S.O.S. Scan!” and then just check in yourself… where are you most out of balance—with Self, Others, or Spirit—and then let your inspired actions guide you to a rebalancing from there.

To learn more about Elizabeth Barbour and Smart Self-Care, visit http://www.elizabethbarbour.com/