Each time my husband gets a headache, I encourage him to take something to help. If his back hurts, I encourage him to go to the chiropractor. I want him to take care of himself because I love him and want him to be around for me and our kids for a long time to come. However, if I have a headache and he tells me to take something, I shrug it off. If my back hurts and he tells me to go to the chiropractor, I ignore him. If I feel sick and he tells me to rest, I remind him that I'm too busy. Just as I love my husband and want him to take care of himself, he loves me and wants me to make an effort to take care of myself.
This year my One Word is me. I decided that it was time to take better care of myself. Now, I am not talking about weight loss. Not at all. I am talking about simply taking care of yourself. I need to take care of myself so that I can take care of my husband and kids and so that I can do the work God has called me to do. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians that we are the temple. It's time to take care of our temple.
Here are some ways to take care of your husband's wife:
- Get plenty of rest. We need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Be intentional about going to bed on time and getting the rest you need. If you have little ones keeping you up at night, then nap when they nap. Rest is important to your overall well being.
- Drink plenty of water. Your body needs water. Drinking water helps your skin, it is essential for the proper circulation of nutrients in your body, keeps you hydrated, and more. Water is vital to your body. My husband and I have realized that when we have a headache, often it is our body telling us we need water. If our back or neck hurts, it is often our muscles begging for water.
- Take a multi-vitamin. Our bodies need vitamins. The absolute best way to get those vitamins are by eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. But taking a multi-vitamin will help replace any vitamins you are missing. So by all means, eat lots of veggies and fruits, but also take a multi-vitamin.
- Exercise. Even if all you do is take a walk around the block, your body needs to be moving each day. Our bodies were not made to sit and do nothing all day. Exercise helps not only your weight but also relieves stress, helps your heart and helps decrease the risk against many diseases.
- When stressed, take a time out. When you are feeling the stress come on, take a time out. It's okay to need a few minutes to breathe. When we are stressed, it comes out in all we do, including dealing with our kids or our husband. It's not fair to put that stress on them. So take time for a bubble bath, brief nap, a hobby you love, or just go sit in the sun for a few minutes and breathe in the fresh air.
- Do something every day to unwind. At the end of each day, do something to help yourself unwind. For me, it's laying in bed reading a few chapters of a book. This helps me to relax, unwind and slow my mind down for sleeping. For my husband, it's watching a little tv. For you it might be a hot shower, knitting, coloring in an adult coloring book, the list is really endless. But do something for yourself to unwind and relax.
- Take care of your spiritual self too. Taking care of ourself is not limited to physical and emotional. It is vital to take care of our spiritual self as well. Every single day we need to get into the Word, pray, and listen to God.
Just as you take care of your husband, your children and your home, take care of yourself. If you don't take care of you, how will you be able to keep on taking care of them?
What are other ways you take care of your husband's wife? Share in the comments.
*Adapted from original post: Taking Care of His Wife, July 11, 2011
Great advice!
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