“We Push Self-Care but What About Soul-Care”
What is self-care and what does that mean to you? For me, my definition of self-care is taking time to put myself first and do “all things” that I enjoy doing and need. These things can include taking a long bubble bath with bath salts, reading a book, taking a walk in the park, treating myself to a Butterfinger Blast at Bruster’s (my absolute favorite with Butterfinger all the way through, whip cream on top…lawd!), enjoying a glass of wine, laying on the sofa cuddled under a blanket watching a movie or my favorite tv show until it’s watching me, well you get the gist. However, the part that I don’t always focus on is my Soul-Care.
After reading an online article in Glamour by Ruhama Wolle on yesterday (August 9, 2021) on Sarah Jakes, “Sarah Jakes Roberts Is Practicing Soul Care, Not Just Self-Care”, it made me search deeper within myself. She mentioned in article that “Soul care is this deeper ability to challenge ourselves. Soul care allows us to do self-care from a place of confidence because I don’t want to be dressed up on the outside and have a good hair day yet my soul is falling apart.” This article reminded me where I was in during the month of June. Everything looked good from the outside from the smile on my face, to the clothes I wore, to trips I was taking, but on the inside, my soul was tired. I felt overwhelmed, stagnant in my thoughts and creativity, self-less, and just not certain about my life’s path as I had in the past. I was drained mentally, physically, emotionally, but most detrimental, spiritually. I didn’t know a direction and it felt like life, on the inside, was falling apart. Normally I could bounce back quickly, but this time was different. I had deprived myself of self-care and soul-care, trying to be superwoman to the point of depletion. I had to make the decision to take the month of July to get what I needed to get me back, but most importantly, my spiritual being back on point.
In July, I took time to relax, get rest, spend time with family and friends, travel, and do the things that I love doing. I worked minimally and balanced my days. I began my day with prayer, reading one of my Bible plans, affirmations, a 15-minute meditation, and while getting dressed, a power-filled motivational video I would find on YouTube. I had peyople that I hadn’t talked to in a while texting to check on me or to let me know they were praying for me. I had strangers that I encountered to tell me that everything was going to be okay and speak life into me. I began to see my rainbows again that I hadn’t seen in a few months. I purchased some crystals to wear, oil to put on my forehead, bath salts to bathe in, an amethyst to put on my nightstand, and began some vibrational therapy to help me raise my energy levels and remove negative forces around me. It was a lot of work, it was a lot of tears, it was some vulnerability, it was some lessons learned.
Fast forward to yesterday’s article, I definitely know the difference and I will make sure going forward to not only make sure that I practice self-care on a regular basis, but that I equally take time to do some soul-care.
I challenge you to take time to balance life with some soul-care and connect with your higher self. I believe that in doing this, you become a better version of yourself, you become better in your different environments, and you get a clearer perspective on life and your purpose. Try it and let me know what you do for self-care, how you’ve incorporated soul-care into your routine and what those things consist of, and has it made a difference or not. Feel free to email me at purposedlifecoaching@gmail.com for more tips and information.
