Depending on your personality, Jesus’ call to love our neighbors as we love ourselves may be one of the easiest or the hardest prescriptions to follow (see Mark 12:28-34). For many who serve in health care ministry, taking sufficient time out for self-care is a consistent challenge. What about you? Does it somehow make you feel guilty to take time out and show love for yourself?

No matter who we are, extending the compassionate ministry of Jesus challenges us to follow Jesus’ own example by practicing self-care. In this activity, we focus on caring for ourselves by exploring the multiple ways we can show love for ourselves. In so doing we will find ourselves better equipped to practice compassion and serve the needs of others.

How often have you heard your doctor say, “You need to rest!” or your boss state, “Relax, maybe you need some time away.” Though these are not statements we often like to hear or feel obliged to act upon, there is truth in the words. Our world is full of stress and stressors, and so often we ignore them until our bodies tell us we must stop. Yet if we follow the actions of Jesus, we know that we need time to rest, relax and reenergize. Jesus was known for moving away from the crowds in order to rest awhile (Mark 6:31). In following Jesus’ lead, we too need time to move away and rest, for our sake and for the sake of all.

Life involves waiting. We wait in lines, wait for results, wait on the phone, and wait for people to make decisions. It can be quite frustrating when we consider how much of our lives are spent waiting. Despite the frustration and annoyance that often accompanies it, waiting can be a source of genuine emotional, psychological, and spiritual growth. Waiting can help to build character and nurture within us the virtue of patience. Waiting also need not be idle. Often, we identify waiting with being passive. Yet, we know waiting can be very active. Consider parents waiting for the birth of a baby. They wait for the child’s birth, yet they are purchasing supplies, strollers, toys, etc. They are creating a room for the baby with a crib and fun decorations. Waiting need not be the same as inactivity. Rather, waiting can be active, preparing us and helping us to be ready for the coming of that for which we wait. The following resources can help cultivate a deeper understanding of the importance of active waiting and some ways waiting can help build character and cultivate the virtue of patience.

Each new year, we begin a new journey. Sometimes it’s a journey to the gym, or to a new diet, or perhaps a new journey to a holistic and spiritual way of life. Regardless of the type, God calls us to a journey of caring for ourselves. According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of the word journey is “an act of traveling from one place to another.” There are many journey references in the Bible, always leading a people from one place to another, and usually for their benefit as God sees fit. When Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem, though its purpose was to be counted in the census, God’s purpose was to bring forth the Savior for God’s people (Matthew 1:21). As we continue our journey, let us keep in mind where God is leading us, and for what purpose. The following activities will help to explore more ways to be open to traveling the Journey of Care for Oneself.