Padre's Corner - Make time to care for yourself
September 13, 2022 - Padre Jennifer Renouf
Summer has come and gone.
For many of us, work tempo is picking up, the kids are back in school, and the joy of the summer weather and relaxation has come to a close.
As we readjust to the high tempo of fall, sometimes we feel like we don’t have time to get everything done that we need to, so we start to cut the non‑essentials.
Far too often the things we consider non‑essential are the things we do for ourselves. We are beings that need community. We first care for all those around us, then the demands of work, and then the demands of family. Finally, if there is time, maybe we care for our own needs.
Our own needs are not as easy for us to see as essential because we do not have someone else pointing out to us the importance of meeting them in a timely manner. We don’t tend to realize their importance until we are feeling the consequences, such as feeling burnt out.
Self care does not need to be something that takes a lot of time in the run of our daily routine. It is about re‑centring ourselves, finding time to connect in a spiritual way to our purpose in life, to creation, and with ourselves.
This can be done by taking a little time each day for simple yet rewarding activities. Some activities for example could be: making a blessings/gratitude list (what is it that I am thankful for in my day?), taking a half hour to go for a walk and observing the beauty that surrounds us, taking a quiet moment to spend in prayer or meditation, listening to music, or reading a book.
Whatever your activity may be, keep that time sacred. Make it a time that you carve out of every day just for you. You will better succeed at all the other demands in life when you stop, listen and react to the needs of your own well‑being.