Continuing our week-long travel metaphor, one of the most grueling things about long-haul travel is what it does to us physically. The inactivity makes us sore and cranky, and generally we make worse decisions about food while traveling than we would at home. Food is frequently either harder to get or of lower quality than the ideal. Boredom makes us snack more, and when driving, the need to stay awake often leads to some sketchy choices. The sleep cycle is easily disrupted for a grand variety of reasons. In this season of social distancing, we find ourselves facing similar issues—inactivity, challenges both choosing and procuring good food, and disrupted sleep cycles. In both cases, it’s simply harder to maintain good health habits without a whole lot of intentionality.
At the heart of maintaining good health habits is the principle of self-care. Self-care is the notion that you are worth the effort of maintenance. You, as a person, require a certain degree of care to function reasonably well that is neither selfish or indulgent. This may seem like an incredibly simple, obvious idea, but it’s amazing how many of us have excuses and mental blocks about it when the rubber hits the road. Ever find yourself thinking any of these things? “I have no time for exercise.” “It doesn’t matter if I don’t get a yearly check-up; I already know what my health issues are.” “If I don’t sleep enough, I’ll just have some coffee in the morning and be OK.” “I’m a professional, and professionals work hard even if they don’t feel well.” “It’s selfish to go on vacation/set aside a devotional time/eat good food/sleep enough/etc. when others need me.” “But I’m making an important sacrifice!” What all these statements have in common is the idea that you are not valuable enough to take care of. The most insidious are probably the last three, which I see most often in my fellow denominational employees. This kind of thinking crosses the line from a cheerful sort of negligence into the realm of a serious martyr complex. While it’s true that there are certain situations that demand specific kinds of self-denial, the God I worship abhors human sacrifice. Working in the service of God is, by its nature, very demanding, but for that very reason self-care ought to be an even higher priority. If you neglect your health in the name of “mission” long enough, you will lose your capacity to contribute to it. It is vital to remember that God made you with a body and that your body’s limitations are not inherently bad. In fact, some of the first words God spoke to Adam were about where to find some good food. On his first day of life, God had Adam take a nap. Shortly thereafter, God even gave Adam and Eve an entire day off before they’d even had a chance to do much that we would even recognize now as work. Practicing good self-care right now demands almost as much intentionality as it does while traveling. It’s a lifelong struggle that constantly requires thinking, planning, and adjusting. Use your skills of observation periodically to consider the state of your body. Are you getting enough water, exercise, and sleep? What are the quantity, quality and balance of your food like? Do you feel hungry, stuffed, a little sick, or just right after you eat? Is your body capable of doing the activities you love without you being really sore afterward? Is your caffeine intake out of control? (A good way to gauge this is whether you get a headache from skipping it even after a good night’s sleep.) Do you feel rested in the morning? Have you brushed and flossed your teeth lately? How often do you shower? (Showering isn’t just about getting clean—the steam helps to clear out your sinuses and the warm water can really help soothe those tight muscles.) Are you thirsty? Is your skin really dry? Most of the misery I’ve experienced on flights has had something to do with the physical dimension: not enough sleep beforehand, not enough water, not enough food, or unusually inhumane seats (here’s looking at you, Spirit). Just as much of that misery could have been reduced with more kindness towards my body (either on my part or that of the airline), a good deal of yours can, too. The human body is a complex marvel of divine engineering with interdependent systems medical science will be studying until the time of the end. You don’t need a degree in medicine, though, to take some small step to improve your health. Baby steps in the right direction are still progress; over time, they add up.
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AuthorJillian Lutes is the youth pastor at West Covina Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church. Archives
May 2020
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