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Have you ever felt like you were in a permanent slump? Like you're surviving but can't seem to actually truly live?
Hey GEMgirls! Trust me, I've been there many times before. But as temples of God (1 Cor. 6:19-20), we are to take care of our bodies. Below I've compiled a list of things that can help you be your healthiest self physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Feel free to leave additional advice in the comments as well.
Physical:
The 8 Laws of Health are a good place to start in taking care of your body.
Nutrition - eat healthful foods, and plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains.
Exercise - going to the gym, walking, jogging, jump-roping, and stretching
Water- drink at least half your body weight in ounces a day. If you don't like the taste of water, feel free to add lemon juice or different fruits to the water. (If you do use lemon juice in your water, use a straw to protect your teeth from the acid in the lemon.)
Sunlight - get at least 30 minutes of sunlight a day
Temperance - too much of a good thing can be bad, so be wise in all of your decisions
Air - try and get as much fresh air during your day as you can
Rest - Try and get 8-10 hours of sleep at night. "Sleep has been proven to improve memory recall, regulate metabolism, and reduce mental fatigue. When one sleeps, the brain reorganizes and recharges itself, and removes toxic waste byproducts which have accumulated throughout the day. This evidence demonstrates that sleeping can clear the brain and help maintain its normal functioning." (National Library of Medicine).
Trust in God - go to God with your worries and your problems and leave them in his hands. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;" (Philippians 4:6)
Mental Health:
Journal your thoughts. This is a great way to write down problems you have and how you feel about them without involving others.
Practice gratitude - keep a thankfulness journal. What I like to do is write down 5 things in the morning that I am thankful for, and at night I try to write down 3-5 things I appreciated about my day.
Spend time out in nature - "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handywork." (Psalm 19:1). "God has surrounded us with nature's beautiful scenery to attract and interest the mind. It is His design that we should associate the glories of nature with His character. If we faithfully study the book of nature, we shall find it a fruitful source for contemplating the infinite love and power of God." (My Life Today, 294)
Focus on positive things - Thinking about positive things helps our brains cope with stress and anxiety. Your mind controls your body. So if you think negatively about situations or even yourself, it will impact you immensely.
Set goals - Having aspirations and goals gives you something to look forward to.
Another part of improving your mental health is reducing your screen time. "It found that youth who spent the most time on their digital technology were statistically more likely to exhibit higher levels of internalizing problems two years later. Internalizing problems include depression, anxiety, social anxiety, somatic complaints, and other concerns." (Yale School of Medicine). Screen time can also negatively affect our eye health as well. So it is a good idea to use our electronic devices less and less.
When I started using my phone just for texts or calls, and not social media, I became very bored. I started to rediscover different hobbies I had had before becoming so attached to my phone. I compiled a list below so you can see all the different cool things there are to do besides scrolling social media for hours.
Painting
Drawing
Writing, Calligraphy
Reading
Needle arts (crocheting, knitting, embroidery, felting, quilting, beading, cross stitching, sewing, macrame, weaving)
Scrapbooking
Photography
Pottery
Learning a new instrument
Learning a new language
Physical hobbies ( tennis, ice skating, cycling, swimming, running, boxing, ballet)
Chess, checkers
Gardening
Baking, cooking
Candle-making
Soap-making
As you can see, there are so many different ways we can spend our time being present and in the moment. Personally, I love anything art, music, languages, and baking oriented.
Last but not least, you cannot forget to nourish your spiritual life. Having a strong relationship with God will make the other areas of your life much smoother.
Pray and have morning and evening devotions and Bible readings every day. That way, God is the first thing on your mind when you wake up, and the last thing on your mind before you go to sleep.
Take time to read an inspirational book by Ellen G. White. You can choose from the Conflict of the Ages series, but there are many more books of hers to discover as well.
Pray throughout the day. "Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor.... It is a wonderful thing that we can pray effectually, that unworthy, erring mortals possess the power of offering their requests to God. What higher power can man desire than this,—to be linked with the infinite God? Feeble, sinful man has the privilege of speaking to his Maker. We may utter words that reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe. We may speak with Jesus as we walk by the way, and He says, I am at thy right hand.—(Messages to Young People, 249, 250.) Do not neglect secret prayer, for it is the soul of religion. With earnest, fervent prayer plead for purity of soul. Plead as earnestly, as eagerly, as you would for your mortal life, were it at stake. Remain before God until unutterable longings are begotten within you for salvation, and the sweet evidence is obtained of pardoned sin."—(Spiritual Gifts 2:264.)
Participate in Outreach - Helping others, both materially and spiritually, produces blessings for both parties involved. Not only does it help the other person, but it helps you as well. "He that watereth shall be watered also himself." (Proverbs 11:25, KJV). "The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. The aspirations are elevated. There is no room for sloth or selfishness. Those who thus exercise the Christian graces will grow, and will become strong to work for God. They will have clear spiritual perceptions, a steady, growing faith, and an increased power in prayer. The Spirit of God, moving upon their spirit, calls forth the sacred harmonies of the soul, in answer to the divine touch. Those who thus devote themselves to unselfish effort for the good of others, are most surely working out their own salvation. The only way to grow in grace is ... to engage, to the extent of our ability, in helping and blessing those who need the help we can give them." (Steps to Christ, 78-80).
Helping others can include: offering a smile to those you pass by, buying groceries for a family in need, passing out GLOW tracts, helping out your local church with their outreach ministries, going to a local nursing home and playing an instrument for them, or even volunteering at a food kitchen. All these things and much more are positive things that can help others.
I pray that each one of us may continue to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..." (2 Peter 3:18).
XOXO,
Works Cited:
-National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651462/
-“Study Probes Connection Between Excessive Screen Media Activity and Mental Health Problems in Youth.” Yale School of Medicine, 21 Mar. 2023, medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-probes-connection-between-excessive-screen-media-activity-and-mental-health-problems-in-youth.
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