Chocolate, bubble baths, and naps all have their place in taking care of ourselves. They’re not bad things, in and of themselves, and can definitely boost our state of mind and re-energize. In fact, a hot bath will do wonders for your soul and body at the end of a long day or if you’re dealing with difficult and stressful issues.

But sometimes, these good things offer short term benefits and, depending on multiple factors and circumstances, they may not always address deeper issues that may be causing us to “need” so much self-care on a regular basis (though a hot bubble bath on a regular basis for ANY reason is hardly ever a bad idea.) So while we shouldn’t discount them altogether, it’s good to look at the wider picture of our lives not just to look for solutions to any specific problem but to improve the quality of our lives in a long term, overarching way.

Here are some things that I have found to be effective in doing just that.

• Eating a nutrient dense, unprocessed whole food diet, staying well hydrated, and regular exercise. This is alone is top 90% of all other self-care. A little more about that in this post.

• Saying No regularly and without guilt

• Letting go of dead-end, pointless endeavors that take more than they give

• Ditching folks who discourage you from bettering yourself

• Learning to go to God FIRST instead of people

• Preferring to accept painful truths over feel-good lies

• Being selective about the content you consume

• Learning to pick your battles

• Learning to seek truth over superficial “good.”

• Learning to read the fine print and the writing on the wall

• Getting sunshine and fresh air regularly

• Regularly engaging in practical and manual projects that sharpen thinking and keep you occupied

• Learning to significantly lower your expectations of other people

• Choosing discipline over motivation or inspiration for get things done

• Prioritizing sleep

• Prioritizing prayer and time in God's word

• Shunning drama and gossip like the plague

• Water over soda

• Holding yourself accountable for the promises you make, including to yourself

• Choosing to be self-aware, intentional, and proactive about your growth and learning

• Minding your own business

• Shunning all forms of drama and gossip like the plague they are

• Learning to sniff out shady and not being afraid to walk way when you sense it

• Not watching the news

• Limiting your social media scrolling and staying out of the comment section

• Keeping your personal life private

• Redirecting your pain into worthwhile endeavors that will actually improve your life instead of engaging in self-medicating behaviors

• Adopting an investment over spending mindset, financially and personally

• Learning delayed gratification in all areas of your life

• Choosing to live with intention and purpose rather than being a passive NPC in your own life

Take the bubble baths, eat the chocolate, take the nap, buy the lipstick. But let them be a part of a principled, ordered life that is consistently taking care of you long after the initial feel-good buzz wears off.