This time last week I was on the floor of my bathroom wondering whether or not I was going to have to head to the emergency room. Without sharing entirely too much information, I caught a nasty stomach bug that took me down for days. I am usually fortunate to be fairly resistant to most bugs, but none of that made a bit of difference this time.

One of the side effects of being sick is that you have a lot of time to yourself for reflection. I spent my days thinking about my personal routine and how I may need to tweak it to strengthen my overall health. I know that I have been making very important strides but I believe it is healthy and necessary to check in with myself on my progress.

1. My physical health goals are in good shape. I am nearing a consistent exercise routine and stabilizing my food plan.

2. My relationships are in good shape. I’ve found a number of ways to stay in touch with my tribe and while I would love to see them more, technology keeps us connected in meaningful ways.

3. My self care goals are still subject to scheduling conflicts and I need to do better there. I recognize where I need to improve in this area.

4. My spiritual health goals continue to present challenges; however, I am thankful to have access to a wealth of resources for my personal study and the foundation to know how to pray and seek counsel.

5. My home goals are shaping up nicely as the last of the moving boxes are just about unpacked.

6. My adventure goals are constantly evolving and I am super excited for the return of Adventure Weekends in a few weeks.

I love that I am at a point in my life where even when I am under the weather I can pause and reflect on where I am and how I am doing. We must take care of ourselves if there is to be any hope for us to help others.

If you need another bit of pick me up encouragement for self care, here’s a clip that might help.

Trevor Noah on Super Soul Sunday

https://www.facebook.com/SuperSoulSunday/videos/1586994804681367/

See you next week!

Marta C. Youngblood is a writer, education and social entrepreneur based in Hot Springs, Arkansas. For more information on her current projects visit https://about.me/MCyoungblood.