Mental Health for the Christian: Is Self-Care Selfish?

If you struggle for mental health like I do, you will have most likely heard of or read about something called, "self-care." What is it? Should Christians do this? Isn't it inherently self-focused and therefore selfish? Does the Bible have anything to say about this?

Yes, the Bible has quite a bit to say about it. But more about that later. What is self care? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) self-care is "a regular practice of actions that help protect and improve your well-being and happiness, especially during times of stress. It's not just one action, but rather a broad term that refers to activities that promote healthy functioning and enhance a person's overall health, whether physical, mental, or spiritual." The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes self-care as "taking the time to do things that help you live well and improve both your physical health and mental health. This can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact."

I would strongly agree with these descriptions based upon my own experience. There are many aspects of self-care that I practice on a daily basis. Take for example, sleep. I maintain a rigid sleep regimen--how I prepare for sleep, when I go to sleep, when I get up (or at least when I allow/make myself to get up). Sleep is absolutely essential to my mental-emotional well-being. Another practice is physical exercise. All those endorphins boost how I feel and also improve my sleep. I also practice mindfulness, or rather Christian mind-full-ness (described in prior blogs). One manifestation of this is the regular meditation time I hold myself to every single day. Of course, I also take care of my physical body by making and keeping doctors' visits, including what is called my annual "wellness visit." And above all, I remain stubbornly "compliant" in taking all my meds.

But what does the Bible have to say about "self-care?" Isn't it inherently selfish? Let's think about some passages in the Good Book, starting with the great and first commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." (Matthew 22:37-40) But Jesus goes on to cite the second commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." It seems that love for one's neighbor flows out of one's love of himself/herself. Interesting!

For me, self-care is absolutely essential before I am able to do any "other-care." In other words, when I am down mentally-emotionally, often the result of practicing poor self-care, I am incapable of loving others as they deserve to be loved.

The same idea is seen in Paul's charge to the men of Ephesus, namely how they are to love their wives well. (Ephesians 5: 25-33) They are to "love their wives as their own bodies." He goes on to say, "let each one of you love his wife as himself." It would seem that a man's love for his wife won't be effective unless and until he has properly cared for/loved his own body. Interesting...

In summary, I would simply say that self-care is absolutely essential for everyone, but especially for those of us who struggle with mental/emotional illness of any kind. Are you practicing self-care? It can mean all the difference in how you serve and love others!

Blessings!

The Christian Bipole