Morgan Eisenga | Staff Writer

We live in a fast-paced world that has shaped us to feel unsatisfied if we are not constantly experiencing interesting adventures that are worthy of a social media post. The prevailing social culture tells us that our worth as people is defined by the quality of our Instagram and Twitter profiles. We’ve been tricked into thinking that the Instagram photos of pop culture icons are the standard by which we should judge our own lives, forgetting that these postings represent a manipulated, manicured reality. The disappointment we feel when we fail to live up to such an impossible standard leaves us feeling empty, undervalued and exhausted because no one sees us for us anymore.

If the disease is a pressure to impress others with our incredibly exciting lives, the cure is recognizing that taking care of and valuing ourselves is more important than looking to others for approval. The concept of self-care is an important one for college students especially, as they balance schoolwork, extracurriculars and social lives.

“Self-care is difficult in college because an unhealthy focus is placed on ‘work hard, play hard.’ Get the grades, make the friends, don’t miss out on anything. The FOMO reigns supreme. So instead of taking time to pause, listen, eat well, sleep, turn off toxic media and leave toxic relationships, some college students are driven by the push of having more, doing more, being more, comparison and competition,” said APU campus pastor Brenda Bertrand.

Making self-care a priority is not only an important aspect of maintaining good physical and mental health, but it is also a Biblical mandate: “You shall keep my sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, given in order that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.  (Exodus 31:13, NRSV).

In this passage, the Lord reinforced his covenant with the Israelites. This covenant reflected God’s desire to be a priority in his people’s lives, but it also indicated that he cared about their physical well-being. By including a demand for self-care in his covenant with the Hebrews, the Lord established an important precedent for his people. Since Jesus’ establishment of the new covenant, all who follow Christ are God’s people and therefore have the privilege of following in the tradition of the sabbath—the tradition of self-care. He wants us to care for our bodies physically, mentally and spiritually. He doesn’t want us abusing the one thing He knitted so uniquely in our mothers’ wombs.

“College is the perfect place to develop habits that form lifelong rhythms toward health and wholeness. When caring for self becomes a priority, we will find the other areas of our lives and our relationships up to the level of our own care of self,” said Bertrand.  

Healthy rhythms include knowing when to decline a social outing when you know an evening at home or a longer night’s sleep will be better for your overall well-being, even if that means missing out on an Insta-worthy event. As college students and as Christians especially, we are not supposed to sprint to the finish line. We are supposed to enjoy the journeys and persevere through the trials we face. Once we have made the decision to take time for ourselves, we find that we are better able to recognize what we need to move toward a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle.

“When you set aside time for self-care, you create space for your head and your heart to get on the same page.  You allow time for self-examination to see if there are areas of your life where God would want you to pay closer attention,” said Laura Copeland, pastor of small groups at Saddleback Church.

Taking a step to change is not easy, yet it is not necessarily to drastically change your daily routine right now. It takes time, discipline and humility. Instead, begin by developing an awareness of what aspects of your life have a healthy balance of excitement and refueling, and which parts of your life are too draining or others-minded.

Thankfully, we serve a God who encourages us as we seek to develop healthy rhythms and who supports us even when our life begins to feel out of balance. He reminds us, “I will satisfy the weary, and all who are faint I will replenish” (Jeremiah 31:25, NRSV).

If you are feeling that the pressures of our fast-paced and social media-dominated society are overwhelming, often the best practice is to set aside a few minutes to simply sit in silence. Clear your head of the many demands for your attention, and listen for the still, small voice of the Lord. May we truly live out the Great Commandment of loving God with our whole heart, soul and mind and allow that to transform us from the deepest part of ourselves and overflow in our ability to love self and others more.

Bertrand articulated it well: “In the midst of this long and very private journey called the spiritual life, we are called to be still, to rest, to surrender, to trust—calling us to care for ourselves in response to the loving care of God.”