Blogger: Rachelle Gardner
I used to be one of those people who says things like, “Oh, I only get about five hours of sleep a night. That’s all I need.”
Or, “I just don’t have the luxury of going to the gym. I’m way too busy.”
But over the last few years, I’ve realized that optimum performance in life and work suffers if we don’t tend to our physical health. This includes getting enough sleep and exercise. Our bodies were created with certain needs, and we can’t function our best if those needs aren’t met.
An Exercise in Humility
I wonder if these needs serve, in part, to keep us humble. They remind us that we’re human and limited. By thinking I could circumvent the natural requirements of my physical body, I was being arrogant. I acted like I was somehow special, exempt from normal physical limitations.
Certain religious traditions have a long history of denying the body’s needs as a way of life and a path to God. I’m not arguing with that. I rarely hear anyone claiming not to need sleep or exercise because they’re trying to become more spiritually enlightened. It’s because they’re so busy, have so much work to do, have goals and dreams that simply can’t be fit into the normal day. They’re sacrificing for a higher purpose.
I get that—it’s what I used to say. And I think it’s okay for limited periods of time to allow yourself to go without some of the necessities.
Are We Above It?
It’s well-known that sleep and exercise are necessary for us to function at our peak. Yet many of us don’t get enough of either. Do we really think we’re above the natural limitations of our bodies? Are we kidding ourselves, thinking we’re functioning optimally, when we could be doing better if we were healthier?
And why does our culture seem to put so much pressure on us to accomplish so much in our days, our weeks, our years?
I’ve been pondering all of this as I’ve tried to take better care of myself—sort of an experiment in cultivating humility by sleeping more and exercising daily. It forces me to admit I can’t “do it all”—I am human, and limited, and therefore I have to make choices. All of this is somehow helping me feel more peaceful and whole—even while lamenting that I don’t have enough hours in the day.
What about you? How are you taking care of yourself these days? Have you ever thought about the relationship between a humble attitude and recognizing the need to take care of yourself?
Image copyright: fascinadora / 123RF Stock Photo
Great post, Rachelle! The transparency is awesome, and the advice of discipline-through-self-care-and-humility is very valuable.
* Humility, however, has never been one of my failings. I always felt that I could use will to overcome the frailty of the flesh – pain is, after all, weakness being forced from the body. And this DID place me on a higher plane than almost anyone I met, at least through my mirrored Oakleys. I was not only stronger and more resilient – I was better. (This included 3-4 workout hours every day, including Christmas.)
* And I was more spiritual, because I was and am a Soto Zen practitioner; being whacked with a hickory stick is part of the meditative process. The more I could purge excuses based on ‘being only human’, the closer I could come to a mind that was a still pond, reflecting only God. The completely disciplined body is the doppelganger of the completely restful mind.
* To those of you who are saying, “I KNEW this dude was three quarts short of a gallon!”, I’d have to agree, at least insofar as things like marriage, ministry, and normal (not combat) friendships go. I was a dingbat outta he**, and laughing myself stupid.
* However, in the situation in which I find myself today, I could not have asked for better preparation. Terminal cancer does not admit kindly self-care; this is utmost savagery, and who better to execute the fight than a savage, uncaring of anything but the win? I’m supposed to be four years in the grave. I’m not, and each day sets a new personal best.
* So tonight I will eat a meal I would rather not face, sleep an hour or so, and spit blood at the new day.
* At the end of tomorrow, the sun will go down. I won’t.
Dad gum, you’re inspiring.
Jennifer, reading your comment below…I’m privileged to metaphorically take a knee to honour a great and inspiring lady.
Andrew … you are the strongest person I know.
Shelli, all I can say is, Thank you. With all my heart. But do know that my continued ability to stand comes in very large measure from my friends, from you.
I can’t really imagine that … but that makes me so happy. 🙂
Wow, Andrew. Just wow. My petty complaints are such poor excuses for my character flaws. Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you so much, Sue.
Andrew, as I’ve said before. You inspire me. Continuing to pray for you, friend.
Jeanne, thanks so much; I do appreciate and need the prayers. On top of everything else, recovery from a severe concussion is kind of slow, and frustrating. Very hard to regain continuity of thought.
My body felt pretty much the same until I reached my 50’s. Then it started yelling (creaking, actually) for attention. Twice now, I’ve had issues for which exercise is the cure. Duh!
*Exercise now, or exercise later–with pain.
*I once tried to deny myself sleep for a spiritual purpose. Inspired by stories of saints who prayed for hours in the dark of night, I started setting my alarm an hour earlier for prayer. I found myself dozing off while praying, groggy in the car and struggling to focus on the computer. God nudged me, “Child, I didn’t call you for that. Those old saints didn’t have a two-hour daily commute!” Now, my car is my prayer closet. Me and God, on the road again.
I tried nightlong meditation for awhile too, Shirlee…and then I realized while driving one day that I might achieve full communion with God rather earlier than intended .
I love praying as I fall asleep … it might be a short prayer or a long one (usually short since I fall asleep pretty fast) … And wow, I’m definitely feeling some joint pain now … started a few months ago. It’ll get better, then get worse … like it can’t make up its mind. Maybe cold weather/rain related. Seems like it might be. Ugh. If I keep walking, I do pretty good … it’s when I sit and get up to walk. Ugh. 🙂
Love this, Shirlee. As I edge nearer the big 5-0, my body doth protest more too. Of course, tearing my ACL last year didn’t do much toward helping me become more disciplined at exercising. It’s one of the things I’m going to be intentional about this year.
*Praying in the car—that’s a great solution for using time wisely!
A few months ago I had another flare up that landed me in the hospital for 8 days. I have a disease that can’t be cured but normally can be controlled. This stay was different. I realized each day is a blessing and I need to take better care of myself inside and out.
I’ve lost weight since getting back on my feet and I have a positive attitude for almost everything. It’s been the best months of my life.
So true, Tina, that every day is a blessing. All too many potentially nice days are sacrificed on the altar of Someday, but as the song says, “Someday Never Comes”.
Yes … those days of sickness make you realize how precious just walking outside is … we take so much for granted. I’m so thankful you are on the road to recovery.
Rachelle, I loved this post. I’m continually challenged in the area of sleep and exercise. Somehow, they feel somewhat optional in my decision-making process. My One Word for this year is Intentional. One of the things God has shown me we will be focusing on is being more intentional about my health. I’m working on figuring out how to integrate consistent exercise into my days. And I’m working to get to bed earlier.
*I hadn’t thought about the humility aspect of taking care of myself. I love the correlation you brought out, Rachelle. I hadn’t considered how admitting my weakness, my need for rest and exercise, keeps me in a humble state. I’ll be pondering this today!
As Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”
I’ve really struggled with this in the past two years. I was doing really well on my heath journey – regular rigorous exercise and fueling my body with real, good food. Then my life exploded. My father-in-law passed away, I spent 6 weeks as a single parent in a new country while my husband cared for his mother (something I was honored to do), and I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease. By the time the diagnosis came, I was nearly non-functional, the fatigue was so great. Since then, we’ve moved back to the U.S. (not by our choice), started new careers, and I’ve struggled to find any sort of exercise that doesn’t drain me more than I already was. Just in the last month have I finally felt like I can muster the mental/emotional energy to make some small, positive changes. So, I’m participating in a 30-day challenge that focuses on the spirit first – it’s a faith THEN food challenge. There’s devotionals, 10-minute workouts, shopping lists, recipes and support. I’m really looking forward to it because I remember how much better I was – for myself and my people – when I was taking care of the Temple God has given me.
Jennifer, you’ve been through so much. And wow … I just have a new appreciation for the aging process … I don’t know how my sweet grandfather limped around with bad knees for so long.
Wow, Jennifer. That’s A LOT to be dealing with. I’m glad you’re feeling healthy enough to participate in that challenge. May it draw you closer to God while strengthening your temple.
I, too, was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease after experiencing a total reprieve from hypothyroidism for about a five year period. Then, like you, Jennifer, everything went far, far ‘south.’ Sleeping did no good to relieve the debilitating fatigue. My heart pounded constantly. I could barely drag myself out of bed after sleeping 12+ hours. I went to my gynecologist for a hormone implant, thinking it would help me feel normal again. He told me it was too soon for an implant and promptly ordered blood work. Diagnosis? Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune thyroid condition. Months of gradual medication increases helped, but something was still wrong. I felt horrible. One day, in Bible class, I asked for prayer and told my classmates I truly felt I was going to die soon. After class, my friends clustered around and gave hugs, promising to pray. On the way home, I reminded myself that I’m a fighter and decided I wasn’t going to die without giving this thing every ounce of fight I had left. At home, I felt led to my computer. I sat for hours, reading everything I could find about Hashimoto’s disease. In one of the medical articles, I learned that Hashimoto’s patients should eat gluten free and, specifically, must avoid all foods that contain wheat in any form. Wheat protein is almost identical to thyroid hormone. If wheat is consumed, the immune system ‘thinks’ the thyroid gland is producing too much hormone. In response, the immune system attacks and begins to kill the thyroid gland. I immediately began to eat gluten free. Within two days, I felt like a new woman! As an added bonus, my fibromyalgia improved. Thanks to the fervent prayers of friends and my loving God who isn’t done with me yet, I knew I was going to be sticking around to bug my family and friends for many more years.
I’m pretty strong in discipline, but I’ve never been very strong physically. I’m definitely a girl. Lol. I could never do monkey bars in school and was always the last picked for a sports team. And I’d always get picked for Red Rover to come over because I couldn’t break through hands. A stomach virus can take me face down in 60 seconds. I’ve always needed sleep, the required amount. If I don’t go to bed at a decent time, my body starts shutting down. I can’t keep my eyes open. So I’ve always had to get sleep, whether I wanted to or not. I’ve been slacking off in exercise, so I’ve been trying to work on that. And my mom always talked about “Arthur … Old Arthur” … I think I’ve finally met the scoundrel. My fingers and joints have been a little sore, and I woke up this morning with my little finger popping into fisted place like a Barbie doll joint. I’m calling the doctor today. Lol. 🙂
Ugh, yes, good ole Author. I must say I’m not a fan. One of the side effects of Hashi’s is joint point and boy oh boy do I have that. Thankfully it’s not constant, and high-dose vitamin D works WONDERS, but there are days….
I can also totally relate to your experiences as a kid – I was the exact same way. I could never even do a full pull-up in P.E. and always failed that part of the curriculum.
I started taking more Vitamin D … I think I may need more.
Shelli, I started to get arthritis in my hands in my early 40s. It even hurt to crank down a car window or shake hands. I started taking qlucosamine and chondroitin. Works like a charm for me and I’ve been symptom-free for 21 years. You might give it a try. It’s a dietary supplement, so it’s not FDA controlled. Some brands work better than others. Contact me for which ones I’ve found work best. It doesn’t work as well for my husband, but it’s helped several friends as much as it has me.
Ahhh, Shelli. You with sleep and me with food. I’ve never done well when it came to fasting for longer than a few hours. My body won’t have it. But sleep? That’s been my challenge. Becoming disciplined in getting more sleep is another thing I’m working on this year. It’s necessary to function at my peak.
*And Old Arthur has been visiting me too. Sigh.
One thing that may be important is that kind self-care is an absolute requirement to be able to care compassionately for others.
* Tacitus wrote the cautionary tale, in Book One of the Annals, describing Rufus, a centurion and camp prefect who had been an ordinary soldier, and who, having endured that life, was all the sterner for it, and thus had no problem assigning heavy burdens to the men in his command.
* Roundly disliked by the men under him, Rufus was caught up in a mutiny, and the rebels jeered and mocked him, forcing Rufus to carry the heavy loads he’d forced them to carry. His strength availed him a sort of respect based on fear, but that is the kind that easily boils over into hatred.
I’m both humble, and incredibly, seriously Biblical epic levels of self absorbed. Ask my husband and my friends. Whoa, I should’ve come with a tiara!
But long story short, If I don’t take care of me, I won’t last long.
Vanity and pride can push us outside what is good for us, humility means knowing our limits and having the strength to stay within them.
Well said, Jennifer. Knowing our limits and staying within them. That’s key. 🙂
The range of “normal” sleep requirements stretches from about 5 hours to about 10. I’ve always run on the shorter end (6-7 if I don’t set an alarm). Getting “too much” sleep actually makes me feel worse. For me, humility has no bearing on whether I run on less sleep. God just gave me the energizer bunny metabolism, and I still have it in my early 60s. My mother had it into her late 70s. I just had enforced “rest” time with the cracked pelvis, and I am so thankful that I’m almost back to where I can be a bunny again. I’m burning so little energy while I convalesce that my body’s perfectly happy with 5.5-6 hours without any alarm.
*My weakness is not getting enough cardiovascular exercise. I know that’s poor stewardship on my part, but I just haven’t made it a priority. As soon as I can use my legs normally again, I need to start taking better care of the “temple.” Thanks for reminding me that it’s important to do that, Rachelle.
Carol, I know those injuries definitely take time to recover from. You’re amazing in needing that little sleep! I can function on that amount, but I don’t thrive on it. I hope your recovery continues to go well and that you are able to be moving around again soon!
Thanks for this reminder. I’m beginning the One Year Bible and the creation account reminded me anew of the need for rest. The idea that God rested on the seventh day struck me this year in a new way. I so often think of “rest” as “doing nothing.” Your post is a good reminder that my “definition” of “rest” needs to be adjusted.
If anyone’s doing a One Word 2017, I think I’ve found mine, and would love some feedback. It seems to be apropos for self-care, at least my version thereof.
* It’s not actually a word; it’s a sentence, from the film “Hamburger Hill”.
– “You don’t have to like it, but you have to show up.”
That fits you, Andrew. I like it.
Thanks, Jeanne!
I like it, Andrew. Fits you perfectly, but it’s good for the rest of us as well.
Thanks, Carol. I really like it.
Andrew, your One-Word can be two words: SHOW UP. Short. Visual. Memorable. Works as well whispered as shouted.
Thank you!! This is just what I needed. I always felt selfish taking time out for exercise (even while cheering others on in their exercise regimes!) This angle of humility, not being able to do it all, will help me immensely!
Humility doesn’t mean thinking you’re no good, it means knowing your place. And using common sense like the things you suggest is a form of humility. We know we’re not super-humans.