Managing Marriage and Mental Health “Combatting Anxiety and Depression in Order to Improve Communication, Trust, and Intimacy in Marriage”Uzorak

Self-Care is a form of taking care of Your Mental Health!

“Don’t you realize that together you have become God’s inner sanctuary and that the Spirit of God makes his permanent home in you” 1 Corinthians 3:16 (TPT)

Your body (to include your mind) is the temple of the Lord. It is the holy dwelling place of God on the earth. In the Old Testament scriptures, God revealed his presence by filling the temple with a cloud of glory (Exodus 40:35). In the New Testament, the church (you and I) is the sanctuary or holy place where God’s Spirit lives (1 John 4). 

In 1 Corinthians 3:16, the Apostle Paul is reminding believers that we are the temple of the Lord. We are God’s holy shrine, his sanctuary. 

When temple sermons or teachings go forth in a ministry setting, we hardly hear anything related to self-care and its role in taking care of our temple. However, as the temple of the Lord, it is our spiritual duty to ensure that we are tending to the temple regularly.

Not only does practicing self-care help us preserve the temple, but it may also help to reduce the effects of anxiety and or depression and may lessen episodic events. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”

That definition alone provides a foundation for what you can do to promote a healthier lifestyle that will ultimately improve your marital health. The scope of self-care is beyond spa day. Although going to the spa can be pleasant for many, it is encouraged that self-care includes taking care of your physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and professional health. Paying close attention to each of these areas within reason can increase your quality of life and marriage. 

Taking time to care for yourself helps you to notice emotional and physical changes or changes in routine. These changes can be an indicator that you need to reflect and take a deeper look within. Self-care helps you to manage changes in your mood, attitude, behavior, and sleep. You will also be more alert when your coping skills are no longer working, and you will know that some attention and adjustments are needed.

A large part of your continued healing is taking care of your entire self. Though this can seem exhausting and timely, it is necessary to manage your marriage and mental health.

Reflection: Pick a day this week to practice any form of self-care from the five types I mentioned. Try to make this a habit weekly or bi-weekly or as much as you need.