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Women World Leaders' Podcast


Jun 17, 2022

In this four-part series, Cindy Jacob Southworth, an AACC Certified Relationship Coach with Breakwater Ministries, explores the positive impact that self-care can have on a marriage relationship.  In Part 1 she focuses on the things that promote healthy physical self-care, and ways that couples can support one another in exercising those healthy habits.

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Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a Women World Leaders Podcast. I am your host Cindy Jacob Southworth, an AACC certified relationship coach with Breakwater Ministries, and part of the Women World Leaders leadership team, and I am coming to you from Cindy’s Porch. Today I want to talk to you about why self-care is so important in marriage, but first let’s go to God in prayer.

Heavenly Father, your word tells us that you care about every hair on our head and every movement we make, that you will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.Give us your wisdom as we seek to find ways to improve our own self- care, and help us to see the impact that will have on our marriage relationship. We love you Lord and we want to fulfill the purpose that you have for us here on earth. In Jesus’s precious name we pray, Amen.

Why is Self-Care so important in marriage?  In this series, we will explore the different aspects of self-care and see the impact it can have on your marriage. But first, let’s go to God in prayer:

Self-Care is a very important aspect of the marriage relationship, and is often overlooked until it gets waaaaayyyy out of balance. When each spouse is healthier and has a balance in the four areas of self-care, they will have a healthier relationship because they will be more fully present and able to invest more into the relationship. Many people share that when their health gets better, their marriage improves. Why is this?

Well, let’s take a look at the different aspects of self-care. I have broken them down into four categories:  Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual.

First, let’s take a look at the physical aspects of self-care. Taking care of ourselves physically means to make healthy food choices, exercise, have healthy sleep patterns, and maintain a balance in work and personal life.

Making decisions about our food choices can sometimes be a source of trouble for the couple who isn’t on the same page. When one spouse is committed to a healthy eating lifestyle, and the other spouse wants to frequent the fast-food drive-ins, this can be a conflict both physically and financially. If we fuel our bodies with junk, eventually our bodies will start operating like junk. In a year, the average American may eat roughly 3 pounds of sugar each week, totaling around 130 pounds annually. Americans also rely heavily on processed foods, to the point that these make up nearly 70% of their diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 35.7% of Americans are obese. In 2008, it was estimated that $147 billion dollars were spent on medical costs due to diseases caused by obesity, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. 

So food choices are important to keep ourselves physically healthy. It can be beneficial to your marriage for the two of you to plan your meals and spend time in food preparation together. You can have fun in the kitchen and take turns with clean-up or even do it together.

Exercise is also an important aspect of self-care. Many couples enjoy time at the gym together, taking walks, finding sports activities they can do together. You are taking care of your own body and doing something fun with your spouse at the same time.

Developing a healthy sleep pattern is also important for your self-care.  There is a reason why God designed our bodies to spend 1/3 of our life in an unconscious state. It’s during this state that our bodies recover from the daily activity and our immune systems recharge. When people do not have healthy sleep patterns, the result is physical sickness, overweight, forgetfulness, and depression.

Your smartphone begins the day with 5 bars and 100% battery, but throughout the day, that battery starts to get depleted and by the end of the day it’s two bars and 8% battery. It’s time for a recharge.

It’s the same with our bodies. Eventually, our batteries are depleted and can only be recharged with sleep and relaxation. Talk with your spouse about how you can develop better sleep habits so that you can optimize your personal health and have more energy and focus for your marriage.

A fourth aspect of physical self-care is to maintain a balance between your work life and your personal life. Many couples complain that there isn’t enough time for each other because their spouse is constantly on their phone, tablet, or computer. Long after the work day has ended, they are still working. There is a belief that their value comes from their work, and this negatively affects the marriage relationship. The other spouse complains about feeling lonely in the relationship, and resents the amount of attention their spouse is giving to the company, the organization, or the church. Make sure you evaluate the amount of time you are working and allocate time for self-care and your marriage.

To sum it up, spend some time making a list of changes that you need to personally make to improve your physical self-care in the areas of food choices, exercise, rest, sleep, and a balance of work and personal life. Then sit down with your spouse and discuss how you can support and encourage one another as you make these changes.

On my next podcast, I will discuss the importance of mental self-care and how it impacts your marriage relationship.

I would love to hear from you, so drop me an email at Cindysporch@gmail.com   Send me your ideas for relationship advice. What would you like to hear about on this podcast that has to do with marriage? Send me your questions.

 Thank you so much for joining us today—as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry, and the world!

Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as we explore together God’s extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at www.womenworldleaders.com to submit a prayer request,  and support the ministry. Don’t forget to sign up for a free subscription to our Voice Of Truth Magazine. Check out upcoming events in south Florida. From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders. All content is copyrighted by Women World Leaders and cannot be used without express written consent.