Spiritual Self Care Tips for Building Strength in Difficult Seasons of Life
How many of us have walked through a season where everything seemed to slow down, and not by choice? Let me tell you - that feels like a club none of us signed up for, but here we are. In our recent podcast episode, "Healing in Motion - Because It’s Not Over Until God Says So," Lauren's story gave me a front row seat to what real-life spiritual self care looks like, especially in finding God in hard times. Not the kind you find on a checklist or in a quick devotional, but the deep-down stuff that meets us right where we are, even when life takes an unexpected turn. When we talk about spiritual self care tips, we aren't talking about anything complicated, just the everyday practice of trusting God through waiting. We’re talking about small, daily choices to anchor ourselves to what is true, to what heals, and to what lasts. And that changes everything, spiritual encouragement through handwritten notes.
What Is Spiritual Self Care and Why Does It Matter When Life Gets Hard?
I don’t know about you, but spiritual self care tips never really landed with me until I hit a season where my usual rhythms broke down. We can go through the motions for a long time, can’t we? But when life throws a curveball, suddenly we have to learn to walk differently. Sometimes literally. In Lauren's story, she went from being on the go with a growing business, family, and dreams, to waking up and realizing she couldn't walk or talk overnight. Talk about a pause. And yet, her first move was pressing into her faith. She didn’t throw in the towel; she found her strength by leaning into God and the people who surrounded her, and by building authentic community during adversity.
Here’s the thing: spiritual self care tips are not “nice to have” – they are the anchor points we hold onto when the world is shaking. These little moments of prayer, scripture, worship, and gratitude practices for healing aren’t just background noise. They are the lifelines that pull us back to what is steady. For Lauren, even when her physical voice was taken for a time, she found her “voice” in other ways—through prayer, through online encouragement, through clinging to promises God put on her heart. Those are the basics of finding purpose in suffering in hard seasons. It's about deepening relationship with God, even as everything else feels unfamiliar.
How Do We Anchor Ourselves When Life Is Unpredictable?
Let me tell you about a pattern I’ve seen over and over (myself included). We tend to measure our days by how productive or strong we look on the outside. But true spiritual self care tips remind us to look inward and upward. Lauren’s recovery and faith journey reminds us all that we don’t get to control every outcome, but we do get to choose what we water.
- Pause for a few quiet minutes, no agenda except to breathe and remember God is near.
- Let scripture interrupt your routine, even if it’s only a single verse. Let it soak in.
- Pray simply—no big words, just honest words. God already knows your heart.
- Reach out to someone you trust and let them pray with you or for you.
These are simple spiritual self care tips, but sometimes the simplest things are most life-giving. Even as Lauren started physical therapy for her health, it was these spiritual rhythms that helped her keep moving, emotionally and mentally, too. She didn’t ignore her limits, but she refused to settle for defeat. That’s the heart of every one of us who wants to live in God’s purpose, even when our circumstances don’t look promising.
How Can We Care for Our Bodies and Souls Together?
Can I tell you something I’m learning in my own faith walk? We can’t separate spiritual self care tips from physical healing. That’s not just a nice thought—it’s biblical. Our bodies and souls are connected. The care we give one impacts the other. I used to think spiritual self care tips just meant more time reading my Bible or praying harder. I missed the part where God cares about my actual life—the way I rest, the way I move (or don’t move), the way I nourish my body, and the rhythms I keep or let go.
Let’s get practical here. When you’re in a tough season, pay attention to what your body is telling you. Are you running on empty? Are you ignoring the warning signs? For Lauren, it took a complete shutdown to realize how much she’d been pushing. She talked about having to slow down, say no, and get honest about caring for her body just as much as her spirit. These things belong together.
What Are Some Simple Ways to Practice Spiritual Self Care?
- Listen to worship music when you wake up or drive to work. Let those words be your intentions for the day.
- Keep a short prayer list in your phone. Jot down what’s heavy, then give it over to God, one at a time.
- Memorize a verse for the week. Repeat it every day, even when it’s not easy to believe yet.
- Take a walk and pray with each step. Physical movement often unlocks something spiritual.
- Practice gratitude—name what you still have, even in the hard places. Gratitude shifts our perspective fast.
I know when things get tough, we can push these things aside, but that’s often when we need spiritual self care tips the most. Try keeping one or two rhythms simple and consistent. That’s how it starts to change your heart and mind.
What Truths Carry Us When We Feel Stuck or Afraid?
I remember a moment in my own life when everything felt uncertain. Maybe you have moments like that, too. Here’s what I learned (the hard way, of course)—God’s promises do not expire when our health, our job, or our plans fall apart. Lauren held on to two scriptures through her hardest days. One was John 8:36 (CSB): "So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free." That verse was more than just a reminder. It was the hope she needed to remember this season was a moment, not a sentence. That’s the heartbeat of spiritual self care tips—coming back, again and again, to what is true even when we can’t feel it.
Let’s name a few lies we’re tempted to believe when seasons get tough and swap them for God’s truth.
- Lie: "This will never get better." Truth: Every season has an end. God does new things in the most unexpected places.
- Lie: "If I slow down, I’ll lose everything." Truth: Rest is not the enemy. Sometimes it is God’s greatest gift.
- Lie: "My faith isn’t strong enough." Truth: Even mustard seed faith moves mountains. Perfection is not required.
Spiritual self care tips always circle back to hope, not hype. They’re about rooting yourself in what lasts—God’s character, His promises, and community that covers you in prayer when your words run out. That’s what keeps us going, one step at a time.
How Do We Set New Rhythms After Hard Seasons?
You know what’s hard about healing? It usually takes longer than we want. Lauren talked about the long road of therapy, starting a new school, holding her family together, and learning to pace herself even as she returned to her dreams. I’ve felt that tension in my own life. There’s a temptation to jump back in all at once, but sometimes healing means moving slow and letting God write the pace.
Here are a few spiritual self care tips for setting new rhythms that sustain you (not just for a week, but for the year or the next season ahead).
- Start your day with a simple prayer. Not because you have to, but because you can. Invite God into your morning.
- Build mini-rest moments into your day. Take a stretch, breathe deeply, or pause for a short scripture.
- Reframe your to-do list around what actually matters. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is say no.
- Stay connected to community, even when you feel lonely. Reach out with a text or join a Bible study—let people in.
And let’s remember this together: spiritual self care tips aren’t a once-and-done thing. They’re habits that keep us close to Jesus, even when the story is not what we expected. Lauren said it best in the episode: Stay open to God’s voice, even if it comes in a form you didn’t see coming. That’s something we can all practice, and it’s one of the most life-changing spiritual self care tips I know.
What Happens When We Put Spiritual Self Care Into Practice Together?
There’s something beautiful that happens when a whole community chooses spiritual self care tips together. I see it in our podcast listeners, in my own small group, and in the countless faith stories that land in my inbox each week. We lift each other up, pray for each other, and lean on God’s promises side by side. That changes our neighborhoods, our schools, and our workplaces. When we choose one small step of spiritual self care—like pausing to pray, speaking scripture out loud, or reaching out to check on a friend—we make space for God to move in big ways.
Imagine what could change if we all took these spiritual self care tips seriously during our hardest seasons. We wouldn’t just survive. We’d build something stronger than we knew was possible. And that’s my hope—not just for you, but for our whole community.
Let’s Put It In Practice
Can I challenge you to pick one spiritual self care tip and live it out this week? Maybe it’s a daily prayer or a short walk where you talk honestly with God. Maybe you’ll call a friend and share what’s going on for real. Whatever it is, don’t keep it to yourself. Let it be a seed that grows not just in you, but in the people around you. And if you want to hear more encouragement and stories like Lauren's, listen to the full podcast episode "Healing in Motion - Because It’s Not Over Until God Says So." Let’s heal and hope together, one step and one day at a time.
If you have a story about caring for yourself spiritually and physically in a difficult season, I’d love to hear it. Reach out anytime. Our community is better when your perspective is in it.
Want more encouragement and practical faith tips? Check out other episodes of "Perspectives Into Practice" or connect with our resources for staying rooted in faith during life’s uncertainties. We’re in this together.
