July 24 is designated Self-Care Day by the World Health Organization as part of Self-Care Month (June 24 – July 24). This symbolic day (24/7) was chosen because “self-care can be practiced 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” As an encouragement to practice self-care, we at Sanctuary are happy to offer this new meditation from registered psychologist, author, and Sanctuary Ambassador Hillary McBride, PhD.
Self-care can take many forms depending on the individual. In The Sanctuary Course, self-care is defined as any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health (this definition comes from Elizabeth Scott’s “5 Self-Care Practices for Every Area of Your Life,” published by Verwell Mind). In session seven of The Sanctuary Course, you can find more information about self-care and practices that support mental health and wellbeing.
We encourage you to take ten minutes of quiet space to listen to this guided meditation, which includes a breathing and imaginative exercise to focus your mind and body. Meditation is a practice that can be beneficial for reducing stress and promoting mental and emotional health, as well as having other positive effects. Christians in particular have practiced meditation for centuries as a way of drawing closer to God. We encourage you to listen to this meditation as a way of reconnecting with yourself and with God, who created breath and light—and you.
You can find additional meditations and information about self-care from Sanctuary here:
Meditation and Self-Care during COVID-19 by Hillary McBride
A Calm Place: Meditation with Hillary McBride
An Invitation by Kate Dewhurst
Self-Compassion: A Rhythm for Life by Alastair Sterne
Making Bread and Being Human by Leslie Roberts
Hillary McBride
Hillary is a therapist, researcher, speaker and writer. She loves to help see people grow, heal, change, and come into more fullness in themselves and their relationships. She is passionate about the wellbeing of all people, and wants to make psychology and academic research accessible to a wide variety of people.
Hillary’s work has been recognized by both the American and Canadian Psychological Associations, and she was recently awarded the International Young Investigator Award for her research contributions so early in her career. Her first book is Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are (Post Hill Press, 2017), and she is the editor of a textbook, Embodiment and Eating Disorders: Theory, Research, Prevention and Treatment (Routledge, 2018). Her most recent book is The Wisdom of Your Body (Brazos Press, 2021).
Crisis Resources
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries does not provide medical or therapeutic advice. If you are in distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please call the crisis line in your area or emergency services.
For your quick reference, here are nationwide emergency numbers and crisis lines:
Canada: 911, Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (in British Columbia, you can also call 310-6769 for emotional support, information, and resources specific to mental health. Note: this is a 7 digit phone number. There is no need to add 604 or 778 before the number.)
United States: 911, Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255
United Kingdom: 999/112, Samaritans: 116 123
New Zealand: 111, 1737, Lifeline Aotearoa: 0800-543-354
Australia: 000, Lifeline: 13 11 14