Once you’ve gone through overwhelm, it’s important to remember that recovery and renewal are possible. Grab a cup of tea and get comfortable as I share how to care well for yourself as you recover and renew. 

By God’s design, women are life givers like our mother Eve.

We constantly think of ways to nurture others and give them our hearts, time and resources to strengthen them in their journeys.  

But often we don’t give life to ourselves in the process.

Taking the time to ask questions could unlock the key to bringing more self-awareness to our self-care.

Deeper questions such as, “What is slowing me down and keeping me from moving ahead in my life and with my goals?”

One answer could be hiding in our relationships.

Relationships and friendships are where we experience some of our most significant moments. Sometimes we must remove the stress from them so that we can live with more freedom. Another good question to consider is, “Which relationships do I need to have in my life right now?”

Cleaning up our relationships helps us live lives that matter and are abundant. And it’s very important to remove toxic relationships from your life so that you can focus on cultivating the life-giving relationships that help you grow.

Jesus ministered to the multitudes and had 12 disciples but only an inner circle of close confidants that included three people. Take a tip from His example: Not everyone is meant to be in your inner circle.

1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us that, “Bad company spoils good morals.” Look at the people in your life. You are a representation of the five people you spend the most time with. Are they causing you to live your life with purpose or are they provoking you? Do they celebrate you? Or do they crush your dreams? Are you comfortable being a mirror and a reflection of them? Don’t waste your valuable time with people who set you back.  

I have five tips that can help you get rid of toxic relationships in your life:

• Eliminate disruptive people from your life. If individuals are not helping you grow and build into your life, let them go. This includes real-life friends, Facebook friends, and even family members.
• Let negative people go. If you’re constantly around negative people eventually they will rub off on you. Learn how to love people but also hold them at a distance if they enjoy living in negativity.
• Embrace grace. Position yourself around people who are forgiving and kind. We all need grace, truth, and time to develop as healthy people.
• Friendships are not meant to last a lifetime all the time. There are seasons to relationships and different types of relationships. Not everybody is meant to be an intimate friend. If you don’t have the same values, be careful how you collaborate with someone.
• Use social media wisely. We’re in a time where we don’t have much discernment for giving people access to our lives online. In making my decision to unfriend someone, I consider my connection to that person and whether I interacted with them recently. If the answer is no, I declutter my friends on social media and bring more freedom to my living.

Proverbs 13:20 tells us, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise.” When it comes to being a remarkable woman, I want to surround myself with wise women, not foolish women. What about you?

Share a comment below and how you will take inventory of your relationships and free up your life a bit more.