I haven’t had a free weekend since the Christmas holiday. This Memorial Day weekend was full of time with my husband, our Holy Father, walking outside, meditation, reflecting on those who have served this country, talking with family, and cooking. These are some of the things I do to keep myself grounded, provide self-care, and help slow down time. As a military spouse and entrepreneur, I’m passionate about advocating for military families, but I have learned I can’t help others if I don’t take care of myself first.

Living with autoimmune conditions has taught me to prioritize myself. Through counseling, I learned that stress can worsen the situation, so I have new habits that balance me. This weekend, I leaned into some of those habits to help me recharge, especially meaningful on Memorial Day, when we honor those who gave their lives for our country.

My husband has a nice long weekend, and I wanted to do some activities that he enjoys. We saw Captain America: Brave New World at the base movie theater yesterday. As we sit out in the hot tub as the sun set, we watch mama and papa redtail hawk tend to the babies, and follow the bats as they swoop around for their nightly meal. If the skies are clear, we stargaze. This morning, I made fresh tortillas for his week ahead, and then made him breakfast featuring those warm tortillas. Tonight we may play a video game, a small gesture to say “thank you” for his service.

Talking with family is important to me. I lost my grandmother, my last grandparent, a year ago. I have made it a point to call my Uncle as many nights as possible. I share my knowledge of homeownership and just check in. With the school year over, some of my family is gathering this week to celebrate. I love seeing pictures of my niece and nephew having fun and experiencing new things.

One hour a day is spent with our Holy Father. In the morning, I take 20 minutes to pray. When I go for a walk by myself, I listen to 40 minutes of the Bible, or I play it while I am cooking if I stay home. For the past year and a half, I have been on a spiritual journey, reading the Bible from beginning to end to deepen my relationship with God. I haven’t felt like I have had a good relationship with the Lord, and with the chaos of military life, it was time to find peace.

Cooking is fun, relaxing, and a science experiment you can comfortably do at home. Living with autoimmune conditions, I have learned through research that the food we put into our bodies matters. I have been following what they call an autoimmune paleo diet, eating real food using basic seasonings–fruit for something sweet and minimally processed foods. I can manage my anxiety, sleepless nights, and have the strength to advocate and run my business.

The last thing that I do every night before I go to bed is meditate. Sometimes I do this while in the hottub and other times I do this just before I fall asleep. I visualize the day’s stress leaving my body, and then I try to clear my mind. I am not successful with this every night. I sometimes need guided meditation, or I focus on my breathing and what I feel or hear in the room. Meditation helps me manage my anxiety, so I can focus on growing my business and supporting military spouses.

Self-care fuels my ability to be an entrepreneur and advocate for military families. Without it, I couldn’t mentor, network, or push for solutions to employment challenges. What are your go-to self-care practices? Share one thing you do to unwind in the comments, or tag a friend who inspires you to prioritize yourself. Let’s inspire each other!

Originally published on LinkedIn on May 26, 2025. [Read it here]