Much love has been poured out in recent months; people supporting local businesses, delivering food boxes and reaching out to others. As we step into a new year, we are reminded that we need to show love to ourselves as well. One way we can do that is by taking steps to care for our own mind, body and spirit at the most fundamental levels.

A friend recently shared a story about her visit with someone who had been struggling mentally, emotionally and physically. When asked to explore what he was really missing and needed more than anything else to get better, it came down to three things: Restoration, Hope and Progress. What this man discovered is truly at the core of what each one of us needs to be well.

Restoration – Our bodies have a built-in mechanism for that. It’s called sleep. If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, it’s amazing to see how clean the park is. Despite thousands of people, including children with ice cream cones, overtaking the park each day, it looks immaculate. For that to happen, a whole crew works all night long to make it look perfect for each new day. Believe it or not, you have a whole Disneyland crew working in your body while you sleep, making necessary repairs, sprucing things up and even helping you retain what you learned during the previous day. We need to give that crew eight hours of quality time each night to get that job done. Setting a regular bedtime, and sticking closely to it on weekends, is important for restoration.

Hope – Remember the TV show, Cheers? Or how about Friends or The Big Bang Theory? What each of these has in common is a sense of belonging among the show’s characters. It sounds cliché but it really is true that sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. That’s because having a sense of connection with others is vital to our well-being. Belonging to a faith community, support group or fitness class is a great way to build connection; as is joining a club with a shared interest, be it quilting, books, dungeons or dragons.  Just getting together regularly with a friend for coffee can fill this need. Even in our current, virtual world, there are ways to gather and share a common experience.

Progress – To move forward. To have a sense of accomplishment is critical for our well-being. The two most important ingredients for making progress are what we eat and how we move. Wait, what? It’s true. Because food and activity are how we derive our energy, these are the two most fundamental things we need to progress toward any goal. Making small steps to our daily habits is progress in and of itself. When we eat healthier foods and exercise regularly, we have more energy, think more clearly, and are more productive.

As you ease into 2021, what small changes will you make to bring Restoration, Hope and Progress into your life?