I remember sitting in my high school art class as a senior–the only one I’ve ever taken since I had to to graduate–and my art teacher said, “Art is good for your brain!” Honestly, I always loved creating so part of me was like AMEN SISTER!, while the other part of me was a little more skeptical. But y’all, research shows that art has incredible health benefits. I’ve done the research for you because I just HAD to find out the truth. Art literally heals our brains, and as for my own personal experience, I can 100% attest to that.

If we mean to take up our crosses daily and follow Jesus, I think sometimes we get lost in the idea that we don’t need to actually take care of ourselves. Here’s the thing: Jesus took time to reset and refuel. If it was good enough for Jesus, shouldn’t it be good enough for us? Here are three ways I’ve created a self-care routine that isn’t selfish, but refuels my SOUL so that I can be more like Jesus.