Self Care Planning

Self-Care

We may hear about self-care while in therapy or in our everyday experiences. Self-Care is anything that we do purposefully to take care of ourselves. It is important that we pay attention to the physical, mental and emotional, personal, professional and spiritual parts of us. Self-Care is exclusive to each person and having a self-care plan can lead to a healthier happier you. The list below can help you think about your own self-care plan and what you may need to do for yourself.  When creating this plan, we ideally should be looking to include all of these areas into our lives.

Physical Wellbeing;

• Exercising; at least 30 minutes five times a week.
• Sleep 7- 10 hours per night.
• Taking care of your medical needs is essential and making an appointment when you need is an important part of your self-care.

Emotional and Mental Wellbeing;

• Writing a Journal
• Going to therapy, find a therapist in your surrounding area or online counselling. Therapy is for everyone, and if you have anything in your life that may be difficult to deal with therapy can help build your awareness. If you become aware you have choices to make, your life could be a more fulfilling experience.
• Awareness of those that have the potential to drain your resources. Don’t be afraid to set limits with people in your life.
• Surround yourself with supportive people.
• Affirm yourself in what you do. This will build your self-confidence.

Personal Wellbeing:

• Find something that helps you relax. Take a bath, have a cup of tea, go for a massage, get your hair done, play sport, yoga etc.
• Turn off your phone.
• Challenge yourself and do something that you would have liked to do for years.
• Be aware of activities that may not be appropriate for your self-care needs. Too much TV and internet could leave you excluded from the world, staying connected can help people to feel a part of something. Teams or groups may be a good place to start.

Professional Wellbeing:

• Read a book
• Record your wins
• Take regular breaks
• Say no when it is necessary

Spiritual Wellbeing:

• Write out your values
• Spend time in nature
• Meditate or pray
• Forgive yourself

Making self-care a priority is investing in you. When we invest in ourselves others around us automatically benefit. There are many reasons why it may be hard to begin thinking about a self-care plan and implementing it. If you are finding this difficult I would love to support you to make yourself a priority via online counselling. You owe yourself the love and support you so freely give to other people.