Create a Self-Care Plan BEFORE You Need One!

Self-care has become the big buzzword in education. Everyone knows it’s important, but self-care practices aren’t necessarily the first thing you think of when you’re stressed.

So let’s develop a plan that you can pull out when you need it.

Step 1 – Think about what self-care practices you are currently doing when you’re stressed. Are your practices positive or negative?

Here are examples of some practices that would be considered positive:
Meditation, listening to music, reading, going for a walk, getting outside in nature, listening to music, calling, or visiting with a friend.

And here are examples of some practices that would be considered negative:
Overeating, drinking too much wine, biting your fingernails, withdrawing from family and friends, yelling at your kids or husband/partner.

No judgment here. Just identify these for yourself. What do you currently do when you’re stressed and is that practice a positive or a negative?

Step 2 – think about different areas of self-care, what you are currently doing in those areas, and what practices you might want to try.

Here are examples of each area of self-care and some practices in each.

Physical – eating healthy food, going to bed on time, exercising.

Emotional – acknowledging all the good that you are doing already, expressing emotions in a healthy way, expressing gratitude.

Social – making time for friends/family, asking for support, having regular date nights.

Spiritual – meditation, reading inspirational literature, Bible reading, spending time in nature.

Professional – developing time management skills, pursuing or maintaining positive relationships with co-workers, developing appropriate work-life “balance” (knowing that balance shifts in different seasons).

Financial – working on paying off debt, following a reasonable budget, avoiding credit card debt.

Psychological – spending time by yourself, avoiding digital devices for a period of time, journaling, learning a new skill.

Which practices are you currently doing in each area? Which practices could you try to incorporate?

Step 3 – make an “emergency self-care plan.”

You’ve probably heard the diet advice about having something healthy available when you get hungry so that you won’t reach for junk when you’re starving.

Making an emergency self-care plan is the same idea. When you’re under stress, you may not choose the healthiest options.

Think about helpful activities you could choose in the following areas, as well as what you think you should probably avoid.

Relaxation – what helps you relax? What is a harmful activity you should avoid?

Thought patterns – what would be helpful affirmations to tell yourself? What harmful thoughts should you avoid?

Social support – who would be supportive people? Who should you avoid?

Mood – what kinds of things tend to put you in a good mood? What could put you in a bad mood?