Why Creating a Self-Care Plan is Crucial
Self-care, from my experiences, is crucial in our lives when it comes to looking after ourselves and our mental health. Sometimes creating a self-care plan can be really beneficial for a person’s health and well being! In today’s article, I will briefly talk about self care and how self care routines can be really beneficial!
What is Self-Care?
When I was younger in high school, I always got the impression that “self-care” involved going to the spa or doing a face mask. As I have learned growing up and as a university student, self-care is so much more. Maybe you already know what self-care is and do self-care for yourself. If not, that is perfectly okay! I am here to talk about, not endorse, the benefits of partaking in self care. Self-care is about doing activities that help us take care of our physical, emotional and mental well-being. Self-care isn't selfish, rather, self-care involves taking the time for YOU. As well, there are many different types of self care that a person can practice and focus on! Below I have attached a summary of the different types of self-care that one can focus on followed by an example of each.😊
Self-Care Routines and Plans
Taking the time out of the day for self-care is important for our overall health! Whether it be going for a walk, gaming or spending time with loved ones. Each type of self care and the ideas you come up with for yourself are so so valuable. As a busy university student myself, I find it hard sometimes to look after myself when life gets busy. Self-care becomes even harder when my schedule becomes full of events, appointments and so on. For myself, I find it so so crucial to have a self-care plan in order to make sure I take care of my mental health.
A person can incorporate self-care into their daily life or they can make a routine plan out of it. Each self-care plan can be different as there is no right or wrong way to do self care. There are many different ways of making a plan or routine as well! For example:
- Creating a to do list or schedule to follow daily/weekly.
- Creating phone or email reminders
- Downloading a self-care related app (I have used "Aloe Bud" for IOS)
- Writing down goals
For myself, I always like to have reminders on my phone or devices to remind me that I need to take care of myself. I also made a self care plan that I follow for myself weekly depending on what works best during my weeks ahead.
Creating a Self-Care Plan
Creating a plan or routine may seem a bit daunting at first! I have been there before. For myself, I have found really good resources online about starting a self-care routine. Below I'll describe some basic steps on how to create a self-care plan (for those who are interested of course). There is no pressure to create a self care plan as I share these tips from my experiences 😊
1) Identify and organize different categories of self care from your life
Here you can list all the different important areas of your life, and can place them into certain categories of self care. For example,
- Work
- Relationships
- Physical
- Emotional
- Spiritual
2) List different and beneficial activities that you can do under each category
Here you can start to list off and group some activities that will benefit you in each of your self-care categories. For example,
-Physical: Sleep, exercise, swimming, yoga,
-Spiritual: Meditation, prayer, go to church, spending time in nature, mindfulness,
-Emotional: positive affirmations, listening to music, blogging, reading
3) Write down any barriers that can prevent you from doing your self-care plan
Here you can start to think about any barriers in your life that may keep you from practicing self care! You could also list down some positive ways of coping with these barriers in your life and identify how often you wish to practice your self-care strategies.
For example, I know for myself that school can be really tough. Midterms, final exams and projects can be very overwhelming and can take up so much of my time. For myself, this is one big barrier in practicing self-care. One way that I cope with this barrier, is planning out my day so that I can have at least 15-30 minutes of my time during a busy day devoted just to self care.
Self-care can be really important including for our mental health. Having a self-care plan as well can be really beneficial for our overall well-being. Thank you so much for reading my article today about self care! Even if you don't follow self-care, I thank you for taking the time to read. Below I have a link to a self-care worksheet that you or someone you know could use if you are wanting to make a self care plan.
Please leave me any feedback or questions you may have about anything at all. As well, feel free to share this post around to others who may need this. Please follow for more updates on this blog as well if you would like. Take care everyone💓
Hello April. I am a Pastor from Mumbai India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the fblog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connected with you as well as know you and about your interest in volunteering. You have given best tips on How we should create a self Care Plan. Very beneficial. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged stengthened and praying for one another. I ahave been in the Pastoral ministry for last 41yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest o f rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokeneharted. WE also encourage young and the adults from the west to come toMumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have yo come to Mumabi to work with us during your vacationtime. I am sure you will have a life changing experience. Looking foward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you your family and friends also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centered rest of the year 2020. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede.
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