Like happiness, self-care means different things. However, let’s first determine a common understanding or definition, of self-care…
The following worksheet for assessing self-care is not exhaustive, merely suggestive. Feel free to add areas of self-care that are relevant for you and rate yourself on how often and how well you are taking care of yourself these days.
Rate the following areas according to how well you think you’re doing:
- 3= I do this well (e.g. frequently)
- 2=I do this okay (e.g. occasionally)
- 1=I barely or rarely do this
- 0=I never do this
- ? This never occurred to me
Physical Self-Care
_____Eat regularly eat (.e.g.. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
_____Eat healthily
_____Exercise, get regular medical care for prevention, get medical care when needed
_____Take time off when sick, get massages
_____Dance, swim, walk, run, play sports, same, just some other fun physical activity
____Take time to be sexual (with myself with a partner)
_____Get enough sleep
_____Other:
Psychological Self-Care
_____Take day trips or mini-vacations
_____Make time away from telephones, email, and the internet. Make time for self-reflection
_____Notice my inner experience -listen to my thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, feelings
_____Have my own personal psychotherapy
_____Write in a journal
_____Read literature that is unrelated to work
_____Do something at which I am not expert or in charge
_____Attend to minimizing stress in my life
_____Engage my intelligence in a new area, e.g. go to an art show, sports event, theatre
_____Be curious.
Emotional Self-Care
_____Spend time with others whose company I enjoy
_____Stay in contact with important people in my life
_____Give myself affirmations, praise myself
_____Love myself
_____Re-read favorite books review favorite movies
_____Identify comforting activities, objects, people, places and seek them out
_____Allow myself to cry
_____Find things that make me laugh
_____Express my outrage and social action, letters, donations, marches, protests
_____Others
Relationship Self-Care
_____Schedule regular dates with my significant other
_____Schedule regular activities with my children
_____Make time to see friends
_____Call, check on, or see my relatives
_____Spend time with my companion animals
_____Stay in contact with faraway friends
_____Make time to reply to personal emails, and letters; send holiday cards
_____Allow others to do things for me
_____Enlarge my social circle
_____Ask for help when I need it
_____Share a fear, hope or secret with someone I trust
_____Other:
Spiritual Self-Care
_____Make time for reflection
_____Spend time in nature
_____Find a spiritual connection or community
_____Be open to inspiration
_____Cherish my optimism and hope
_____Be aware of non-material aspects of life
_____Try at times not to be in charge or the expert
_____Be open to not knowing
_____Identify what is meaningful to me and notice its place in my life
_____Meditate
_____Pray
_____Sing
_____Have experiences of awe
_____Contribute to causes in which I believe
_____Read inspirational literature or listen to inspirational talks, Music
_____Other
Workplace or Professional Self-Care
_____Take a break during the workday (e. g. lunch)
_____Take time to chat with coworkers
_____Make quiet time to complete tasks
_____Identify projects or tasks that are exciting and rewarding
_____Set limits with clients and colleagues
_____Balance my caseload so that no one day or part of a day is “too much”
_____Arrange work space so it is comfortable and comforting
_____Get regular supervision or consultation
_____Negotiate for my needs (benefits, pay raise)
_____Have a peer support group
_____(if relevant) Develop a non trauma area of professional interest
Overall Balance
_____Strive for balance within my work- life and work day
_____Strive for balance among work, family, relationships,
play, and rest
Other Areas of Self-Care that are Relevant to You
_____
_____
_____
Reflections:
- What are the patterns in your responses?
- Are you more active in some areas, while ignoring others?
- Are there items that make you think, ‘I would Never do that?’
- Listen to your inner responses, your internal dialogue about self-care and make yourself a priority
- Take note of anything you would like to include more in your life.
Now that you have taken the self-care assessment, contact Sandy to book a session today for actionable steps to improve your self-care.