Are you experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression? You may think your mental health is a priority, but is it? Take a week to journal your daily habits. After the week is over, review your week and see how often you incorporate self-care into your daily routines. Whether your self-care is routine, sporadic, or non-existent, there are ways to make your mental health a priority. The following worksheet for assessing self-care is not exhaustive, merely suggestive. When you are finished, look for patterns in your responses. Are you more active in some areas of self-care but ignore others? Listen to your internal dialogue about self-care and making yourself a priority. Take particular note of anything you would like to include more in your life.
Self Care Assessment
Rate the following areas according to how well you think you are doing:
3 = I do this well (e.g., frequently)
2 = I do this OK (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 (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, sing, or do some other fun physical activity
____ Take time to be sexual - with myself, with a partner
____ Get enough sleep
____ Wear clothes I like
____ Take vacations
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, theatre
____ Be curious
____ Say no to extra responsibilities sometimes
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, re-view 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 in social action, letters, donations, marches, protests
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 or music
Relationship Self-Care
____ Schedule regular dates with my partner or spouse
____ 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
Workplace or Professional Self-Care
____ Take a break during the workday (e.g., lunch)
____ Take time to chat with co-workers
____ 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