True self-care is often misunderstood and underrated. Whether you live with a chronic or mental illness, the importance of self care in mental health is undeniable. This Beginner’s Guide to Self-Care will teach you the significance of emotional, physical, and mental self care as well as simple steps to create a self care plan that you can start using today. Learn how to make your own self-care toolkit with the specific self-care activities and strategies that will make a tremendous positive impact in your life.
✅ What Is Self Care?
Simply put,
Read More About the True Meaning of Self-Care . . .
✅ Benefits of Self Care Activities
You may be wondering, why is it important to focus on yourself and isn’t it kind of selfish? I get it. I thought that too when my psychiatrist first introduced me to
I had no idea what the benefits of self-care activities were and how
My recovery required not only the right medications and
✅ Self Care for Beginners: Steps to a Self-Care Plan
To learn how to start
Step 1: Assess Your Current Self-Care Activities
Assess which self-care activities you may currently be doing. Think about all of the types of self-care activities – physical, mental, and emotional. If you are like me, you probably need a deeper explanation of the categories of self-care. Read What is Self Care and Why Is it Important: Self-Care for Beginners. This post explains in detail what is physical self-care, emotional self-care, and mental self-care as well as activities for each type.
I have created a self-care ideas worksheet (physical, mental, and emotional) and assessment. You can download it by signing up to become a subscriber and you will receive the password for our Free Resource Library. SEND ME THE PASSWORD!
Step 2: Create a Self-Care Action Plan
To create a self-care action plan, decide what activities and strategies you will incorporate into your daily life.
You can start by creating a daily self-care checklist. Write out which activities you will do from each category of self
Start with a small list of things you will do for yourself and then you can add self-care activities as you go.
Read more about steps to a self-care plan and creating a plan of action in this post in the Self-Care Series I
Step 3: Set Self-Care Goals and Commit to Them
When you are setting your self-care goals, be practical. Don’t try to incorporate every self-care activity or strategy that you learn. You are more likely to achieve small goals consistently.
You may feel like you need a total life makeover, but you are more likely to experience the benefits of
My biggest piece of advice is don’t go overboard. Small and persistent actions will give you more permanent results.
Read More About How to Create a Self-Care Plan . . .
✅ Make Your Own Self-Care Toolkit
Part of your self-care toolkit will include your self-care action plan, worksheets, and checklists. You can even create a self-care binder to organize and keep track of your goals and progress. There are many free printable self-care worksheets in my Resource Library.
But another part of your self-care toolbox will be comfort items and products for healthy living. Items that are required to do the self-care activities and use the self-care strategies that are part of your plan.
Some items in my self-care toolkit are:
- Adult coloring books and colored pencils
- Comfy fuzzy robe and socks
- Essential oils (lavender for sleep and peppermint for energy)
- Meditation App (I love Headspace)
- Affirmations (You can download some from my Free Resource Library)
- Coping Strategies for Negative Self-Talk
- Journal
- Thought record (Resource Library)
- My Chronic Illness Warrior Playlist
- Encouraging Quotes for Strength and Hope
- A
Read More About Creating a Self-Care Toolkit . . .
✅ How to Achieve Ultimate Self-Care Benefits
If all of these self-care tips and ideas overwhelm you . . .
Just. Start. Simple.
In group therapy (while recovering from my manic episode), I learned to choose 3 self-care activities I would do each day. In the beginning, I would write things down like eat a vegetable and
So, don’t beat yourself up. Just start wherever you are now. Build slowly but steadily from there.
For a more in-depth look at Self-Care, read my Self-Care Series
- [SELF CARE SERIES PART 1]: What is Self Care and Why Is it Important: Self-Care for Beginners
- [SELF CARE SERIES PART 2]: How to Start Self-Care: 7 Simple Steps to Create a Self-care Plan
- [SELF CARE SERIES PART 3]: Make Your Own Self-Care Toolkit and Absolutely Rock Your Mental Health
Get your FREE Self-Care Starter Kit as a gift when you sign up to receive the super-secret password for my Resource Library!
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