My self care plan can mean the difference between a good week and a bad one for me. Ever since I have started using my plan and implementing it into my life, my mental health journey has trended upward. I’m hoping it can help you with that, as well!
Today I’m going to be going over what a self care plan is, what you should consider, and how to make your own! There’s even a free download down at the bottom of this post if you’d like a little help. So let’s get started!
What is a Self Care Plan?
Before I dive into things, let’s go over what a self care plan is.
It’s really simple, actually: a self care plan is simply a set of daily activities to improve your overall well-being. This can be a list that you pull from when you need it or set scheduled activities that you do at the same day and time.
I’ve mentioned it over and over again, but I won’t stop now: self care is different for every single person. Please don’t think what I do has to be what you do: some things work and some things don’t. That is going to take some time for each individual to figure out. Don’t let that discourage you. You can easily form a self care plan and adjust it to fit your needs as you learn more about yourself and your needs!
I know a lot of people hear self care and think of massages and spa days and face masks. And that can absolutely be self care! But it’s not the only way to practice. Today I’m going to give you some examples of self care and show you my self care plan to give you a good idea of where to start. I even have a template available for you to download to help you create your own self care plan!
Aspects of a Self Care Plan
Before we begin, there are a couple of factors to consider!
First, you want to identify a couple of key aspects crucial to your self care plan:
- Are you making a list to pull from or a scheduled plan – or maybe both?
- What types of activities work for you?
- Do you need a backup plan?
The first step I recommend is determining a list or a schedule! In my opinion, this helps narrow down what activities can fit into what time slots or how we are trying to relax based on mood/feelings/whatever.
I personally use a combination of both! I have set time every single day to practice specific acts of self care. Some days have similar activities and some have their own special activities. For my list, I have a list of what I call my “deluxe” self care activities. These are special, more luxurious and more time consuming activities that I pull out when I really need them based on my emotional state.
Figure Out What Works for You
If you’re anything like me, figuring out what works best for you is going to be the most difficult part of this entire thing!
I have some bad news: I don’t have a super special magical fix to help you figure it out.
This takes a lot of trial and error. But the great thing is: you’re allowed to keep changing your plan! Life is unpredictable. Allow yourself room to adjust.
Self Care Examples
While I don’t have a super easy fast fix, I do have some tips! For me, the most important part is going to be choosing specific self care activities for each category of self care.
What we’re currently feeling or what we need in our lives is obviously going to affect our self care. That’s why I like to separate my activities into those categories. Here are just a few recommendations:
- Emotional: Journal, Art, Therapy
- Practical: Take an Online Class, Clean, Organize
- Physical: Exercise, Cook, Face Mask, Dance Party, Bubble Bath
- Mental: Read, Do a Puzzle, Creative Writing, Video Games
- Social: Call a Friend, Game Night, Movie Night
- Spiritual: Yoga, Meditation, Breathing Exercise, Go Outside
Self Care Games
Unless you’re new here, it should come as no surprise that video games are a crucial part of my self care plan. I truly believe I never would have gotten as far as I have in my mental health journey without them. That may not be the case for everyone, but I absolutely believe everyone should give them a try if they are able. I’ve done a more in-depth post on how video games can be used for mental health, but here is a list of some of my faves:
- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Animal Crossing
- Stardew Valley
- Portal Series
- Kingdom Hearts Series
- Sable
- Fly Corp
- Minecraft
- Ring Fit Adventure
- Beat Saber
My Self Care Plan
For my own self care plan, I have it divided between scheduled activities and a list I can pull from as needed:
Obviously you don’t need to make a graphic like mine in order to have a self care plan. You can write it down on a sheet of paper or, heck! You can even just keep it in your mind! What matters is having one set aside so you are dedicating time to actually care for your well-being.
I have made my template available as a download if you’d like to use it! It also includes a list of self care activity suggestions 🙂
Wrap Up
I truly hope that you’ve found this useful! Having a self care plan can make a difference in your mental health for the better. If you’re getting started and a little unsure, you can download my free template! It includes a space for scheduled self care and an activity list as well as the list of suggestions!
If you have any tips for crafting a self care plan or need some assistance, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach out on Twitter!