Developing a self-care plan

A self-care plan helps to enhance your health and wellbeing, and manage your stress. They are activities that help you to sustain positive self-care in the long-term.

Self-care is personal and everyone's approach will be different. It is important to choose activities that are meaningful to yourself and your own goals. There are different aspects to self-care:

• Physical

• Psychological

• Emotional

• Spiritual

• Relationships

Physical self-care refers to activities that help you to stay fit and healthy, and with enough energy to get through your commitments:

• Develop a regular sleep routine

• Aim for a healthy diet

• Go for a walk during lunchtime

• Get some exercise before/ after work regularly

Psychological self-care refer to activities that help you feel clear-headed and able to intellectually engage with challenges in your life:

• Keep a reflective journal

• Engage with a non-work hobby

• Turn off your work phone and email outside of working hours

• Make time for relaxation

• Make time to engage with positive friends and family

These include activities that allow you to safely experience your full range of emotions:

• Develop friendships that are supportive

• Write 3 good things that you did each day

• Talk to your friend about how you are coping with life demands

• Do something you enjoy

This involves having a sense of perspective beyond the day-to-day of life:

• Engage in reflective practices such as meditation

• Do yoga

• Go to places of worship

• Reflect with a close friend for support

This is about maintaining healthy and supportive relationships, and ensuring diversity in your relationships:

• Prioritise close relationships in your life (e.g. with partners, family)

• Attend the special events of your family and friends

• Arrive to work and leave on time every day

It is important to develop a self-care plan that is individual and holistic to you:

• Fill your plan with activities you enjoy

• Keep this plan in a place where you can see it every day

• Stick to your plan and practice the activities regularly

• Re-assess how you are going at the end of one month

After creating a plan, think about what can get in the way and what you can do to remove these barriers. Adjust your strategies if you need to.