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SELF-CARE CHECKLIST
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.
Physical Self-Care
Eat regularly (e.g. breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Eat healthily
Exercise
Get regular medical care for prevention
Take time off when sick
Get massages
Dance, swim, walk, run, play sports, sing, or do some other physical activity that’s fun
Get enough sleep
Wear clothes you like
Take vacations
Take day trips or mini-vacations
Make time away from telephones, pagers, email, internet
Other
Psychological Self-Care
Make time for self-reflection
Have your own personal psychotherapy
Write in a journal
Read literature that is unrelated to work
Do something at which you are not expert or in charge
Decrease stress in your life
Notice your inner experience – listen to your thoughts, judgments, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings
Let others know different aspect of you
Engage your intelligence in a new area, e.g., go to an art museum, sports event, theater performance
Practice receiving from others
Be curious
Say no to extra responsibilities sometimes
Other
Emotional Self-Care
Spend time with others whose company you enjoy
Stay in contact with important people in your life
Give yourself affirmations, praise yourself
Love yourself
Reread favorite books, re-view favorite movies
Identify comforting activities, objects, people, relationships, places and seek them out
Allow yourself to cry
Find things that make you laugh
Express your outrage in social action, letters, donations, marches, protests
Other:
Spiritual Self-Care
Make time for reflection
Spend time with nature
Find a spiritual connection or community
Be open to inspiration
Cherish your optimism and hope
Be aware of nonmaterial aspects of life
Try at times not to be in charge or the expert
Be open to not knowing
Identify what is meaningful to you and notice its place in your life
Meditate
Pray
Sing
Spend time with children
Have experiences of awe
Contribute to causes in which you believe
Read inspirational literature (talks, music, etc.)
Other:
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
Balance your caseload so no one day or part of a day is “too much”
Get regular supervision or consultation
Negotiate for your needs (benefits, pay raise)
Have a peer support group
Develop a non-trauma area of professional interest
This creates a private checklist in your account.