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Me, Myself & I: Making Self-Care Personal
Show Notes:
A self-care plan needs to reflect you – your interests, needs and lifestyle. It has to fit like a glove, or you’ll be fighting against it rather than allowing it to work for you. In this episode we are digging in to strategies to help us personalize a plan that will be as unique as you are, and the framework to support adapting that plan as you grow, change and evolve as a person over time, or as your needs or time change due to situations and circumstances. Remember, the point of a comprehensive plan – one with lots of ideas and diversity, keeping in mind the areas we discussed last episode (time, budget, energy & context) – is that it can flex with you and your life as you face new challenges or constraints. During this episode I also share some ideas and examples of self-care to help get your brainstorming juices flowing – but I have also included a couple of links to helpful online resources with lists of ideas if you need a jumping off point.
As you develop your personalized self-care plan…
1. Take an inventory of what you already do. This will likely fall into a few categories, but remember from last episode, almost anything can be classified as self-care if it’s done with a heart (ie. intention) of demonstrating care. Spend a few days keeping track of the actions that you do all the time, and notice which ones fall into the categories below:
a. Activities you already engage in with the intention of self-care (eg. You may already choose a nice smelling shampoo, or spend time listening to your favourite music in the car).
b. Activities you do often and could have a heart of care incorporated into them relatively easily (eg. Taking a shower everyday but normally rushing through it from a functional focus – shifting this to being a bit slower and enjoying noticing the warm water, the sound of the water falling, the smell of your soap, etc.; Your daily commute normally being to whatever is on the radio – shifting this to finding and loading some great music you love, or nature sounds, or interesting or funny podcasts/audiobooks onto something that can come with you)
c. Activities that you do often that you can create some passive self-care to go along with you (eg. Turning an essential oil diffuser on in your environment while you attend to other things; turning on your favourite music/podcast/audiobook while you do dishes or fold laundry)
2. Cover your basic needs. These are the things that need to happen, whether or not they feel nice, in an effort to ensure your health and wellbeing. These include doctors check-ups, dentist visits, hygiene, visits with specialists (physio, massage, doctors, therapist, etc.), as well as ensuring that you are eating nutritious foods that give your body it’s best chance, drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Think of the things you would do for a kid in your care – eat your vegetables, limit your screen time (I know, that’s a tough one!), get the things done that need to be done.
3. Look for things you like. Once you know what you are already doing well or could adapt to be more caring, and you cover your basic needs, move on to the fun stuff. This requires knowing, or being willing to learn about, what you like. For some this may be a bit uncomfortable, as many of us disconnect from our own likes and interests in an effort to do for others. Be willing to experiment and try some things on. Need some ideas…
a. Go back in time. Think about what you used to like when you were a kid. Were you a daredevil? An artist? A bookworm? When you think back to the time in your life when you were the least inhibited and most capable of connecting to joy and hilarity, what did you gravitate towards? Use these as a jumping off point and try to connect them to actions your adult self can engage in.
b. Look around. Take notice of what other people seem to do and enjoy. Use this as a tool to start your experimentation and try things out you might never have thought to try before – then see what fits for you and what doesn’t.
c. Know thyself. Think about what you know of yourself – your personality, characteristics and traits. Beyond your interests, what are the core aspects of you that need spaces to shine? Are you more introverted or extraverted? Do you tend towards action? Competition? Connection? Quiet contemplation? Look for ways to allow these parts of you to shine.
d. Focus on your 5 senses. Your senses are used both for survival and for pleasure. Because of the work you do, they are likely used to being used for survival functions and are associated with stress responses, so we need to work at offering a counter-balance where they connect to good, calm, fun, and other non-stress-related experiences. Seek out smells that make you feel calm, incite a deep breath, or provoke positive memories; seek sounds that help you feel grounded or nostalgic to good parts of your past; seek out flavours that help you connect to the present moment like a cup of coffee, a piece of chocolate, or a mint; seek visual cues that anchor you like your favourite colour, or photos from positive experiences; seek textures that help to feel calm or cared for, like warm fuzzy socks, cozy slippers, a comfy blanket, silky jammies, etc.
Listen to your body and enact the parts of your plan that meet your needs moment-to-moment. Going to the gym may be part of your self-care plan, but if you’re feeling sick or hurt, you need to have something else to do instead that meets your need without doing more damage than good. Make sure to take time to notice how you’re doing throughout the day and use your self-care plan as a reference to spark ideas for what you can offer yourself to help add to your emotional bank account. Remember, we are caring for ourselves because investing in ourselves is great and it allows us to give to others more effectively.
In the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers we will be working at putting all of these pieces together into a concrete plan that you will start putting into practice beginning day one. I hope you’ll join me!
Episode Challenge:
Start working at personalizing your plan. I encourage you to make notes and write down your ideas and thoughts about how and when different ideas would be implemented.
Join the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers – it’s going to be fun!!! …And what a great gesture of your investment in you, for only $5.00!?
Additional Resources:
The Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers
Self-Care Ideas List
Products I Love:
Car Diffuser
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By Lindsay Faas
5
55 ratings
Show Notes:
A self-care plan needs to reflect you – your interests, needs and lifestyle. It has to fit like a glove, or you’ll be fighting against it rather than allowing it to work for you. In this episode we are digging in to strategies to help us personalize a plan that will be as unique as you are, and the framework to support adapting that plan as you grow, change and evolve as a person over time, or as your needs or time change due to situations and circumstances. Remember, the point of a comprehensive plan – one with lots of ideas and diversity, keeping in mind the areas we discussed last episode (time, budget, energy & context) – is that it can flex with you and your life as you face new challenges or constraints. During this episode I also share some ideas and examples of self-care to help get your brainstorming juices flowing – but I have also included a couple of links to helpful online resources with lists of ideas if you need a jumping off point.
As you develop your personalized self-care plan…
1. Take an inventory of what you already do. This will likely fall into a few categories, but remember from last episode, almost anything can be classified as self-care if it’s done with a heart (ie. intention) of demonstrating care. Spend a few days keeping track of the actions that you do all the time, and notice which ones fall into the categories below:
a. Activities you already engage in with the intention of self-care (eg. You may already choose a nice smelling shampoo, or spend time listening to your favourite music in the car).
b. Activities you do often and could have a heart of care incorporated into them relatively easily (eg. Taking a shower everyday but normally rushing through it from a functional focus – shifting this to being a bit slower and enjoying noticing the warm water, the sound of the water falling, the smell of your soap, etc.; Your daily commute normally being to whatever is on the radio – shifting this to finding and loading some great music you love, or nature sounds, or interesting or funny podcasts/audiobooks onto something that can come with you)
c. Activities that you do often that you can create some passive self-care to go along with you (eg. Turning an essential oil diffuser on in your environment while you attend to other things; turning on your favourite music/podcast/audiobook while you do dishes or fold laundry)
2. Cover your basic needs. These are the things that need to happen, whether or not they feel nice, in an effort to ensure your health and wellbeing. These include doctors check-ups, dentist visits, hygiene, visits with specialists (physio, massage, doctors, therapist, etc.), as well as ensuring that you are eating nutritious foods that give your body it’s best chance, drinking enough water and getting enough sleep. Think of the things you would do for a kid in your care – eat your vegetables, limit your screen time (I know, that’s a tough one!), get the things done that need to be done.
3. Look for things you like. Once you know what you are already doing well or could adapt to be more caring, and you cover your basic needs, move on to the fun stuff. This requires knowing, or being willing to learn about, what you like. For some this may be a bit uncomfortable, as many of us disconnect from our own likes and interests in an effort to do for others. Be willing to experiment and try some things on. Need some ideas…
a. Go back in time. Think about what you used to like when you were a kid. Were you a daredevil? An artist? A bookworm? When you think back to the time in your life when you were the least inhibited and most capable of connecting to joy and hilarity, what did you gravitate towards? Use these as a jumping off point and try to connect them to actions your adult self can engage in.
b. Look around. Take notice of what other people seem to do and enjoy. Use this as a tool to start your experimentation and try things out you might never have thought to try before – then see what fits for you and what doesn’t.
c. Know thyself. Think about what you know of yourself – your personality, characteristics and traits. Beyond your interests, what are the core aspects of you that need spaces to shine? Are you more introverted or extraverted? Do you tend towards action? Competition? Connection? Quiet contemplation? Look for ways to allow these parts of you to shine.
d. Focus on your 5 senses. Your senses are used both for survival and for pleasure. Because of the work you do, they are likely used to being used for survival functions and are associated with stress responses, so we need to work at offering a counter-balance where they connect to good, calm, fun, and other non-stress-related experiences. Seek out smells that make you feel calm, incite a deep breath, or provoke positive memories; seek sounds that help you feel grounded or nostalgic to good parts of your past; seek out flavours that help you connect to the present moment like a cup of coffee, a piece of chocolate, or a mint; seek visual cues that anchor you like your favourite colour, or photos from positive experiences; seek textures that help to feel calm or cared for, like warm fuzzy socks, cozy slippers, a comfy blanket, silky jammies, etc.
Listen to your body and enact the parts of your plan that meet your needs moment-to-moment. Going to the gym may be part of your self-care plan, but if you’re feeling sick or hurt, you need to have something else to do instead that meets your need without doing more damage than good. Make sure to take time to notice how you’re doing throughout the day and use your self-care plan as a reference to spark ideas for what you can offer yourself to help add to your emotional bank account. Remember, we are caring for ourselves because investing in ourselves is great and it allows us to give to others more effectively.
In the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers we will be working at putting all of these pieces together into a concrete plan that you will start putting into practice beginning day one. I hope you’ll join me!
Episode Challenge:
Start working at personalizing your plan. I encourage you to make notes and write down your ideas and thoughts about how and when different ideas would be implemented.
Join the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers – it’s going to be fun!!! …And what a great gesture of your investment in you, for only $5.00!?
Additional Resources:
The Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers
Self-Care Ideas List
Products I Love:
Car Diffuser