“Self-care” has become a buzzword in the wellness industry but, unlike trends such as celery juice, tea-toxes, and appetite suppressant lollipops which are harmful empty promises, consistently engaging in self-care practices can support our wellbeing. This blog post follows on from the previous one looking at the 6 different types of self-care and today we will explore how a self-care plan can help you establish a healthy routine and cope better in times of crisis. Then we will go through the 7 steps of creating your unique self-care plan tailored to your needs and lifestyle.

The Benefits of a Self-Care Plan

In a nutshell, self-care consists of all the practices that allow us to promote and maintain our wellbeing and cope in times of adversity, such as illness or stress. By looking after ourselves we are consequently better able to look after others and thrive in different areas of our lives. 

As there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to self-care, it is really important to identify what you want to prioritise in your day-to-day life and which self-care practices work for you. This is where creating a unique self-care plan comes in. By developing a customised plan full of your favourite self-care practices, little reminders, and accountability check-ins, you are creating a powerful preventative strategy that can help you navigate life’s ups and downs. A plan also helps you stay on course and makes it easier to identify how you can respond in times of crisis (instead of reacting with panic and overwhelm). 

How to Create a Self-Care Plan

Now that you know the benefits of creating your own unique self-care plan, the steps below will guide you through the process:

Step 1. How stressed are you?

Stress can impact our wellbeing in some or all areas of our lives, including physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially and professionally. Therefore, it is important to determine your current levels of stress and how they affect you. There are different ways of going about this, including:

• Taking an online stress test (for example, the one on stress.org.uk)

• Reflecting upon the following questions:

  • How stressed am I on a scale from 0 to 10? If you struggle to answer this question, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: do I look happy and energised or drained and worried?

  • What specifically is causing me stress?

  • How is stress affecting me in the different areas of my life?

Step 2. How do you currently react to stress?

Now that you have determined what causes you stress and how it affects you, it’s time to explore the coping strategies that you currently use. The Lifestyle Behaviours assessment can help you identify which helpful and unhelpful behaviours you engage in to manage your stress levels. If you find yourself checking many of the ‘negative self-care behaviours’, reflect upon why this might be the case. How do these behaviours relate to your deeper values, beliefs, and worldview? 

Going forward, the aim is to increase the positive behaviours and reduce the unhelpful ones that might be getting in the way of your wellbeing. 

Step 3. What self-care practices are you currently using?

Reflect upon what activities you typically engage in to promote and maintain your wellbeing. The Self-Care Assessment can help you determine how often and how well you are taking care of yourself in different areas of your life (physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, social, and professional). Once you have completed the assessment, look for patterns in your responses. Is there an imbalance in the areas in which you practice self-care? If this is the case, why do you think you prioritise certain forms of self-care over others? What limiting beliefs might be getting in the way? 

You can also use this assessment as inspiration for self-care activities that you would like to try. Write down at least 3 self-care practices that you would like to add to your routine (these can also be things that are not on the list) and try to focus on the areas that you have neglected. 

By the end of step 3, you should have a list of activities that already work for you and a few new practices that you would like to incorporate into your self-care plan. 

Step 4. What barriers might get in the way and how can you overcome them?

Life is full of obstacles but, by anticipating them, you can respond to them in a calm and prepared manner rather than grinding to a standstill. So for each self-care activity that you identified in step 3, ask yourself what barriers might get in the way of implementing that practice and what you could do to shift them. If you find that there is really nothing that you can do to overcome these barriers, then you can explore how you can adjust your activity so that it is more achievable and realistic. 

Step 5. Identify some go-to self-care strategies for times of crisis.

In life things sometimes happen unexpectedly and with little warning. Although these moments are rare, being prepared for challenging circumstances can help us navigate them instead of becoming overwhelmed and not knowing what to do. To do this, identify a couple of strategies you can use and people you can turn to in times of crisis. Finally, make a note of anything you need to avoid when you are faced with a crisis, such as unhelpful people or behaviours, and what you will do instead. For example, “instead of turning to alcohol to cope with my feelings, I will call my friend”. 

6. Fill in your self-care plan and schedule it in.

Use the Self-Care Planner to write down:

• your negative coping strategies and what you intend to do instead (step 2)

• the self-care practices you are committed to engaging in regularly (step 3)

• the barriers that might get in the way of you practising self-care and what you can do to overcome them (step 4)

• your self-care strategies for times of crisis (step 5)

Lastly, to make sure that you prioritise your self-care plan and make it as easy as possible to build a routine, schedule it into your calendar or journal. Ideally, try to make each practice a specific as possible and a recurring event that happens at the same time and place every day, week, or month. For example, “every morning at 8 am I will meditate in the living room for 15 minutes” or “on the last Sunday of the month I’m going to take a day for myself to relax and prepare for the month ahead”. 

7. Follow your plan

Now that you have filled out the Self-Care Planner and scheduled it in, it is time to put it into action! Some things that can help you get started and stay on track are: 

• Sharing your plan and your commitment to looking after yourself with a friend, family member, or peer who can keep you accountable. Or find a self-care buddy with whom you can check in and exchange self-care ideas.

• Have a visual reminder of the commitment you made, for example, hanging up your self-care plan somewhere that you will see it or setting your screensaver as a quote about self-care.

• Be realistic and kind to yourself. There will be moments when you falter or trip up, and that’s completely okay. What’s important is that you don’t just give up on your plan because of one bad day or week. Remember that it’s about progress and not perfection.

• Reflect on your progress: identify any obstacles that you did not foresee so that you can address them, revise the plan as your needs and situation change, and recognise and celebrate your successes along the way.

• Finally, remind yourself of your why. Why do you want to practice self-care? Is it because by investing in yourself you can be a better partner or parent? Or a more productive employee? Or cope with life’s challenges better? Whatever it is, remind yourself of why this is important to you.