Self-care can be a relaxing day at the spa and time spent discovering yourself and your family to create the life that allows your passion and happiness to shine through. What makes your heartbeat?

Upstate Warrior Solution knows self-care is important for mental health, and it can look different for everyone. For example, it could be spending time making a homemade and healthy meal, taking the time and relaxing at home, or saying “no” and setting personal boundaries. No matter what your self-care methods are, it is helpful to be intentional with yourself and set aside time for YOU!

We challenge you to hold yourself accountable and develop your own self-care plan. Take a look at the questions below to help you assess how you are caring for your well-being then consider developing your own self-care plan! As you think about your plan, think about your physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual self-care as your going through the list or thinking about it on your own.

BONUS: Develop your plan then email Virginia R. Barnes, UWS Family Services Advocate, with one goal for your self-care. If you do, your name will be put in the drawing for a ChiliPad.

Develop A Self-Care Plan as adapted from BWell Health Promotion from Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization. Saakvitne, Pearlman & Staff of TSI/CAAP (Norton, 1996):

1. List the self-care habits you are using now to manage stress 1. and stay healthy (e.g. I get at least 8 hours of sleep at night):
2. List the self-care habits you would like to use but are not currently practicing (i.e., practicing yoga regularly):
3. Identify the obstacles keeping you from practicing these habits (e.g. I don’t practice yoga regularly because I don’t have the time to):
4. What solutions can you come up with to address the obstacles you listed (i.e., I could free up time for myself by watching less TV or waking up earlier):
5. Reread the self-care habits you wrote down for item 2. and select one of the habits
   you would like to begin practicing and complete the sentences below:

Today, I commit to…
I want to do this because…
I will accomplish this by…