How Good are You at Taking Care of Yourself?
Stephanie Gorski LCAT
How good are you at taking care of yourself?
Self-care is a vital component to your overall health and well-being.
What is “self-care”? Self-care refers to the activities you do every day to improve and maintain your well-being. There are a few different kinds of self-care, and it’s important to address each of these areas to maintain balance and wellness in your life.
Some areas of self-care include:
● Physical: taking care of your physical health.
● Emotional: maintaining your mental health.
● Social: having fun by spending time with friends or engaging in a hobby.
● Spiritual: reflecting on and acting according to your values and morals.
● Professional: developing balance between your work and personal life.
“Self-Care looks different for everybody. ”
The above list is a general guideline of the types of self-care out there, but the balance between each of these areas is personal to you. The key is that self-care should be activities that make you feel good physically and mentally. Maybe yoga isn’t your thing, but expressing your feelings by journaling is.
Everyone has some areas of self-care that could use improvement. Below is a Self-Care Assessment to help you determine how good you are at taking care of yourself. This quiz is meant to help you identify your preferred self-care activities, as well as which self-care areas may need some extra attention.
Click on the link below to load the Self-Care Assessment. You can print it out, or just get a general idea of your answers. Once you have completed the assessment for yourself, read on below to help decipher the results.
https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/self-care-assessment.pdf
How did you do? After completing the self-care assessment, take a moment to appreciate the areas that you are already taking good care of. These things make you feel good, so keep up the good work!
Next, ask yourself which areas do I need to improve? Maybe you realized that you are taking on too many responsibilities at work, or that you tend to bottle up your problems. Try not to judge yourself harshly, and remember that everyone has room for improvement.
Once you have identified areas you’d like to improve, develop a plan of action. Start with small steps. For example, if you need to work on your physical self-care, maybe you could try drinking water instead of soda. Those small steps will add up over time and result in a happier and more balanced lifestyle.
Finally, think about consulting an expert for areas that need further attention. For example, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor if you’re starting a new exercise plan, or find a spiritual mentor to help guide you through meditation. A therapist can help you express your feelings in a healthy way, and also explore each of these areas in more depth. Check out our list of therapists to find someone to help you understand and explore your self-care needs.
So how did you do? Were any of your preferred self-care activities missing from the list? Did you notice areas that you would like to improve? Comment below to share your insights with the community!