Inside: You know your self-care needs and now you’re ready to create your self-care checklist. Read on for tips and receive a FREE printable self-care checklist.
Are you wallowing in a state of perpetual cloudiness just waiting for the next ball to drop? Are you stressed out, anxious and exhausted?
Tell me something…
Are you ready to start making yourself a priority?
- First, if you haven’t already, head over to the and take the self-care assessment to identify your unique set of self-care needs.
- Afterward, grab the FREE SELF-CARE CHECKLIST BELOW and continue reading for tips on how to successfully add your personalized self-care activities!
Personalized Self-Care
Self-Care isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your self-care checklist won’t be the same as your friend’s. Your needs are exclusive to the things happening in your life.
Because of that, I’ve created a self-care checklist that can be personalized to your needs. It’s not enough to just think that taking a relaxing bath is going to solve every person’s problems. You’re unique, and your self-care should reflect that.
Why is Self-Care Important?
Self-care is important, because it’s critical to feeling fulfilled. In order to be a great mom, employee, spouse, colleague, etc. you have to start from within. This means being aware of when things are building up and knowing when to take time for yourself.
Oftentimes, we get caught up in the busyness of life and fail to make time for ourselves. Or worse, we neglect our needs, because we feel like it’s selfish to put ourselves first.
How to Make A Self-Care Checklist?
Take the self-care assessment to identify what area of self-care you should prioritize. Once completed, download your FREE downloadable self-care checklist from above to get started right away on your healing journey.
- Take the self-care assessment to identify your self-care needs.
- Read the sections below to better understand the different types of self-care.
- Choose which self-care activities work best for you based on your results.
- Download the Self-Care Checklist and schedule the activities into your week.
- Commit to your self-care schedule and feel the power of accomplishing your self-care goals.
Five Areas of Self-Care
There are five areas of self care to improve your well-being. Neglecting the needs of one area can seep into other areas in ways that aren’t totally noticeable at first.
For example, maybe your professional needs aren’t getting met. As a result, you’re hasty with your children when you get home from work.
The easiest way to assess your self-care needs is by dividing your life into five distinct areas: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and professional. From there, reflect on a normal week.
Are you making time to support healthy habits in each of these key areas?
Physical Self-Care
We’ll start with the most obvious. Physical self care is anything that involves nourishing your body. Some examples of physical self-care are:
- Hiking
- Eating a balanced diet
- Moisturizing
Physical self care should be on your self-care checklist and practiced daily. The three most important areas of physical self-care are rest, exercise and diet.
Sleep
Sleep is the foundation to self-care. How you sleep at night will dictate how you feel for the rest of the day. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night should be prioritized above all else.
Exercise
A regular exercise routine is one of the healthiest habits you can have. Exercise releases endorphins that create happiness and help ward off sickness and disease.
Diet
Do you ever load up on carbs the night before and wake up the next day feeling sluggish? Sometimes a guilt-free binge is necessary, but alway in moderation. A balanced diet of essential nutrients is key for balancing your physical self-care.
Emotional Self-Care
The next key area on your self-care checklist self-care is emotional self-care. Emotional self-care means bringing awareness to your emotions and creating a space for them to flow freely and positively. This area of self care mainly focuses on the relationship with yourself and others. A few examples of emotional self care are:
- Creating intimacy with your partner
- Forgiving others
- Severing toxic relationships
Emotional self care means practicing emotional intelligence. Being able to recognize your emotions and understand why you’re feeling a certain way will help you detach without letting emotions take control.
Mental Self-Care
Mental self-care and emotional self-care are similar, but mental self-care focuses on maintaining positive thought patterns and stimulating your mind with activities that induce positive habits. A few examples of mental self-care are:
- Limiting social media
- Going to therapy
- Solving puzzles
Mental self-care should be on your checklist, because it’s the foundation of a healthy mindset. Knowing what triggers to ignore and where your thoughts should be directed are pivotal in helping you reach a better place.
Professional Self-Care
Professional self-care is the relationship you have to your work. If you’re working eight hours a day at a job that you don’t enjoy, this is going to bleed into other areas of your life. You can’t spend so much time doing something you don’t enjoy and expect to reach fulfillment. Some examples of professional self-care are:
- Compassionate Management
- Work/Life Balance
- Productivity
Nearly 20% of people in the workforce declared having some form of mental illness. Receiving adequate help and understanding from your employer can create a positive space where you feel valued for your contributions.
Spiritual Self-Care
Spiritual self-care is taking time to reflect and feel grateful for the positive things in your life. For money, this may involve religion. Spiritual self-care also includes meditating and practicing mindfulness. Some examples of spiritual self-care are:
- Meditating
- Prayer
- Reading
Spiritual self-care is important, because it helps you connect with something higher than yourself. It aligns your body, mind and soul and helps promote inner peace.
Final Thoughts On Creating an Easy Self-Care Checklist
Creating a self-care checklist is the quickest and easiest way to start your self-care journey. It’s easy to get caught up and doing things for others and never taking the time to focus on yourself. However, self-care is important to finding balance in your life and helping you achieve your best self.
By setting boundaries and taking time for yourself, you show your children that it’s OK to respect yourself.
Have you created a self-care checklist? What activities did you add? Tell me below in the comments!
Allie Schmidt
Allie Schmidt is a rare disease advocate and disabled mom living with motor neuron disease. She founded Disability Dame in 2020 to provide tips to other moms living with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
In her spare time, you can find her traveling with her husband (she's been to 38 states and 16 countries!), watching reruns of Survivor, or tending to her near-constant sunburn from spending too much time outside. You can follow her adventures here.