How To Create An Individualized Self-Care Plan (Page 3 of 7) in pdf

How To Create An Individualized Self-Care Plan Page 3

Carolyn Jeffries and Shari Tarver Behring

SUN Program

March 2015

Step 4. Identify how you typically cope with stress.

Reflect on how you typically cope with stress and check off or list your current coping strategies below. Then write your

top five self-care and stress-coping strategies in the Current Strategies column in the table in Step 5.

Healthy Strategies (self-care)

Unhealthy Strategies

¨ be physically active

¨ live a sedentary lifestyle

¨ eat healthy food

¨ overeat

¨ practice relaxation exercises, get enough rest

¨ try to do it all

¨ make time for fun/hobbies

¨ lash out

¨ change/manage the conditions causing

¨ take stress-relief medications

stress, be assertive

¨ smoke, overdrink

¨ see a counselor, ask for help

¨ isolate yourself

¨ follow faith/spiritual beliefs

¨ other:

Optional Step: Engage in a personal reflection.

Reflection on values and worldviews can directly affect our self-care, especially in the areas that include our ability to feel

gratitude, our place in the natural world, and our acceptance of ourselves and others. Many people find solace and

comfort in their deeper values, beliefs, and practices. The following series of questions is provided to help you reflect on a

number of ways to view the world that may affect your self-care practice.

Do you tend to wake up every morning with a sense of gratitude—or—drag yourself out of bed bracing for a trouble-filled day?

Do you typically count your blessing throughout the day—or—do you use valuable time to ruminate on problems and conflicts?

Do you tend to work on connecting to and supporting others—or—do you often find yourself acting as an outsider or competitor?

Do you typically strive to consciously banish hard feelings—or—do you often harbor and focus on resentments?

Do you tend to sing your colleagues’ praises—or—do you put energy into gossiping about those around you?

Do you typically work well but with a light heart—or—do you often toil ceaselessly at your job?

Department of Educational Psychology & Counseling

Michael D. Eisner College of Education, CSUN

How To Create An Individualized Self-Care Plan Page 3