March 12, 2011

Self-Care Assessment

Written by Rachel Eddins

Posted in Emotional & Mental Health and with tags: self care, wellness

self-care assessment time for change fortune cookie

This assessment tool provides an overview of effective strategies to maintain self-care.

Self-care is essential for optimum physical and emotional health and can reduce the impact of major stress as well as helping you to feel balanced in your life.

After completing the full self-care assessment, choose one item from each area that you will actively work to improve.

Sometimes it can feel like a challenge to get started. A Houston counselor can help you get unstuck.

Using the scale below, rate the following areas in terms of frequency:

5 = Frequently

4 = Occasionally

3 = Rarely

2 = Never

1 = It never occurred to me

Physical Self-Care

___ Eat regularly (e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner)

___ Eat healthy

___ Exercise

___ Get regular medical care for prevention

___ Get medical care when needed

___ Take time off when needed

___ Get massages

___ Dance, swim, walk, run, play sports, sing, or do some other physical activity that is fun

___ Take time to be sexual—with yourself, with a partner

___ Get enough sleep

___ Wear clothes you like

___ Take vacations

___ Take day trips or mini-vacations

___ Make time away from telephones

___ Other:

Psychological Self-Care

___ Make time for self-reflection

___ Have your own personal therapy

___ Write in a journal

___ Read literature that is unrelated to work

___ Do something at which you are not expert or in charge

___ Decrease stress in your life

___ Let others know different aspects of you

___ Notice your inner experience—listen to your thoughts, judgments, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings

___ Engage your intelligence in a new area, e.g. go to an art museum, history exhibit, sports event, auction, theater performance

___ Practice receiving from others

___ Be curious

___ Say “no” to extra responsibilities sometimes

___ Other:

Emotional Self-Care

___ Spend time with others whose company you enjoy

___ Stay in contact with important people in your life

___ Give yourself affirmations, praise yourself

___ Love yourself

___ Re-read favorite books, re-view favorite movies

___ Identify comforting activities, objects, people, relationships, places and seek them out

___ Allow yourself to cry

___ Find things that make you laugh

___ Express your outrage in social action, letters and donations, marches, protests

___ Play with children

___ Other:

Spiritual Self-Care

___ Make time for reflection

___ Spend time with nature

___ Find a spiritual connection or community

___ Be open to inspiration

___ Cherish your optimism and hope

___ Be aware of nonmaterial aspects of life

___ Try at times not to be in charge or the expert

___ Be open to not knowing

___ Identify what in meaningful to you and notice its place in your life

___ Meditate

___ Pray

___ Sing

___ Spend time with children

___ Have experiences of awe

___ Contribute to causes in which you believe

___ Read inspirational literature (talks, music, etc.)

___ Other:

Workplace or Professional Self-Care

___ Take a break during the workday (e.g. lunch)

___ Take time to chat with co-workers

___ Make quiet time to complete tasks

___ Identify projects or tasks that are exciting and rewarding

___ Set limits with your customers and colleagues

___ Balance your workload so that no one day or part of a day is “too much”

___ Arrange your work space so it is comfortable and comforting

___ Negotiate for your needs (benefits, pay raise)

___ Have a mentor or peer support group

___ Other:

Balance

___ Strive for balance within your work-life and workday

___ Strive for balance among work, family, relationships, play and rest

**Source: Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization. Saakvitne, Pearlman & Staff of TSI/CAAP (Norton, 1996)

houston therapists

Need help with self-care? Our Houston therapists are available for face to face sessions as online therapy sessions in limited areas.

To get started now give us a call to schedule an appointment at 832-559-2622 or schedule an appointment online.

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