Architecture 101: Making Self-Care Strategic

Behind The Line

Show Notes:

In this episode we are talking about the strategy involved in creating a useful, meaningful and sustainable self-care plan. For plans to be useful they have to actually be grounded in reality and practicality – without that they’ll just sit on the backburner, never being implemented. Our goal is to understand the ways to diversify our self-care plan to ensure we have a plan for every circumstance. During this episode we talk about 4 key areas to keep in mind as you consider crafting a self-care plan:

1. Keep time in mind: self-care actions need to be diverse in terms of the time they take. Some need to fit into 5 minutes or less, others within 30 minutes, and others may be longer. Accessibility is key to making self-care consistent and useful, and you should have more things that take less time included in your plan, as time is often hard to come by.

2. Keep expense in mind: just like self-care needs to be diverse based on time, it also needs to be diverse based on expense. You cannot go for a 2 hour massage everyday…well, maybe some people can but most of us can’t. So plan actions that cost nothing, are cheap and then range from there. Again, there should be far more activities on the free or cheap end of the spectrum than the expensive end.

3. Keep energy in mind: diversify your activity planning based on the energy it takes. You may have days where you are up for a hike, and others where brushing your teeth feels like Everest. Ensure you have a range of ideas that you can use when you are low energy or sick, as well as when you are moderate and higher energy.

4. Keep context in mind: consider activities you can do wherever you are and whoever you’re with. While it might be ideal to engage in self-care when you have a night to yourself at home, this will not always be an option. Come up with creative ideas for showing a heart of care whether you’re at home or getting groceries; whether you are on your own or with one or more people.

We also cover some reminders:

· Self-care won’t always feel good. Self-care includes nice things that feel good, but it also includes regularly scheduling dentist visits and caring for your basic wellness.

· Self-care involves setting boundaries and saying “no” sometimes – with ourselves and with others.

· Self-care involves experimentation and self-reflection to notice what you like, what you don’t and how to continually adapt as your preferences and needs evolve.

Episode Challenge:

To begin, start by meeting basic needs – hydrate, eat nutritious foods, engage in hygiene activities, prioritize sleep habits, limit substances, limit screens, prioritize base health needs including doctor/dentist appointments. If you are already doing all of these things – bravo! I would encourage you to reflect a bit on whether you are doing them with a heart of care for you or out of a place of routine or obligation and consider if there are ways to could shift your mindset about them a bit to lean heavier into the caring for self heart.

And, register for the 5 day challenge here!

Additional Resources:

The Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers

https://theblissfulmind.com/self-care-strategies/

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