Self care. It seems like another one of those buzzwords filling headlines and Instagram posts, but don’t let that deter you from this key practice. Today, we’re helping you create your own self care plan.

What is Self Care anyway?

Passion Planner defines self care as an intentional act of taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is not indulgent, but a crucial part of any person’s growth. We believe that setting goals around your wellbeing is just as important as whatever is on your bucket list. 

Your self care goals may look different than everyone else’s, which is not only completely valid but expected. Creating your personal self care plan will be unique to you. Honor what feels right based on what you know about yourself. Self care is what you want it to be. 

Why is Self Care Important?

Research shows that engaging in self care practices can help improve your health, increase productivity, and prevent burnout. Sometimes, it’s easier to pencil in our work, family, and friends in our daily planner before ourselves, but know that we can’t pour from an empty cup. Give time to yourself as needed. When you are at your best, you are able to give so much more to those around you.

It’s time to reclaim your daily self care routine on your own terms. Not sure where to start? Here are some practical self care strategies to help you fill your cup:

What Self Care Is and Isn’t

Above: Weekly Passion Planner, Just Start Sticker Book, Passion Highlighters (formally Passion Markers)

When you hear the word “self care” what do you see? At first, I thought it meant going to the spa with my girlfriends, spending the day in a bathrobe, and listening to some smooth jazz while thin cucumber slices sit on my eyes. Now, I know that’s just one way to define self care (and not a bad one, at that). There’s no right or wrong answer here. 

However you define it, an ideal self care practice is one that makes you feel good and at your best. Do not let anyone else—a friend, a family member, or especially an influencer tell you how to best take care of yourself. Whether it’s getting a mani AND pedi, treating yourself to your favorite comfort meal (Spicy McNuggets, anyone?), or doing absolutely nothing, how your practice self care is by putting your needs first and being absolutely unapologetic about it. However you define it, your self care should not: break your bank, drain your energy, or leave you feeling guilty.

Most importantly, self care is NOT selfish.

How to Define Self-Care For Yourself:

• What does self care look like to you?
• How do you want to feel at the end of your self care practice?
• What self care activities will leave you feeling re-energized?

Schedule in Personal Me Time

Above: Weekly Passion Planner, Self-Care Sticker Book, Passion Highlighters (formally Passion Markers)

If you’re reading this, high chances are you are a planner person. I, too, am a planner person. I am a plan-my-week-ahead-of-time, fill-my-schedule-to-the-brim kind of planner person and feel the need to be on the go. All. The. Time. Self care? Who has time for that? 

I came to realize that constantly being on the go left me tired, drained, and certainly not my best self. My mind was everywhere, my health was declining, and that fire and drive burning within me was quickly running out of fuel. Once I started scheduling in relaxing activities for myself, I noticed I was able to give so much more to myself and those around me. 

So, how’d I do it? The secret: schedule in time for self care. Be intentional with your time and set an hour or two or even a whole day for yourself. Make this non-negotiable.

Give yourself permission to rest.

How to Make a Self Care Schedule:

• Write in me-time in your Passion Planner Weekly. Honor this for yourself and try your best not to cancel!
• Schedule an appointment with yourself in your Google Calendar. Block off as much time as you need so others know not to disturb you during this time.
• Set your notifications for Slack, social media, e-mail, or any other apps on OFF. Don’t feel the need to be online, and be okay with saying no to others. Be absolutely unapologetic in this.

Celebrate the Little Wins

Above: Weekly Passion Planner, Self-Care Sticker Book, Passion Highlighters (formally Passion Markers), Water Tracker PDF Download

Remember, self care does not have to be luxurious, expensive, or some sort of grand gesture. There is no metric or KPI to measure how much you are succeeding at self care. Big or small, all forms of self care are valid. Acknowledge that some days will be harder than others, and activities such as drinking water, washing the dishes, or simply getting out of bed are all forms of self care worth celebrating.

As long as it leaves you feeling good, count it as a win.

How to Feel Good About your Self Care Practice:

• Talk to those you trust about their self care routines to get inspired on developing your own. 
• Cover your planner with cute, matching self care stickers to remind you of your accomplishments.
• Write it down the Good Things That Happened in your day and reflect on it at the end of the week.

Create Your Self Care Checklist

Above: Weekly Passion Planner, Just Start Sticker Book, Passion Highlighters (formally Passion Markers), Self-Care Reflection PDF Download

Now comes the fun part: outlining and creating your self care checklist. If you don’t know where to start, explore the different areas of self care you can focus on: mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, social, and so much more. 

It is also important to remember to keep things flexible. In the event of a bad day where you don’t feel like doing much, pare down your plan to the essentials—a very basic self care checklist. This can include brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or even just rolling out of bed. Keeping things simple is a great starting point. 

You can also choose the frequency of your routine. Do you prefer a daily self care checklist to hold you accountable each day? Or is a weekly self care checklist more realistic for you? 

No matter what works best for you, you have what it takes to make your wellbeing a priority. 

Here are some examples of self care to get you started:

Mental Self Care

1. Watch a movie you love, for the seventeenth time
2. Set time to meditate for 5 - 10 minutes in the morning
3. Reach out to a friend or family member to catch up
4. Or spend a day with yourself on Do Not Disturb mode
5. Listen to a new playlist on Spotify
6. Mindlessly color with Coloring Pages
7. Reminisce through your Photos album and clean out anything you don’t want to keep
8. Watch a Youtube video on a topic you’re curious about
9. Delegate a small task to someone else
10. Read that book you’ve been meaning to read

Physical Self Care

1. Get up from your seat and get moving
2. Indulge in your favorite comfort meal
3. Have an at-home spa day, face mask and all
4. Drink a tall glass of water
5. Practice a skin-care routine
6. Take a nap in the middle of the day
7. Light a candle in your favorite scent
8. Clean your room, work space, or entire house
9. Wear the outfit you've been saving for a special occasion
10. Play with your fur baby (if you have one)
11. Go to your favorite grocery store
12. Fill your space with plants
13. Wash your sheets and enjoy their fresh scent afterwards
14. Cook a nice meal for yourself

Your Printable Self Care Plan

Our FREE Self Care Reflection PDF is a printable self care plan with guiding questions designed to ground you. With this worksheet, you'll be able to identify your emotions and needs, plan your self care kit for the day, and reflect on the positive. Download it now and make the time to take care of yourself. (You deserve it!)  

What's your favorite form of self care? Let us know in the comments! 

Author Bio

Jamie Santos works on the Passion Planner Marketing team and is a lifelong learner. On her off time, she is an ice cream aficionado and baker-in-progress who enjoys indulging in anything sweet.