Why Do You Need a Self-Care Plan & How to Execute it?

To live a happy and healthy life, it's paramount to take care of yourself constantly. That's where self-care planning comes into play. What's a self-care plan? It's a list of activities which will act as your coping mechanism and support the well-being of your physical, mental and emotional state. It's also a set of principles to live by so you don't fall into the dark abyss of stress and depression. 

Self-care is not really a bunch of rules written in some guide book which you can follow blindly. Each person has their own unique personality and circumstances. That's why their self-care needs are different as well. That's why when you are mapping out a plan for yourself, you need to know what works for you best. To get you started, we have come up with some tips which you may find worth consideration.

1. Strike a work-life balance- When the line between your professional and personal life starts to get blurred, things start to become really stressful for both your physical and mental health. Both sides of your life start to get messed up. This is why it's important to strike a proper work-life balance. Don't bring your works home and try to finish them then and there. If you are working from home, then try to set appropriate working hours and finish your tasks within that time period. Let your colleagues and supervisors know about your working hours so they know not to disturb you any other time unless there's an emergency. Make sure you have a good few hours for yourself every day.

2. Stay physically active- Staying physically active is the key to not only a fit body but also a healthy mind. So make it a routine to do some light exercises or yoga everyday. Or just simply go for a jogging session every morning or evening. This will help you burn your excess calories and chase away unwelcome negative thoughts in mind. 

3. Build a strong support system- Loneliness is often the reason which eventually leads to depression. To prevent that, you need communication with people. So try to build and maintain connections with a group of reliable people outside of your workplace. Try to remain in contact with your relatives and friends as much as possible. Don't shy away from opportunities to make new connections, especially with people from your locality. These people will act as a strong support system in moments of need. Their company will help you stay grounded and not feel overwhelmed. You can also take their help for your Self-care planning.

4. Actively search for hobbies- For the well-being of your mental and emotional health, try to actively search for hobbies outside of work and spend time on them. It's never too late to pick up a new hobby or explore an area of interest you haven't had a chance to before. It can be anything ranging from learning to play a new instrument to going hiking on the weekend. The most important thing is to spend your free time on things which let you release your stress effectively.

5. Try meditation- Meditation is one of the best ways to achieve inner peace of mind. Regular meditation, even for just a few minutes can do wonders for the improvement of your mental health. It reduces stress, anxiety, anger and increases focus of mind. Mindful meditation gives you a different perspective for everything which proves to be often enlightening. These different perspectives may help you cope better with many of life's critical situations with calmness.

6. Engage yourself in community services- Doing good for others generally makes you feel a lot better about yourself. That's why volunteering in community services is a very rewarding experience. You get confidence and a sense of purpose through it. Volunteering also lets you communicate with a lot of people coming from different backgrounds. Their stories, their struggles let you see your life in a different light. Through volunteering, you may also learn some new skills or get a chance to hone your already existing ones. All in all, it's an activity that returns twofold benefits in exchange for some commitments. So it's worth your time and effort.

7. Take breaks and go for short trips- Time to time, taking a break from your regular, monotonous life is really necessary to make sure you are not burnt out. To stay functional and productive in the long run, sometimes a change of scenery is important. Going for long trips is tempting but often difficult to adjust to in busy schedules. So take leave for a while from work and go for short trips. Take your family or friends with you for a weekend getaway and spend some quality time together just relaxing. This short time away from the hustle and bustle of your own daily life can be really therapeutic. It will feel you with energy once again to get back to your regular routine and power through them confidently. 

8. Maintain a reasonable sleeping schedule- Messed up sleeping schedule harms both the physical and mental state of a body. So a proper self-care plan should definitely include a reasonable sleeping schedule. Sufficient amount of sleep is the most important thing to keep yourself at the top of your game.

9. Put visible reminders everywhere- This is the thing about a self-care plan, you have to execute it responsibly as well. Changes in habits take time to stick. So you shouldn't feel too impatient. Try to execute all the changes you have planned gradually. So you don't forget or entirely give up on anything, put some visible reminders around yourself. You can use some sticky notes for this purpose and put them on the fridge, cupboards etc. These reminders will compel you to stay committed towards your goals. Also let your close family members and friends know about your plans so they can also motivate you constantly.  

10. Keep a journal- Keep a journal to track your progress. Self-care plan is not something set in stone. And theoretical concepts are often pretty different from practical applications. So things you have planned in your own unique self-care planning, may not be as effective in actual practice. So keeping track of your progress will help you notice such things. What practices are actually effective or not, what bad habits you need to get rid of or what you should change or add in your already existing plan. This journal will help you reflect on yourself better.

Here's a reminder once again, that self-care is unique to each individual. So just take the above mentioned tips as a primary guideline and navigate from there based on your own needs. And don't forget that the personality and circumstances of a person changes over time. So what works for you now, may not work for you in future as well. This is why your self-care planning needs constant monitoring and modifications according to requirements.