Self-care is a foundational pillar in our pursuit of a balanced life. This essential practice encompasses various activities to bolster our mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health. Mastering a self-care skills checklist is not just a good thing. Fostering independence and nurturing our best self is a necessity.
Self-care enables us to navigate the complexities of our daily lives with resilience.
It empowers us to meet the demands of personal and professional responsibilities.
As an RN, at its core, self-care is recognizing our own needs and taking the steps necessary to meet them.
Examples may include:
- developing a personal hygiene routine
- finding ways to deal with our daily stress and anxiety
- managing our time effectively
- engaging in cognitive and social activities that enhance our well-being
- following a bedtime regimen
- managing physical or disease symptoms
Self-care equips us to flourish in today’s dynamic and sometimes intense world, whether through simple activities of daily living (ADLs) like hand washing and tooth brushing or more complex tasks such as money management and interpersonal relationships.
It’s vital for a successful and thriving life.
So, dedicating enough time to refine these skills is critical for overall health and wellness.
A self-care skills checklist can be invaluable, and there’s one available at the end of this post.
Struggling to have enough me-time?
This Self-Care Starter Guide will show you 3 simple steps to take RIGHT NOW to have more me-time.
Be sure to grab yours! Get your FREE copy of the Self-Care Starter Guide HERE!
Develop a Personal Self-Care Routine
Building a needs-based self-care routine is essential for optimal health and independence.
Therefore, you must assess your personal needs carefully.
Evaluating your current requirements effectively also involves:
- appraising the daily tasks you obligate yourself to
- cognitive and social skills
- identifying any sensory challenges you might face
Setting realistic goals becomes crucial in this context.
Aim for progress at your own pace rather than perfection from the get-go.
Consistent routines and visual schedules are beneficial tools in this process. They help organize your day around essential self-care activities like:
- personal hygiene
- a morning routine
- spending time with your family or friends
But they also ensure you allocate enough me-time for each task.
Finally, visual aids may be helpful for:
- preparing healthy meals
- managing a bit of coordination for a relaxing bath time
- a relaxing walk outdoors
- or a more time-consuming function like writing in gratitude or reflective journals
If you experience sensory processing or sensory challenges, the cues in a visual schedule may be helpful to maintain consistency as you navigate your routine and self-care checklist.
Essential Self-Care Skills
There is no other way around it.
Mastering self-care skills is crucial to leading a fulfilled and independent life.
These skills form the core of your daily routines and encompass a variety of self-care activities. Not only do they foster physical well-being, but they also enhance cognitive abilities and social interactions.
At the heart of these practices lies your basic personal hygiene skills (often but not always learned at an early age).
Learning to say no is another key self-care skill that protects your me-time.
Beyond these basics, preparing simple meals and managing the storms of life become pivotal for self-sustenance.
- Cognitive Skills: Understanding and managing your mental health.
- Social Skills: Cultivating interpersonal relationships and excelling in social development and executive functioning.
- Daily Routines: Developing a nighttime or morning routine and staying consistent.
- Use of Visual Aids: Visual cues can be transformative for those with sensory processing issues, making tasks manageable and less overwhelming.
When I started using a visual schedule, I noticed how quickly my brain shifted to doing the activity.
Each skill, practiced at your own pace, paves the way toward achieving milestones of taking better care of yourself and overall personal development.
Embracing these tasks regularly will gradually make them second nature, enhancing one’s capacity for continued growth.
Tools and Resources
Your journey to proficient self-care can be significantly enhanced through tools and resources designed to assist you at every step.
Free digital apps like Structured or Routinery can help you develop and maintain your daily routines.
Another simple thing I like to do is set daily alarms on my phone but keep them silent.
My 3:00 pm alarm is for my daily 30-minute walk, and my 8:00 pm alarm is to start my bedtime routine. I see these daily, and often, I’m surprised that ‘it’s that time already,’ but I’m thankful I was notified and can start the activity!
Books, rich in knowledge passed down through years of clinical practice or experience, offer deep dives into personal care, mental health, and growing your faith.
Online products or courses serve as your gateway to newer skills structured at your own pace, ensuring you gather a wide range of life skills, from preventing exhaustion and burnout to having the confidence to further your education.
These experts bring insights garnered over years, offering therapeutic consultation that personalizes your self-care routine.
This advice, tailored to typical development and specific self-care practices, empowers you to achieve your best self.
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Looking for a way to stay motivated about taking better care of yourself? Check out my Bible study by clicking my affiliate link.
Like many others, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks that comprise effective self-care routines.
Lack of time or feeling too busy is the most formidable barrier, making it impossible (or at least feeling impossible) to dedicate enough time to your mental health, personal hygiene, or daily tasks.
That’s why embracing these activities at your own pace is essential.
Doing so ensures that you confidently navigate your path to wellness regardless of barriers, challenges, or the fast pace of life activities (which will always exist!).
Honing self-care skills demands persistence and patience.
As I wrote earlier, it requires the adjustment of your self-care practices to align with your current needs and developmental milestones.
Provide yourself ongoing support.
Seek assistance from various sources to support your journey, including
- free resources from experts
- advisement from teachers
- or therapeutic consultation
Engaging with community groups or employing tools designed for special education could also prove beneficial.
Don’t be afraid to try these things!
Finally, be sure to celebrate each new skill acquired.
Mastering the wide range of life skills that constitute self-care is an achievement!
It marks a significant stride toward independence and enhances mental and social development.
Each small success—like living by yourself for the first time or eventually managing a morning routine—ushers in a profound sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
Let these victories remind you that investing in your ‘best self’ is always a good thing.
Self-Care Skills Checklist
Be sure to download your free self-care skills checklist.
And, if you’re ready to start, don’t forget to grab your free Self-Care Starter Guide — it’s packed with simple tips to get you going. Get it HERE.
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Be sure to grab your FREE Self-care Starter Guide! Lisa Kimrey is a 33-year veteran registered nurse (RN), speaker, and author of the Bible study, The Self-care Impact: Motivation and Inspiration for Wellness. At Mylifenurse, Lisa combines her nursing expertise with Scripture-based encouragement to show readers who serve and care for others how to begin and maintain their self-care journey – without feeling guilty or overwhelmed – to feel happy, healthy, and rejuvenated.