This assessment tool provides an overview of effective strategies to maintain self-care. After completing the full assessment, choose one item from each area that you will actively work to improve.
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 healthily ___
- 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 ___
Psychological Self-Care
- Make time for self-reflection ___
- Have your own personal psychotherapy ___
- 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 ___
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, review 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 ___
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 the nonmaterial aspects of life ___
- Try at times not to be in charge or the expert ___
- Be open to not knowing ___
- Identify what it means 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.) ___
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 clients and colleagues ___
- Balance your caseload so that no one day or part of a day is “too much” ___
- Arrange your workspace so it is comfortable and comforting ___
- Get regular supervision or consultation ___
- Negotiate for your needs (benefits, pay raise) ___
- Have a peer support group ___
- Develop a non-trauma area of professional interest ___
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)
[mc4wp_form id=”525″]
Leave a Reply