A Comprehensive Guide To Creating A Self-Care Checklist

Are you looking to upgrade your self care routine? In this article we’re sharing how to create a self care checklist that will ensure consistency and habitual change.

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, neglecting our own well-being. If you are a survivor of trauma, it’s even more challenging to lean into taking care of yourself in the initial stages of recovery. Mainly because survival mode equates to necessity not rest and relaxation.

This is where self care becomes essential. Whether it’s a daily, weekly, or monthly practice, or a practice that specializes in physical, mental, and emotional health– it all adds up in ensuring a well balanced and recharged state of being.

In this article, we will explore how to create a self care checklist, highlight the 8 areas of self care, provide a self care checklist template, and suggest a few self care checklist apps for your convenience.

You may also like my article ‘Unleash Your Inner Goddess, The Best Self Care For Women’.

This article is all about Self Care Checklist.

Self Care Checklist

The Eight Areas of Self-Care:

These eight areas of self-care provide a framework for cultivating a balanced and fulfilling life. From tending to our physical health to nourishing our emotional and spiritual selves, each area plays a crucial role in our overall well-being. In this section, we will delve into the eight areas of self care, exploring the diverse ways in which we can prioritize and cultivate wellness in each aspect.

1. Physical self-care: Engage in activities that promote physical well being, such as regular exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and practicing good hygiene. You may like our other article ‘The Best Physical Self Care You Need To Try’.
2. Emotional self-care: Focus on activities that support your emotional well-being, such as journaling, practicing mindfulness or meditation, seeking therapy or counseling, expressing your feelings through art or music, and engaging in hobbies you enjoy.
3. Mental self-care: Nourish your mind by engaging in activities that stimulate intellectual growth and relaxation, such as reading books, solving puzzles or crosswords, learning new skills, and engaging in creative pursuits.
4. Social self-care: Cultivate healthy relationships by spending time with loved ones, joining social or community groups, volunteering, participating in activities that connect you with others, and seeking support when needed.
5. Spiritual self-care: Connect with your inner self and find meaning by engaging in activities that align with your beliefs and values. This may involve meditation, prayer, attending religious or spiritual gatherings, spending time in nature, or engaging in reflective practices.
6. Professional self-care: Prioritize your professional well-being by setting boundaries between work and personal life, seeking opportunities for growth and development, delegating tasks when possible, and taking breaks to prevent burnout.
7. Financial self-care: Take steps to ensure your financial stability and peace of mind. Create a budget, save money, reduce debt, seek financial advice when needed, and practice mindful spending.
8. Environmental self-care: Create a supportive and nurturing physical environment. Declutter your living or working space, surround yourself with things that bring you joy, spend time in nature, and engage in eco-friendly practices.

How to Create a Self-Care Checklist

In our fast-paced and demanding lives, it’s all too easy to put our own well-being on the back burner. However, practicing self care is important for maintaining healthy relationships and nurturing our physical, mental, and emotional health. One effective way to ensure we prioritize self care is by creating a personalized checklist. Here’s how to create your own self care checklist:

1. Reflect on your needs: Take some time to understand which areas of your life could benefit from self care. Consider your physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. Do you find yourself stressed? Perhaps you need more emotional self care. Do you find yourself physically depleted? Then an uptick in physical self care is needed. Maybe you feel lonely, then social self care is suggested.
2. Identify activities: Brainstorm a list of activities that promote self care in each of the identified areas. For example, a fun yoga class for physical well-being, a sound bath meditation for mental well-being, journaling for emotional well-being, and spending time with loved ones for social well-being. Explore new activities that excite you as well.
3. Set realistic plans: Break down your activities into manageable steps. For instance, researching new meetups, attending one class, calling loved one instead of meeting in person. Start with small plans and gradually increase your self care routine over time. You want this to be exhilarating and stress-relieving.
4. Establish a routine: Determine how often you would like to engage in each self care activity. It could be daily, weekly, or monthly. Also establish the time of day you’ll be dedicating to self care. Creating a routine will help you prioritize these new activities and help build habits.
5. But be flexible: Remember that life happens and sometimes schedules change. Allow yourself the freedom to modify your checklist as needed.

Self-Care Checklist Template:

Feel free to use the following template as a starting point for your self care checklist:

Physical self care:

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes.
• Eat a balanced meal.
• Get 7-8 hours of sleep.
• Take a relaxing bath or shower.

Emotional self care:

• Write in a journal.
• Practice mindfulness or meditation for 10 minutes.
• Engage in a creative activity (painting, playing an instrument, etc.).
• Spend time with a pet or loved one.

Mental self care:

• Read a book for pleasure.
• Solve a crossword or puzzle.
• Learn something new (language, instrument, etc.).
• Engage in a hobby you enjoy.

Social self care:

• Connect with a friend or loved one.
• Join a social or community group.
• Plan a fun outing or activity with others.
• Seek support or talk to someone about your day.

Spiritual self care:

• Meditate or pray.
• Spend time in nature.
• Engage in a reflective practice (journaling, gratitude exercises, etc.).
• Attend a religious or spiritual gathering.

Professional self care:

• Set boundaries between work and personal life.
• Take breaks throughout the day.
• Engage in professional development activities.
• Celebrate your accomplishments.

Financial self care:

• Create a budget and track expenses.
• Save a percentage of your income.
• Seek financial advice if needed.
• Avoid impulsive or unnecessary purchases.

Environmental self care:

• Declutter a specific area of your living or working space.
• Surround yourself with things that bring you joy.
• Spend time outdoors.
• Practice eco-friendly habits (recycling, conserving energy, etc.).

Self-Care Checklist App:

If you prefer a digital solution, you can explore self-care checklist apps like “Sparkle” available on both iOS and Android platforms. Here are more self care apps to try:

• Aloe Bud
• Gratitude Self Care Journal
• Mood Tracker: Self Care Habits
• MyPossibleSelf: Mental Health
• Fabulous Daily Routine Planner
• I am – Daily Affirmations
• Evolve: Self Care and Meditations

These apps provide customizable checklists, reminders, and tracking features to help you stay consistent and accountable in your self-care journey.

Creating a self care checklist is a valuable tool to ensure you’re prioritizing your well-being across various areas of your life. Remember, self-care is a personal journey, so feel free to modify the checklist to suit your needs and preferences. By consistently engaging in self-care activities, you’ll promote balance, resilience, and overall happiness in your life.