Building Your Self-Care Kit: Removing Roadblocks

Roadblocks often get in the way of self-care, but planning ahead can keep you from getting derailed!

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to stay on track.

1. Why is it important for me to make space for myself?

Think about areas of life you want to see positively change. What could come from making more time for yourself?

Prompts to help you brainstorm:

How have I been sleeping?

Have I been eating in a way that makes me feel good?

When was the last time I learned something new?

When did I last spend time on an activity I enjoy?

Am I doing or saying things that don’t match who I want to be?

2. What can I do in the next week to make space for things that make me happy?

Set two goals and write them down!

Some examples:

“I want to actually be tired when I go to bed. This week I’ll do running to burn off some energy.

“I want to read more books I enjoy. I’ll go to the bookstore on my way home. Then I’ll shut the TV off before 10pm and read for a bit.

3. What’s going to get in the way?

Things will happen! Lay out some simple responses to likely events and create your plan for removing roadblocks.

Obstacle: What seems likely to get in the way of your self-care goals this week?

Response: What can you do if these things happen?

Some examples:

Obstacle: It’s too hard to find the time for a run.

Response: Plan ahead and pick a time to run this week. Schedule it around other activities and commit to it like an appointment.

Obstacle: I’m too worried to sit and read, I always get distracted.

Response: Give yourself permission to get distracted! If you can sit for 15 minutes with a book, even if you don’t read much, that’s better than not sitting down at all.