SELF-CARE PLAN
Physical Health
To care for my physical health, I will exercise at least 4 times a week for 30 minutes at a time. During those 30 minutes I will either be jogging, jogging/walking, or briskly walking. In addition, I will do stretching exercises at least 5 times a week, and weight-bearing exercises 3 times a week. I will also ensure that that I get at least 8 hours of sleep a night for 5 nights/week, in order to be well rested and ready for the challenges in the new day.
Social Health
To ensure that I am giving adequate attention to my social needs, I will reach out to church friends that I am seeking to care for at least once a week. The social interaction will be good for both of us. In addition, I will call my mother once a week, and call a friend once a week, as well. I will also give myself at least 10 minutes per day to debrief my day with my husband so that I have an outlet for letting out some of the pent-up tension of the day in broad terms without sharing anything confidential. He is my best friend, so that relationship is very important.
Emotional/Mental Health
In order to care for my emotional and mental health, I will practice an evaluation strategy in which I ask myself whether the thing that is causing me stress and anxiety is actually a problem or simply something that I think may be a problem. After that, I will assess whether it is anything that I can fix, and fix it, if possible. If it isn’t, then I will write the problem on a piece of paper and burn the paper, symbolically illustrating that that problem cannot be something I worry about further as I can’t help the process anyway. I will also seek to surround myself with encouraging, uplifting individuals when stress is greatest to alleviate some stress.
CAREER PLANS
1 Year: With my MSW I plan to pursue a position in Medical Social Work upon graduation. Within 6 months of graduation I plan to get my LSW within the state of Indiana and then work toward gaining clinical hours toward a future LCSW. I looked for a job that would provide supervision so that my clinical hours could be documented and achieved that goal. This represents my main directive for work following graduation, though I also have interests in policy advocacy, school social work, crisis management, and counseling. I’m not sure when/if I integrate those directions into my career plans, but I remain interested in many facets of the social work field.
5 Years: I plan to have achieved my LCSW and continue working within a medical social work environment.
10 Years: I plan to continue working within a medical social work setting, but I may explore doing some clinical counseling on the side in addition to my work in hospital settings in order to expand my clinical experience and pursue other interests, if I have an aptitude for it.
My mission statement is to bring light and hope to those who are discouraged and in need of a helping hand, a smile, and a little love to spur them on along life’s journey.