I have had a self-care plan for many years, without having a name for it.  Every New Year’s Day, I set goals for myself for the upcoming year, including activities for self-care practice.  I intentionally try to have a balance between physical exercise, a proper diet, good sleeping habits, spiritual practices, social activities, hobbies, and other ways to promote positive emotional and mental well-being.

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My main physical activity goal for 2019 was to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps every single day for the year.  Sports injuries have halted my decades-long ritual of running three times a week.  I have kept this daily walking goal in 2019 and plan to continue it into the next year.  I vary the location between the Chattanooga Riverwalk and local parks to indoor malls when the weather necessitates. I have also been an active member of a local spin class for many years and sometimes bike outside as well.

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I have been a gardener since the age of three when I began helping in the family garden of my parents.  I designed and built a French kitchen garden in my own backyard several years ago.  My goal each year has been to eat something out of my garden from all twelve months of the year, as I garden year-round.  It keeps me physically active, supplies fresh produce for a healthy diet, and stimulates my senses from being outdoors.

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Spiritual disciplines are very important to me and are a necessary form of self-care.  I am active in my church, which is a vital part of my life.  I serve as a deacon, sing in the choir, and work on several committees.  Being part of this larger faith community is something that contributes to my sense of spiritual well-being.  Daily devotions are part of my every day routine, both written devotionals and an online devotional from England by a Jesuit community that I listen to each day.  I also do a weekly Examen, which is a method of examining your life on a regular basis that was developed in the monasteries of Europe centuries ago.  It is a good practice for self-reflection and contemplation that has some similarities with cognitive behavior therapy in that you focus on your automatic thoughts and the meaning behind them.

I was raised in a musical family with a piano-teaching mother and a music director father, and music is a fun way for me to practice self-care.  I play the piano and the trumpet and also enjoy singing.  Wednesday night choir rehearsals at church each week are something that I look forward to as a form of self-care at mid-week, where I also enjoy the benefits of being part of a group.

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I also write regularly in a journal as a way to get my thoughts on paper and to encourage mindfulness.  This is a practice that I developed later in life and one I intend to continue in the future as a form of self-care.

Finally, reading a good book is the way in which I end each day before going to sleep.  I worked in the book industry for over 30 years, and no matter how busy I am, I always have a book on my nightstand that is an additional part of my continuing self-care plan.

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