5.5 Building a self-care plan

A Family Guide to Concurrent Disorders - Part II: The impact on families

Developing a self-care plan will help you think about the small steps you can take in your own life to build your resilience and reduce your vulnerability to compassion fatigue.

Imagine what your self-care plan might look like. This plan should address all your needs:

• biological self-care (caring for your own physical health)
• psychological self-care (taking care of your emotional health)
• social self-care (taking care of your social needs and networks)
• spiritual self-care (drawing on sources of spiritual help that might comfort and guide you)
• financial self-care.

This plan is called the biopsychosocial-spiritual self-care plan. Just remember to be very specific in your self-care plan. For example, a family member may choose to include something like the following in his or her plan:

• I will work out at the local gym three times a week for 30 minutes each time.
• I will walk reasonable distances instead of taking my car.
• I will go to Pilates classes with my friend Sheila once every week.
• I will eat three fruits a day, and take a B6 multivitamin.
• I will prepare two meatless dinners a week.

Click the link below to print/view the following PDF:

• Activity 5-4: Self-care plan (PDF)

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