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6 SELF-CARE PATHWAYS - Coggle Diagram
6 SELF-CARE PATHWAYS
Physical
Strength: This school year I have really made exercise a priority. I developed a workout plan to follow and implement it Monday-Saturday, with Sunday being a rest day. I started this regimen a few weeks before school so that it would be a habit before the busyness of school hit. Because of that I have been able to be consistent which I am really proud of. On page 13 of the ANA reading, a suggestion that I have done well is working out with your accountability partner, my friend Anna and I have been doing this together!
Challenge: Something that is mentioned on page 13 of the ANA reading that I have a hard time doing is "listening to your body". When something feels "off" I tend to just keep working and push through because I feel as though I can't afford to take time off school or rest. I would like to actually start listening to my body and accept that it is okay to rest and take time off if needed. I also want to be better about actually recognizing when I need to stop and let limits for that.
Growth: An area for grow I have for physical self care is drinking more water. I have never been someone who is good at making sure to drink the right amount of water everyday and I notice it when I exercise, so I definitely want to grow in this area. In the ANA Self Care reading it says to "target at least eight ounces every couple of hours" and to "make a habit of drinking enough water so that your urine remains clear to pale yellow. (page 13)" This is not the case for me so I would like to grow in this and make it a habit!
Choices
Strength: Another thing I have realized the importance of since coming to college is the need for accountability. My friend Anna and I have given each other permission to ask the other about anything they want and we have to be truthful. We also explicitly tell each other what we want the other to keep us accountable for and we check up on each other consistently to make sure it actually happens!
Challenge: I tend to have a hard time recycling and reusing, especially reusing. When I am shopping, I tend to be selfish and buy what I like and not really think about the effects it has on the world. I want to be better about buying products that are good. for the economy and sustainable!
Growth: An area where I am really trying to grow is choosing not to participate in rumor or gossip. Unfortunately this is so second nature for me and my friends and we are really good at justifying it and there is no excuse for it. On page 31 of the ANA reading it says relating to gossip to "speak up and not feed drama". I am growing in the sense of knowing when we need to stop and what it looks like to speak up.
Relationships
Strength: Something that I started in college that has been super helpful and encouraging is having a mentor! I meet every other week with an older lady from my church and just talk about life, what is going good, and what I am struggling with. She always provides me with so much wisdom and advice and always speaks truth into my life.
Challenge: I am a people person and I love making people happy. Because of this something I struggle with is cutting out toxic people in my life. I have one friend in particular that is so toxic. Looking at the types of toxic people chart she is a narcissist, controller, and an energy drainer, so I am having such a hard time navigating our friendship. I want to be better about setting boundaries with her so that the relationship is more life-giving and healthier for both of us.
Growth: Something I am trying to grow in is my words and controlling my tongue, actually thinking before I speak. On page 29 of the ANA reading one suggestion for relationship self-care is "being mindful of the words you use with others and the impact they may have." Words are powerful and have meaning so I want to grow in being better with my words and also being clear with how I say them.
Mental
Strength: I have made a god habit of writing in a journal everyday. I write down what I am grateful for and the positive things that are going on in my life. It really makes my day so much better and helps me focus on the good rather than the bad. It puts me in a much more positive mindset and is something I want to continue to do.
Challenge: I really struggle with negative self talk. It is almost second nature to me which is why it is so hard for me to shake it, I usually don't even realize I am doing it until someone points it out to me. To be better at this I am inviting people in and letting them correct me when I say negative things about myself. I also am trying to be very conscious about my thoughts and recognize when I am thinking negatively and trying to switch my thinking to something positive.
Growth: An area I am growing in currently is learning to say "no" without feeling guilty. I am in the busiest season of my life right now and as much as I would like to spend most of my time with friends, unfortunately that is not a wise thing to do all the time. On page 23 of the ANA reading it mentions "taking time to think before overcommitting". I am really learning this right now because I have never had to actually take the time and plan when I hang out with people.
Spiritual
Strength: This is one area of self care I feel the strongest in. I am a Christian, so I believe that God is sovereign over my life and that he has a good plan for my life. Something I do everyday to grow closer to God is reading my Bible and praying. Reading the Bible helps me learn more about God and who He is, it is a love letter to us. Prayer is direct communication with God. It is so comforting knowing that I get to personally communicate with the God of the universe! Doing both of these things are super encouraging to be because it just puts everything into perspective and calms so much stress I have no control over. I get to rest in the fact that there is a God that wants the best for me and He is close to me and will keep me safe!
Challenge: I think sometimes when I am stressed or overwhelmed, I do not give people as much grace as I should and tend to become critical. I should be showing others the same grace that Jesus gives me, no matter my circumstances! I want to be better about seeing things from other peoples perspective and being open to hearing what they have to say and not always being so critical of others! I need to remind myself that we are all human and therefore we all mess up, so grace for others is a necessity.
Growth: Something I am currently working on is remembering my values and not letting situations or people change that. On page 28 of the ANA reading it suggests to "write down your core values and develop activities to support, strengthen, and reflect those values." I feel like I want to grow in the area of not letting my values change based on the people I am around, I want stand firm in my beliefs and not be afraid to share them.
Emotional
Strength: I love being outside. I go on a walk everyday and it is so therapeutic. Going on walks really lets me slow down and think through my emotions. I can get so caught up in the busyness of life that I never actually take time to think about what I am doing and why I am doing it so walks are very helpful with that. Also, I love nature and the outdoors so that automatically puts me in a good mood and takes away all the negativity!
Challenge: Going along with the mental self care challenge I have, I really struggle with negative thoughts. I am to be better about consciously fighting them with positivity and try to get to the root of why I have those thoughts.
Growth: I would like to grow in asking for help when I feel a stressful/ overwhelming week coming on. I tend to like to get everything done myself and don't usually ask people for help because I see it as a sign of weakness, but I cannot do everything by myself all the time and it can be so bad for me emotionally so I want to grow in this area and reach out to people when I need help! (Especially my professors when I feel overwhelmed about a class!) Page 26 of the ANA reading mentions to "ask for help before you feel overwhelmed. Delegate and let it be. Know that the delegate may not complete the task perfectly, but it's not worth the extra stress." I want to grow even more specifically in asking for help BEFORE I am overwhelmed and not when it is already too late and i am already overwhelmed.