SELF-CARE GOALS FOR THE 9 DOMAINS OF SELF-CARE

I mentioned a few goal ideas in my post about the Life Balance Wheel to help you come up with meaningful goals for each of the eight life domains. The life domains got me thinking about the 9 self-care domains and how setting self-care objectives is a fantastic idea!

With all of the conversation about goals this month, I thought it would be a good idea to give you some more specific goal ideas to help you nurture your mind, body, and spirit.

I realize it’s not always simple to come up with goal ideas on the spur of the moment, so I’d like to help you get your creative juices going.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is a necessary survival skill in social work. Self-care refers to activities and practices that we can do on a daily basis to manage stress and improve our short- and long-term health and well-being. Self-care is essential for your career and personal obligations to be effective and successful control.

“Just like you do on a plane, you need to put on your own oxygen mask first before trying to help others.”-Dean Nancy Smyth

Practicing self-care will help you:

Identify and address the common issues that all hardworking professionals confront, such as the risk of stress and burnout, as well as interpersonal issues.
Be aware of your own personal vulnerabilities, such as the risk of retraumatization (if you have a history of trauma), vicarious or secondary traumatization (if you work with people who have had traumatic experiences), and compassion fatigue (if you work with people who have had traumatic experiences) (which you can develop from a combination of burnout and vicarious traumatization).
Maintain and enhance the attention you devote to the various sectors of your life in a way that makes sense to you to achieve better balance in your life.

Aims of Self-Care

Self-care is not simply about limiting or addressing professional stressors. It is also about enhancing your overall well-being. There are common aims to almost all self-care efforts:

Taking care of one’s physical and mental well-being
Stress management and reduction
Taking care of one’s emotional and spiritual needs
Relationship building and maintenance
Having a sense of balance in one’s personal, school, and job lives

Each of us may differ in the domains we emphasize and the balance we seek among them.

Each life is unique and has its own unique demands. Consequently, we each must determine what self-care means for us and how to apply it in our life.

To refresh your memory, the 6 domains of self-care are:

Personal: it’s all about you and getting to know yourself better as a person.
Bodily: taking care of your basic physical demands and maintaining your physical health
Emotional intelligence refers to how you process and cope with your emotions.
Psychological: the state of your mind. Self-care exercises that assist you in maintaining a clear head and a good attitude
Spiritual: gaining a better understanding of your spiritual/religious views
Workplace wellness is a professional term. On-the-job self-care

Now let’s get into some specific goals that you can set for each domain of self-care!

SELF CARE GOALS FOR THE 6 DOMAINS

1. PERSONAL SELF CARE GOALS

Spend 30 minutes a day with yourself: This is a rather broad objective in the sense that you can spend those 30 minutes doing nearly anything that helps you connect with yourself. This is essentially a bedtime self-care ritual for me, where I journal, meditate, read, paint, and so on. Something that does not necessitate the use of your laptop or cell phone.
Make a vision board: I’ve been talking a lot about vision boards lately, and it’s because I truly believe in their power for personal growth and goal setting. The entire vision board creation process can be used as a self-care ritual (think of it as “me time!”). Then, once completed, it helps to keep you motivated. Because… well… exactly that’s what it is. This aim is also tied to spending quality “me time.”
Spend some time studying, reading, and watching videos about a new hobby (or an old one!). For example, I’ve just become interested in crystal healing and spiritual growth, so I’ve started reading blog entries and watching YouTube videos to learn more. So go ahead and study everything that interests you! You do not need to be in school to learn about a subject. Learning a new language is also a great way to improve your own self-care.

2. PHYSICAL SELF CARE GOALS

Alternatively, drink 8 glasses of water every day.Tea or Hint Water can be used in place of soda.Every morning, drink green tea or lemon water.Reduce the amount of sugar you put in your coffee gradually (until you don’t need any more!)
Every day, go to bed 15 minutes earlier until you achieve your optimum bedtime: This is a wonderful aim for night owls who want to get more sleep but are having trouble doing so. Adults typically require 6-8 hours of sleep every night to feel rested the next morning. Sleep is crucial for self-care, so if you’re often tired due to a lack of sleep, check into methods to help you fall asleep quickly and receive the rest you require.
Do 30 minutes of physical activity three times each week: This is a very self-explanatory objective, especially at the start of the new year. Exercise, like sleep, is critical for bodily well-being!
Limit your eating out to three times per month: Depending on your existing eating habits, the number of times per month you set for this objective will vary. Consider starting with “once/twice a week” and progressively decreasing the amount if you’re the sort who eats out every day at work.

3. EMOTIONAL SELF CARE GOALS

Every morning, recite a positive affirmation: It may seem strange at first, but it may truly help you shape your perspective for the day. It also aids in the training of your brain to think positively and enhances your self-esteem.
3 times every week, meditate: Start with two or three times a week and work your way up to every day if you find it enjoyable! Meditation falls under practically all of the self-care categories, making it an excellent self-care aim to have in general. It’s something I’ve only recently begun practising, but it truly helps me clear my mind and set my intentions for the day ahead.
2x every month, spend time with friends (outside of work): Our relationships with others have a big role in emotional self-care. It’s crucial to develop close relationships with others and spend time around other like-minded, positive people, no matter how shy or introverted you are. Make it a priority to socialise at least once a month.

4. PSYCHOLOGICAL SELF CARE GOALS

It doesn’t have to be a self-help book. Read one book per month. If you enjoy fiction, go ahead and read it! Reading is always beneficial to one’s mental health. This is a goal I’ve set for myself because I’ve purchased so many books, but it takes me much too long to read them all.
3 times per week journaling: This is another one where you can start with 2 or 3 times per week and work your way up. Self-reflection, setting intentions, personal growth, releasing emotions, and more can all benefit from journaling.
(Insert date) to declutter your space: I announced on Twitter on January 1st that I had rearranged/decluttered my room and felt like a whole different person. It was quite refreshing.

5. SPIRITUAL SELF CARE GOALS

Cultivate a daily prayer/manifestation practise: For me, this is the most important aspect of spiritual self-care. It’s simply anything that helps you connect with your beliefs, such as praying or meditating. Basically, making it a daily habit will bring you closer to your values and boost your positive views about the world.
Create a spiritual notebook and have it with you at all times as you practise your beliefs: This goal can be used in conjunction with the one above it. Keep a journal of what you’re praying for, visualising as you meditate, or trying to create in your life.
Determine your spiritual community and meet with them at least once a week: Going to church, connecting with friends who share your spiritual ideas, joining a meditation class, and so on are all examples of this.

6. PROFESSIONAL SELF-CARE GOALS

Use some of that vacation time! Plan a vacation for (insert date): Get enthusiastic and arrange a trip; you will not be disappointed.

By (insert date), redecorate/declutter your workspace: This is the same idea as the purpose of reorganising your room! A clean environment equals a clear mind, and a clear mind equals increased productivity.
When you leave the office, turn off your work phone and e-mail: Of course, this only applies if you have a work phone or e-mail, but if you do, it’s critical. You should not bring your work home with you.
Every day, take a break from your work for lunch: a change of location equals a new perspective. It’s good enough to go to the break room. The point is that you should not eat your lunch at your desk while working. You owe it to yourself to take 30 to 60 minutes for yourself.

Have a supportive group and a network of relationships around you that you can trust and turn to. Some examples of social self-care:

Honoring your commitments to other people
Asking for help when you need it
Meeting new people
Spending time with family and friends

8. ENVIRONMENT SELF-CARE

Having an organized, well-maintained, and clutter-free work, business, and home environment, having clean clothes, and a clean and well-maintained mode of transport. Some examples of environmental self-care:

Decluttering your home or work environment
Monitoring technology time
Cleaning up after a meal
Maintaining a clean and safe living environment

9. FINANCIAL SELF-CARE

Being responsible with your finances and having a conscious relationship with money. Some examples of financial self-care:

Knowing where your income is coming in,
Knowing when your expenses are due and paying them on time
Completing your tax responsibilities on time
Spending and saving money wisely

FINAL WORDS

Now, don’t try to complete all of these objectives at once. That’s exhausting, and exhaustion isn’t helpful when it comes to self-care. Burnout is the result of being overworked.

Choose one or two goals to focus on each month, especially if they take a significant amount of effort. Some of the physical self-care goals, such as increasing water intake, are easier to achieve than others, such as daily meditation.

Select a few goals that complement each other and begin incorporating them into your life. Which aspect of self-care do you believe might use the most improvement? What self-care objectives have you established for yourself that I didn’t mention on this list? Please let me know.