A self-care plan with the six self-care elements and the plan of action for each: Mental Health and Self Care, Essay, Ireland

Topic: A self-care plan with the six self-care elements and the plan of action for each.

Introduction

This piece of work aims to outline and explain the six self-care elements {such as physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, relationships and workplace or professional self-care element}. Also, the plan of action for each will be addressed. Self-care is a means of improving and promoting health by oneself without the need to visit or seek the services of health care professionals. The world health organization commends the need for self-care as a crucial form of promoting health. {World Health Organisation,2023} Self-care can be seen as a coping strategy intervention that can assist in reducing hospital visits if practiced steadily.

This perhaps, is a means of improving wellbeing. {Shelly Tygielski, 2023}

The Six Self Care Elements And Actions Suitable To Achieve The Various Self Care Plan

Physical Self Care Plan: The physical self-care plan assists in promoting a healthy living and by doing so provides enough energy to carry on with the activities of daily living and all other routines expected to do.

Psychological Self Care Plan: The psychological self-care plan is necessary to promote good mental health. This perhaps prepares and mentally keeps you intellectually sound to navigate challenges faced in workplace and personal life. To promote and maintain a good psychological self-care plan, there’s needed to create and update a reflective journal as well as make time for relaxation.

Emotional Self Care Plan: the emotional self-care plan entails studying oneself through experiences. This can be achieved by writing out daily routines including the pros and cons experienced in every day-to-day activity. This will enable oneself to learn what makes them happy and how to maintain a happy lifestyle.

Spiritual Self Care Plan: The spiritual self-care plan involves developing a perspective sense of supernatural being.  To achieve this, one needs to engage in meditation and reflection. Additionally, one needs to be strong willed in their belief/religion.

Relationship Self Care Plan: having a supportive and healthy relationship is essential to maintain a good relationship self-care plan. This could be achieved by spending quality times with partners, friends, and families. Thus, prioritizing relationship with loved ones.

Workplace or professional Self Care Plan: workplace or professional self-care plan comprises of engaging in activities that will promote work life and personal life steadily. This could be done by engaging in peer support groups, attending professional programs, and keeping up with supervision from a senior / experienced colleague.

{ReachOut Australia, 2023}

Self-Care Exercises and Activities

• Mindfulness
• Healthy Eating
• Relaxation
• Physical fitness / exercise
• Time Management
• Be good to oneself.

The Self Care Plan

As a mother of two boys, working and studying full time with a partner. Creating a self-care plan is essential. Below is an organized self-care plan detailing the barriers and actions required to achieve a successful self-care.

Physical Self Care Plan: with children to look after {Mind} its demanding taking care of the children and also carrying out my activities. This perhaps, affects my eating time whereas leading to poor dieting. It also affects my sleeping routine, thereby leading to irregular sleeping schedule.

Actions Required: Employ a Child minder to assist in minding the children. This will enable me to address my personal needs. Engage in physical self-care plan such as exercising, maintaining good diet and developing a good sleeping pattern.

Psychological Self Care Plan: with financial challenges, having to work extra shift at workplace to make ends meet and be able to pay my fees. This perhaps affects my relaxation time and as well stops me from taking holiday leave as expected.

Actions Required: create a table addressing my needs using a scale of preference. Contacting the school fees office to request for a fees payment plan which will enable me to pay my fees in installment with less pressure of having to work overtime to pay my fees. Engaging in meditation. Having to stay clear off working extra time will give me the liberty to utilize my work leaves and day off work for relaxation. Engage in age-appropriate games to improve psychological well-being.

Emotional Self Care Plan: having friends with different cultural background including unique experience and understanding. Friends seems not to come through when needed. Actions Required: discuss with friends on expectations, likes and dislikes so that boundaries can be obeyed, and expectations could be treated respectively. Taking record of experiences and learning from experience.

Spiritual Self Care Plan: having difficulties in overcoming tight situations and developing a good supernatural being.

Actions Required: engaging in meditation and be strong willed in my religion.

Relationship Self Care Plan: having loads of expectations from my partner with no positive outcome. Having to spend less time with my partner due to workload and different work time pattern.

Actions Required: creating time to spend with my family, communicating my expectations and understanding my partners expectations for the family will promote a good family bonding. Practice mindfulness

Workplace or Professional Self Care Plan: working in the health and social care industry has exposed me to quite demanding workload. Having to shuffle between work life, school life and personal life appears cumbersome.

Actions Required: To navigate the challenges surrounding my work life and career, I must practice time management, attend staff meeting at work, engage win group class with my school mates and engage in developmental programs.

Conclusion

Self-care is indeed a coping strategy which relieves stress. A self-care plan is a good method of preventing and managing stress by meditating, it also promotes good relationship by mindfulness. It is important to have a self-care plan as it assists one to stay focused in attaining / achieving goals. There’s need to practice self-care regularly as it takes time to master a new routine. {Shelly Tygielski, 2023}

During this assignment, the six elements of self-care plan and the possible plan of action was discussed. Examples of self-care plan activities was listed. Furthermore, a personal self-care plan was carved out which I aim to use going forward to promote selfcare. In designing a self-care plan, a few personal desires were considered. Example: routines that gives me peace, activities that makes me happy, and various means I navigate challenges was considered.

The way to wellbeing involves connecting and nurturing relationships with neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family. It entails being active physically, taking notice of your feelings and involving in continuous learning and giving {Mental health Ireland, 2023} Bibliography

World health organization, self-care interventions for health https://www.who.int/healthtopics/self-care#tab=tab_1 {Accessed 20 October,2023}

Why you need a self-care plan by Shelly Tygielski https://www.mindful.org/why-you-need-aself-care-plan/ {Accessed 25 October,2023}

Reach out Australia, developing a self-care plan. https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/developing-a-self-care-plan {Accessed 29 October, 2023}

University of Buffalo school of social work, self-care exercises and activities https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/resources/self-care-starter-kit/self-care-assessmentsexercises/exercises-and-activities.html {Accessed 29 November, 2023}

Mental health Ireland, five ways to wellbeing

https://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/five-ways-to-wellbeing/?external=1 {Accessed 31 October, 2023}