Helping others puts you in direct contact with other people’s lives, and as you probably have experienced, life can get pretty messy. Taking care of others quite often takes precedent to taking care of yourself.

This assessment focuses on psychological self-care and provides an overview of effective strategies to maintain a healthy self. After completing the section choose one item that you will actively work to improve.

Rating: 5= frequently; 4=occasionally; 3=rarely; 2= never; 1=It never occurred to me

Psychological Self-Care

 Make time for self-reflection
 Have your own personal therapist
 Write in a journal
 Read literature that is unrelated to work
 Do something at which you are not an expert or in charge
 Decrease stress in your life
 Let others know different aspects of you
 Notice your inner experience- listen to your thoughts, judgments, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings
 Engage your intelligence in a new area (go to an art museum, history exhibit, sports event, auction, theater performance)
 Practice receiving from others
 Be curious
 Say “no” to extra responsibilities sometimes