Self-Care Plan

The Body

The wellbeing of an individual is dependent on the extent to which they care for themselves. Self-care entails restricting oneself to activities and tendencies that ascertain physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Self-care is critical for health care providers because it determines the ability of the care providers to deliver the required services to patients. For this reason, I will detail my self-care plan and rationale for the selected areas of focus. In the plan, I will discuss how I will go about improving my relationships, spiritual, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Healthy people tend to have wider networks of social relationships and are good at networking with new people. Multiple benefits accrue from having a healthy relationship life. According to a study by Umberson and Montez (2011), indicate that social relationships are important to the mental health on an individual. Social ties often promote behaviors that favor the health of a person. Through the social ties, people develop a sense of responsibility and care and protection of the health and wellbeing of others. Psychologically, relationships offer emotional support, especially in circumstances where one is need of one. Based on the above benefits of relationships, I intend to broaden my social circle. I will engage more with people at the workplace as well as other places. Further, I will participate in activities such as attending sporting events with friends, going to retreats and engage in outreach programs. Through the activities, I will improve my ties with people and develop social relationships.

A second factor in the list of my self-care plan is to improve my mental capacity. At all times, I will make efforts towards improving my cognitive capacity, which is essential in developing multiple perspectives on issues. As we grow up, our views on some aspects of life are restricted to what we were made to believe. However, as one matures, we tend to deconstruct the beliefs and values based on the knowledge we acquire. I intend to go beyond the maturity mantra and engage in a bit of reading to have a clear perspective on issues which I have limited comprehension. Such will be particularly important in making rational decisions that alleviate stressful consequences arising from wrong actions. The improved mental capacity will ensure that I am at peace with myself and subsequently improve my health by alleviating stressful situations.

Another component of the self-care plan is physical wellness. It is apparent that our ability to execute various activities in life is dependent on the physical health. I intend to improve my physical health through three principle ways, nutrition, exercise, and management of body weight. The first two influence the body weight. Regarding exercise, I will dedicate 30 minutes daily to do early morning runs or work out in a gymnasium. I will alternate between the two on a daily. I will reduce intake of calories and indulge more of vegetables to limit consumption of excess sugar and fats, which may adversely affect my health and increase my weight. According to Guth (2014), intake of high-calorie foods is a major driver of weight gain. Limiting the intake of such foods will help regulate my body weight. Physical improves mental health and alleviates stress. Exercise also helps in burning off excess calories and reduction of body weight. Increased BMI predisposes one to low self-esteem and a myriad other health conditions such as heart diseases, obesity, and diabetes.

I also intend to focus on my environment as a part of my self-care plan. My environment encompasses the place I live, cultural and psychological factors that directly or indirectly affect my wellbeing. The environment affects how we go about our professional duties and typical life activities. The most important aspect of the environment is the influence on my health. In particular, a polluted environment is a prerequisite for ill health, which may adversely affect my ability to focus on my responsibilities as a health care provider. In this regard, I will maintain high levels of sanitation both in the workplace and at home. On a daily basis, especially before the start of any work, I will undertake or delegate the cleaning roles and ensure that the environment is conducive and favorable. Further, I will monitor the sources of pollution and take correctional measures towards reducing the impacts. Further, I will associate myself with those who motivate me rather than criticize my undertaking without offering any helpful advice. The latter is also critical for emotional wellbeing that is pertinent to my self-care plan.