What is the purpose of a self-care plan?
Self-care is a survival technique
Some self-care ideas-
set boundaries-setting boundaries is an important part of establishing one’s identity, it is a crucial aspect of mental health and well-being, set healthy boundaries
confide in someone-talking to a trusted loved one can help you stay grounded
identify your triggers-naming your triggers can help you know when you could be falling into a crisis episode
Therapy and medication-going to therapy regularly and taking your medication will help you stay mentally healthy
Meditate-meditating can help you stay grounded and calm
Cuddle a pet-cuddling a pet helps relieve depression and anxiety
Write in a journal-journaling allows you to write down your experiences, thoughts, and feelings and establish patterns in your thoughts and behaviors
Make a safety plan-a safety plan can help you stop impulsive behavior, as well as keeping you emotionally and physically safe
Educate yourself about the disorder-it is good to read about BPD, but be careful what you read, there are many untrue myths out there, reading scholarly articles will best help you learn about your disorder
Reach out to others like yourself-join a support group, and if you can’t find one, start one! Talking to others with BPD will help you feel better and know you are not alone, it is nice to be around others who understand how you feel
Create a social media atmosphere that contributes something positive to your life-unfollow or block users that are a negative influence, follow positive pages
Practice deep breathing-promotes a state of calmness, brings your awareness away from the worries in your head, quiets your mind
Helping others-helping others is not only good for them and a good thing to do, it also makes us happier and healthier too, connects us to others
Get creative-being creative helps you see things differently and better deal with uncertainty because they can adapt their thinking to allow for the flow of the unknown
Declutter your living space-it is an accomplishment and can help you feel better about yourself, it is good to remove anything toxic from your life, whether it be people, relationships, or physical clutter
Create a personal blog-writing a blog can help you sort through your feelings and thoughts, as well as getting feedback from your audience
Go for a walk-it is a great way to maintain your physical and mental health, it is also a good way to calm down
Try brain exercises-doing brain exercises stimulates chemical changes in the brain that enhance learning, mood, and thinking, changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills
Eat healthy-helps prevent physical diseases as well as gaining a better mood and improved memory
Exercise-increases your energy levels, can help you feel happier, and can help your brain health and memory
Complete something on your to-do list-this will help give you a sense of accomplishment, as well as checking off something you needed to do
Practice a new skill-learning new things is good for your brain, and also helps you learn better, plus you gain a new skill for life!
Create a self-care kit-self-care is a must, and having a self-care kit can help you in the moment, when you need to soothe yourself, put into your kit things that are special to you and can help you, such as your journal, fidget cube, essential oils, pictures of loved ones, your favorite book, coloring book, bubbles, and positive notes from yourself or others
Pay attention to how you talk to yourself-saying positive things to yourself will help build your self-esteem, negative statements will only hurt you and your progress
Do one thing that makes you really happy-do something you love to do, or try something new you’ve always wanted to do
Avoid drugs and alcohol-many people use drugs or alcohol to cope with their symptoms, but it is not a wise choice as they can lead to depression and anxiety, worsening your symptoms
Types of self-care
Physical-exercise, sleep, medical checkups, sexual health
Intellectual-personal growth, continuous pursuit of learning, engaging in new things
Social-supportive network of people, social connection
Space-safety, environment, security and stability, organized space
Financial-Budgeting, work boundaries, positive workplace
Emotional-stress management, compassion, kindness
Spiritual-time alone, meditation, nature, journaling
Personal-hobbies, personal identity, honoring your true self
Three rules to self-care
1 Stick to the basics-over time you will find your own rhythm and routine, you will be able to implement more particular forms of self-care that work for you
2 Self-care needs to be something you actively plan, it is an active choice, add certain activities to your calendar, actively look for opportunities to practice self-care
3 basic checklist:create a “no” list with things you know you don’t like or no longer want to do, healthy diet, sleep, exercise, relaxation exercises, spend enough time with your loved ones, do at least one relaxing activity everyday, do at least one pleasurable activity everyday, laugh
Other ways to practice self-care
-open the blinds as soon as you wake up
-start a side hustle
-put on a face mask
-eat a healthy snack
-say no
-meditate for five minutes
-look at pics of cute animals
-do something nice for someone else
-doodle or color
-take a break
-learn to anticipate problems before they arise
-get outside
-exercise regularly
-write in a gratitude journal
-get ample sleep
-have a sexual release
-light a candle
-spend ten minutes a day decluttering
The BPD Group 