Self-Care As a Means for Sustainability: Five Journal Prompts For Introspection

Is Your Life Sustainable? Take a Deep Dive into what Self-Care Really Means and how to include more in your life for better sustainability.

The term self-care is so regularly used in the news, on social media, and in conversations that some might say it has lost its meaning. You’ll see the term thrown around in advertisements, entertainment, and in and outside the therapy room. Though the term itself may be widely used in many ways, its meaning is even more relevant than ever. 

In this article, we will discuss what self-care is, determine what your baseline is, why it matters, and challenges people face when developing a self-care routine. We will also do a brief overview of the 5 pillars of self-care to include in your routine. 

For your convenience, I have created worksheets to go along with this article. Feel free to print it out or follow along with your own notebook/Google Drive Document/Notes App. I will be posing different self-reflection questions to help you develop a self-care plan. 

Adults in their 20s and 30s are experiencing complicated life transitions and are so busy trying to survive and finding stability that their mental health, emotional well-being, and physical health are deprioritized and tossed to the wayside. This leads to devastating outcomes such as lower quality of life, less satisfaction and overall fulfillment, and even isolation. 

Journal Reflection 1: Let’s begin with a few questions/reflections for you to consider. 

• What does self-care mean to you? 

• What does self-care look like to you? 

• What is your relationship to 

• What hobbies do you enjoy doing in your downtime? 

• What new hobbies/activities would you like to try? 

• How do you relieve stress? 

So, what is self-care? 

• Self-care is the act of identifying your needs and providing it to yourself through advocacy, empowerment, and prioritization. 

• Being aware of your mind-body connection and replenishing lost energy. 

• Recharging after an exhausting day and finding comfort within yourself. 

• Self-care is self-love: the act of caring for yourself, practicing self-compassion, and feeling safe within. 

Journal Reflection 2: Based on your Assessment

Next, let’s figure out your baseline. Take the assessment below to determine a starting point. By identifying where you can improve, you can create self-care plan that suits your needs and improve overall quality of life. 

Self-Care Assessment: https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/self-care-assessment 

Journal Prompts:

• What patterns do you notice? What numbers come up the most? What about the least? 

• Where are some areas of success and what are some areas of improvement? 

• What would you want to continue doing, what would you want to change? 

Journal Reflection 3: Benefits 

Now that we know what we would want to change, let’s look at the why and how. Why self-care is important? According to VeryWell Health, self-care has many short-term and long-term benefits. This means that you can reap the benefits of taking care of yourself almost immediately. 

Take exercise for example - have you ever had a time when you exercised and did not feel slightly happier after? Exercising boosts energy, improves mood through stimulating brain chemicals such as dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and norepinephrine. This is an example of immediate gratification (MayoClinic, 2023). In the long-term, engaging in exercise can help you feel more confident and expand your interests. 

• Short Term Benefits

• Managing Stress Levels 

• Improve Self-Worth 

• Feelings of Belonging 

• Add to your identity 

• Long Term Benefits 

• Ability to regulate your emotions 

• Preventative measures for chronic conditions 

• Increase self-confident 

• Reduce Stress 

• Build healthier relationships 

• Improved job satisfaction and prevent/manage burnout 

• Improved quality of life 

Journal Prompts:

• Can you think of any other short-term or long-term benefits? 

• What are some benefits you experience after taking care of yourself? 

• How do you think setting more time for yourself will benefit you? 

References: VeryWell Health: https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-self-care-5212781 

MayoClinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389 

Journal Reflection 4: Make a List

Let’s break it down. Self-care can be categorized into 5 different areas. 

6 Pillars of Self-Care 

1. Mental Self-Care: focuses on mental health and well-being.  

• Mindfulness

• Being present in your daily life

• Enjoying the small moments

• Meditation 

• Slowing Things Down

• Mental stimulation

• Challenge and grow your mind since we spend most of our time doing work-related things

• Focus on things that bring you joy or excitement

• Unplugging

• Limit scrolling time

• Check emails at certain times of the day and not in bed

• Answer texts/emails at certain times of the day

2. Emotional Self-Care: Being aware of your emotional state, things that make you happy and sad, and noticing when you are feeling down.  

• General State of Mind: This refers to your baseline mood and what is your general mood? Are you feeling sad or depressed most days of the week? Is your new baseline an elevated amount of anxiety? 

• Journaling 

• Mood Tracking 

• Therapy 

• Expressing feelings 

• Practicing honesty and authenticity

• Direct communication

• Feeling Wheel 

• Setting Boundaries

• People-pleasing behaviors 

• Personal Values vs. Prescribed Values 

• Sticking to your wants and needs 

• Self-compassion 

• Decreasing negative self-talk 

• Decreasing blame 

• Post-event rumination 

• Self-esteem and confidence

3. Physical Self-Care - It’s more than exercise. There’s more to physical health including sleep, routine check-ups, proper nutrition, and stretching. 

• Yes, exercise can release neurotransmitters like endorphins, reduce stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline, and prevent chronic illnesses (Harvard Health Publishing, 2020). You can learn more on Harvard Health Publishing:  https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax 

• Sleep

• Getting routine check-ups by medical/spiritual practitioners 

• Consuming proper nutrition and hydration

• Stretching

4. Social Self-Care: This refers to maintaining interpersonal friendships, relationships, and family relationships (if desired). 

• Family relationships

• Friendships - knowing your social battery limits, listening actively  

• Networking

• Outdoor Activities 

• Hobbies 

5. Sexual Needs, Wants, and Desires: This refers to your sexual health, sexual satisfaction, and sexual fulfillment.  

• Sexual health 

• Masturbation habits (Porn consumption, frequency)

• Feeling safe in your body 

• Getting to know your body  

• Experiencing safe, pleasurable, fulfilling sex 

6. Financial Self-Care: Are you stressed about your current financial state? Perhaps you’ve been stressing out about making more or not making enough for rent. This can cause increased levels of stress and finding ways to manage it can be beneficial for sustainability.  

• Balance of making a satisfactory salary that allows you to engage in your interests and hobbies 

• Budgeting 

• Saving 

Journal Prompts:

Make a list of the pillars from most important to least important in your life. (1 - most important, 5 - least important) This may be different from what you’re actually practicing in your life. For now, just list your ideal priority list. The pillars are Mental, Emotional, Physical, Social, Sexual, and Financial. 

For example: 

1. Mental 

2. Emotional 

3. Physical 

4. Sexual 

5. Financial 

6. Social 

Then make a list of what your actual priorities look like. Think about your daily habits, any patterns you notice about the choices you make, and what you have capacity for. 

For example: 

1. Mental 

2. Financial 

3. Sexual 

4. Emotional 

5. Physical

6. Social 

Journal Reflection 5: Challenges and Barriers 

Now that we have your priority list, let’s reflect on barriers and challenges you may be experiencing. Below are a few examples or reasons why it may be difficult to prioritize self-care. 

Common Barriers 

• Feeling like there’s a lack of time 

• Other obligations 

• External stressors 

• Underestimating the importance 

• Discouragement

• Feeling like you need to “earn” it 

Journal Prompts:

• What are some challenges you face that make it difficult to focus on self care? 

• What is your motivation? 

• Why does this matter to you? If it doesn’t why does it not matter? 

Tips for Success 

• Implement self-Care routines into your schedule 

• Work around self-care regimens 

• Remember: Self-care can take as little as 2 minutes. It can be used as a quick reset right before your next meeting or a longer wind-down before bed. 

You might wonder, where do I even start? 

• Throughout this article, you have already assessed your needs, determined motivation, set SMART goals, and determined challenges. 

• What I recommend is to start with something easy, enjoyable, and low-cost. Decrease barriers to entry. 

• Mix and match activities 

• Reflect Regularly

• Consistency and Accountability - Get a friend to join you! Send them this article or reach out to one of our therapists to help you get started on your journey to mental-emotional well-being.