Self-Care List

Why should we not use a Self-Care list as a way to improve Self-Care?

The very nature of a list of Self-Care actions goes against the nature of Self-Care. A list is a number of tasks set to be done at a predictable time and has a large amount of pressure on quick accomplishment. In contrast, good Self-Care practice is found organically in free, unorganized times of thought, or participation in new creative actions. This freeness of mind normally allows you to think of how you can add a new point of view to how you are thinking. It can also help you to see how applying it to life can help you overcome a challenge.

If we were going to make a Self-Care list, it would look a lot different than how we previously thought it would look. The list would look more like this: find a person you know well and use their way of looking at life to navigate through your challenges. What are the benefits of their way of seeing life? If you could’ve thought this way before, would it have helped you out in past situations? What are the downsides to this way of doing things? This alternative list format would also include more detailed things such as skills, experiences, reflections, and so on.