Self-Care
Self-Care Checklists
First Responders and the Importance of Self-Care
The core desire to help others motivates many first responders to pursue their chosen line of work, sacrifice time away from their families, place themselves in harm’s way in the service of others, and endure more traumatic experiences and conflict within a year than many people will experience in their lifetime. Yet, this same core desire to help others can lead to deprioritizing personal needs to an extent that relationships are neglected, resiliency is weakened, and the ability to help others is ultimately diminished.
The work of first responders is extraordinarily stressful, and it is unreasonable to expect that one should be able to somehow withstand the chronic and acute stressors, pressures, and demands of this work without utilizing tools and habits that enable your own personal needs to be met in a healthy and reliable manner. Although caring for yourself may feel self-indulgent or awkward initially, it is critically important and must be prioritized.
Below are three checklists of effective self-care behaviors and strategies that you may wish to consider implementing in your own life. The first checklist is focused on routine (or daily) self-care, the second on non-routine (or less than daily frequency) self-care, and the third on self-care following traumatic incidents.
Quick Tip: Avoid placing any barricades or obstacles between yourself and necessary self-care.
Routine Self-Care Checklist
Eat healthy meals every day
Exercise on a regular basis
Get plenty of sleep
Socialize with family and friends who support you
Ask for help whenever it may be beneficial
Engage in healthy activities that you personally enjoy (examples may include playing sports, hiking, hunting, reading, cooking, or dancing)
Practice mindfulness (examples include mindful meditation, mindful walking, or mindful eating)
Spend plenty of time outdoors
Be aware of taking deep breaths, releasing muscle tension, and maintaining a healthy posture
Build sufficient “down-time” and “alone-time” into your schedule
Respect your personal limits and maintain appropriate boundaries
Engage in purposeful healthy stress-reduction activities (examples include yoga, massage, warm baths, or progressive muscle relaxation exercises)
Maintain a healthy sex life
Avoid excessive use of alcohol
Avoid tobacco
Avoid unnecessary toxic relationships
Avoid procrastination
Engage in routine prevention-based healthcare
Lead a balanced lifestyle (i.e., balance work and leisure, time with others and time alone, etc.), and avoid taking on more demands than you can manage at any one time (be willing to say “no” when necessary)
Take time to consider and appreciate what you are most thankful for in your life on a daily basis
Savor the things in your life that matter most to you
Non-Routine Self-Care Checklist
Take day trips and mini-vacations to quickly recharge yourself
Take significant vacations (1 week or longer) to more fully reinvigorate yourself
Consider doing volunteer work that is distinctly different from your career
Write a “gratitude letter” to someone who has made a very positive difference in your life (whether or not you share the letter is optional)
Work on enhancing your ability to receive from others with openness and grace
Reestablish connections with important people in your life with whom you’ve lost touch over time
Utilize peer support
Allow yourself to appreciate your strengths and the good you do for others
Find the humor in life, and strengthen your capacity to laugh at yourself
Leverage your personal strengths in new ways (for example, if you are a creative person consider new ways of expressing your creative side, or if you are an athletic person look for new sports or forms of exercise to pursue)
Develop new interests
Challenge yourself mentally to learn new things about the world that you are interested in and passionate about (read a book, enroll in a class, and seek out other opportunities to pursue lifelong learning)
Engage in new experiences that broaden your horizons (e.g., try new food, attend a concert or lecture, go to a play, or visit a museum)
Spend time in nature
Allow yourself to experience a sense of awe
Listen to people who inspire you
Revisit experiences you enjoyed in the past (e.g., rewatch a favorite movie, reread a favorite book, or listen to a favorite song)
Seek out opportunities to learn from past challenges so that you intentionally become stronger, wiser, and more resilient as a result of your experiences
Develop new friendships with people you respect
See a high-quality therapist to discuss any personal problems, stressors, or things that cause you distress
Allow yourself to cry in a safe place
Receive specialized medical care when needed
Take time to reorganize, and establish new routines that help make your daily life more efficient and less stressful
Reassess your life to ensure that you are living intentionally and in accordance with your core personal values
Make a list of activities that you find comforting, and plan to spend more time engaged in these activities in the future
Take time away from work when needed
Practice and rehearse new skills to further develop yourself, expand your interests, and broaden your areas of competence
Post-Traumatic Incident Self-Care Checklist
Avoid drugs and alcohol
Be open to receiving support from those you trust
Reach out to trusted family, friends, and co-workers who support you
As much as possible, maintain a normal and active routine
Exercise regularly
Get plenty of sleep and rest
Maintain a nourishing diet comprised of regularly scheduled healthy meals
Consider writing down your thoughts and emotions to help organize your internal experience (it is recommended that you shred the writing if you wish to ensure your privacy)
Avoid major life decisions that you may later regret (e.g., deciding whether or not to get married or buy a new house)
Make many inconsequential decisions (e.g., selecting what to eat for lunch or what time to go for a run) to help reestablish a sense of control
Understand that having strong feelings (including anxiety, anger, worry and fear) following a traumatic event is normal, and the “normal” range of personal responses following a traumatic incident varies widely from person to person
Focus on what you can influence while letting go of what you cannot control
Give yourself permission to feel however it is that you feel, while not imposing upon yourself any sense of obligation to maintain or preserve negative emotions
Understand that emotional states are temporary and most people “bounce back” sooner or later following a traumatic event
Keep in mind that you are only human, we are all prone to error, and even people who are the best in the world at what they do routinely make mistakes
Be aware of “red flags” that signal you need help (e.g., frequent crying, excessive worry, anxiety, fearfulness, sadness, confusion, anger, sleep disturbance, or increased use of alcohol or other substances), and seek out support
Consider reaching out to others who may be having difficulties; reassuring and helping others can be one of the most effective ways to recover as a team
Communicate your needs to others in a clear and unambiguous manner
Be patient and compassionate with yourself and others who may also be experiencing stress
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