Do you want to improve your self-care?

Developing a plan is a good way to prioritise and personalise self-care. But it takes time to develop a good plan.

You might want to pause and reflect with our tool before you get started. Reflection doesn’t have to be done alone. Sometimes it easier to talk out loud and explore your understanding with others.

If you’re ready to get started, here are some steps to help you on your way.

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  Find a plan that’s right for you

  There is more than one way to plan for self-care and a range of planning templates. It’s important that you find one that suits your own personal preferences and needs. Here are some that we think are great. Check them out and select one that you like.

  • Self-care plan: Aged care team (84kb, pdf), palliAGED
  • Self-care planning for healthcare workers (334kb, pdf), Black Dog Institute
  • Self-Care (Aged Care) Matters, Palliative Care Australia.

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  Before you put a pen to paper

  Understand exactly what’s involved

  Now that you’ve selected your preferred planning resource and template, make sure you read it thoroughly to get a sense of what you’ll need to do and what materials or resources you might need. Write these things down and make sure you have them ready before your put pen to paper. For example, you may need a computer or a quiet room.

  Consider getting some assistance

  Sometimes it helps to work with someone rather than alone. If you think that you’d like some assistance, find someone that has some relevant knowledge and make an appointment to spend time with them and work together on your plan. The person should be someone you trust and feel comfortable speaking to.

  Set aside some time

  It takes time to develop a good plan. A good plan is one that is useful and achievable. Block out some time in your diary when you know you will be able to work on your plan undistracted. You may need to block out two or three time slots.

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  After you have created your plan

  It might be useful to print your plan out and keep it somewhere you can check it regularly. You can revise this plan when and if you need to.

You can download or order printed copies of the ELDAC Self-Care Pack, which includes 5 introductory resources to support the wellbeing of aged care staff who are caring for older people at the end of life.