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The history of the Self-care Mega Guide stretches back to 2018, when I released my first version.\u00a0The purpose of that guide (and all subsequent versions) was to alert students to the diverse range of activities that constitute self-care.<\/p>\n
Most of us have been told at some point in time that self-care is important. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve been instructed on why that is and what self-care actually involves.<\/p>\n
At its simplest, self-care is often reduced down to eat well, move regularly, sleep soundly, stress less and be social. And to be honest, that isn’t the worst summary of self-care.<\/p>\n
But in practice, there are lots of ways that we can make investments in ourselves.<\/p>\n
‘Self-care is any deliberate\/intentional activity we do to look after or improve our physical, intellectual, mental, social, spiritual, financial or environmental wellbeing.’<\/em><\/p>\n That is where the Mega Guide<\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n I’ve been on a bit of a mission to document and categorise, as best I can, the various activities I think fall into the self-care space.<\/p>\n That mission has led to a sizeable document, with many strategies and ideas listed within. Hence the name ‘Mega Guide<\/a>‘.<\/p>\n I maintain this guide<\/a> and distribute it to students on the basis that I want you to be both happy and productive. That may sound a little naff but I want for you the same thing I want for all the people in my life that I care about. I want you to have a life filled with meaning and purpose and good relationships and enjoyable and productive work. The guide is intended to literally ‘guide’ you towards those activities I think maximise the likelihood of that happening.<\/p>\n At present, the guide<\/a> covers 12 self-care strategy areas:<\/p>\n I think of it as a series of starting points you might consider if you’ve made the decision to try and work on yourself or your life.<\/p>\n It also contains a section on self-care during difficult times, for when you are confronted by a life challenge that is overwhelming.<\/p>\n Finally, it links to our Service Brochure<\/a>, so you can learn more about the support resources, programs and services we offer here at Health, Counselling and Disability Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Guide is an ongoing work in progress, meaning that I am always adding to it. If you visit this post, you’ll always get the most up-to-date copy of it.<\/p>\n Gareth, that is wwaaaaaay too much information!<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, you are probably right, but wouldn’t you rather I gave you as much of the self-care picture as possible, so you can make choices that are relevant to the unique challenges facing you?<\/p>\n Let me be clear, the expectation is not that you should be doing everything outlined in this document<\/a>. I suggest just following through on 1 or 2 at a time and build slowly. You have your whole life to work out what constitutes the right mix of activities for you. The only thing I suggest is that you start now.<\/p>\n Enjoy – and distribute freely!<\/p>\n Click the image to access the latest version.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/student-health-and-well-being\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/71\/2023\/06\/sky-mission.jpg\")
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