Physical Self-Care
This is something your body needs every night to feel strong and ready.
What is Sleep?
True or False: Stress can impact us both emotionally and physically.
True! Too much stress can lead to insomnia, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, body aches, and high blood pressure among other challenges for our minds and bodies.
This is someone you can spend time with, laugh with, and trust.
These are some ways that you can ground yourself using your sense of touch
Massage, Hugs, Pet Therapy, Deep Pressure, Stress Ball, Temperature Shifts, etc.
Taking slow, deep breaths when upset is a way to…
Calm down/regulate
Doing this (ex. dancing, jumping, or playing sports) keeps your body healthy.
What is movement or exercise?
Affirmations can strengthen us by helping us believe in our potential. What are examples of affirmations?
Any positive self-talk will be accepted. ex. "I am confident and brave." "I am extraordinary."
Clearly expressing your needs and limits with others is called setting…
What are Boundaries?
Listening to music, making music, feeling vibroacoustic input, white noise, nature sounds, singing, humming, listening to positive talks.
A practice that seeks to reduce anxiety or worry by remaining focused in the present moment.
This keeps our bodies hydrated. It is important to have lots of this everyday.
What is water?
These are people I can go to for emotional support when I am facing a challenge or struggling to cope with my feelings.
Who are Therapists, Child Life Specialists, Psychologists, Counselors, and other trusted adults.
Leisure and fun are important parts of self-care. What are some ways we can have fun while socializing with others?
Attending therapy groups, going outside, playing adaptive games, making music together, etc.
These are some ways to practice self-care with our sense of sight.
Adjust Lighting, Visualization, Create Visual Art, Watch Calming/Preferred Videos, Observe Nature
True or False: Crying is bad and we should never cry.
False,
It is okay to cry! Crying is one of the many ways to express challenging emotions.
Washing your hands, bathing, and brushing your teeth are part of…
What is Hygiene and/or ADLs?
It is important to ________ your feelings instead of ignoring or hiding them.
Express, Acknowledge, and/or Accept
A network of trusted people who care about me and help me grow.
What is my Support System?
What is Sensory Self-Care?
Sensory self-care involves intentionally engaging your senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and sometimes movement or interoception) to create moments of calm, joy, or focus.
Everyone’s sensory preferences are unique, so self-care strategies should be personalized and flexible.
This coping skill involves doing something different to reduce negative thoughts or feelings about a stressor.
What is Distraction?
What are some habits to avoid before sleeping?
Too much screen time, loud sounds, bright lights.
This technique asks us to approach ourselves with kindness and speak to ourselves lie we would a friend.
Self-Compassion or Positive Self-Talk
This can be hard for some to ask for, but is necessary when you are unable to complete a task or activity on your own.
What is Help or Support?
A grounding approach that supports reorienting to the present moment by identifying:
- 5 things you see
- 4 things you feel
- 3 things you hear
- 2 things you smell
- 1 thing you taste
What is the "5-4-3-2-1 Technique"
By expanding our emotional vocabulary, we can more accurately feel, accept, and express our feelings beyond the limitations of "good vs. bad'. This skill is called _____.
Emotional Granularity