Balance
Life is short.
School and work are important, but attending in a balanced fashion to other matters (physical health, spiritual wellbeing, family and social connectedness, etc.) are equally important.
As a practicing clinician, I have received immeasurable benefit from utilizing the same self-care skills I teach clients and students. Prior periods of inadequate balance between work and self-care were, in hindsight, regrettable.
Thus, I encourages students and others to prioritize their own self-care skills practice as well.
Self-Care Assessments
A systematic review of 10 self-care measures identified 2 as being particularly promising15: the Professional Self-Care Scale (PSCS) and the Self-Care Behavior Inventory (SCBI).
Toward identifying areas of strength and new areas for self-care exploration, I recommend completing one of these self-care assessment measures from time to time.
Lab members can contact me for copies of these measures for their own personal use.
DBT Self-Care Skills for Psychologists
Self-Care Resources from Others
From the American Psychological Association:
From the National Academy of Medicine:
From Dr. Kenneth Pope: