Self-Care Assessment
Adapted from Saakvitne, Pearlman, & Staff of TSI/CAAP (1996). Transforming the pain: A
workbook on vicarious traumatization. Norton.
The following worksheet for assessing self-care is not exhaustive, merely suggestive. Feel
free to add areas of self-care that are relevant for you and rate yourself on how often and
how well you are taking care of yourself these days.
When you are finished, look for patterns in your responses. Are you more active in some
areas of self-care but ignore others? Are there items on the list that make you think, "I
would never do that"? Listen to your inner responses, your internal dialogue about self-care
and making yourself a priority. Take particular note of anything you would like to include
more in your life.
Rate the following areas according to how well you think you are doing:
3 = I do this well (e.g., frequently)
2 = I do this OK (e.g., occasionally)
1 = I barely or rarely do this
0 = I never do this
? = This never occurred to me
Physical Self-Care
____ Eat regularly (e.g. breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
____ Eat healthily
____ Exercise
____ Get regular medical care for prevention
____ Get medical care when needed
____ Take time off when sick
____ Get massages
____ Dance, swim, walk, run, play sports, sing, or do some other fun physical activity
____ Take time to be sexual - with myself, with a partner
____ Get enough sleep
____ Wear clothes I like
____ Take vacations
____ Other:
Psychological Self-Care
____ Take day trips or mini-vacations
____ Make time away from telephones, email, and the Internet
____ Make time for self-reflection
____ Notice my inner experience - listen to my thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, feelings
____ Have my own personal psychotherapy
____ Write in a journal
____ Read literature that is unrelated to work
____ Do something at which I am not expert or in charge
____ Attend to minimizing stress in my life
____ Engage my intelligence in a new area, e.g., go to an art show, sports event, theatre
____ Be curious
