Self-Care Journaling Agenda

### **Date:**

- October 18, 2025

### **How I Practiced Self-Care Today:**

- Took a 30-minute walk after office to relax and get some fresh air.
- Spent an hour reading a self-help book before going to bed.
- Didn’t use my phone for the first 90 minutes after waking up.

### **How I Felt Before Self-Care:**

- I used to feel mentally exhausted and constantly overwhelmed. I felt like I was always running on an empty tank, accompanied with anxiety about social situations and upcoming deadlines.

### **How I Felt After Self-Care:**

- I am more at peace with myself and completely relaxed when I took the walk. Reading a self-help book made me feel like I made progress towards my goal. Not using my phone early in the day helped me start working without any social anxiety of constant notifications.

### **What I Noticed About My Mind and Body:**

- During the early hours of the day, I found my mind very relaxed, free from notifications (especially email) and the anxiety that comes with it. There used to be a lot of chatter early in the morning but they were greatly reduced with the phone-free rule and during the walk. I also figured that I liked the idea of tracking progress by reading 10 pages everyday.

### **Self-Care Activity That Helped the Most:**

- The first 90 minutes of being phone free was the game changer. Everything else after that felt like it was falling in place and roamed around the day with lower anxiety than usual.

### **Challenges in Practicing Self-Care:**

- It was challenging initially to get used to the idea of not using the phone as soon as I woke up, but I forced myself to experiment with it and now it is a bit easier. The walk and reading the self-help book was seamless.

### **What I Learned About Myself Through Self-Care:**

- I learned that small breaks from busy schedules can be a great way to recharge your body and mind. It can significantly improve how you approach the day and what you can get done. It also showed me that it doesn’t take too much to do a bit of self-care and it is going to pay off in the long run.

### **Self-Care Intention for Tomorrow:**

- I want to ideally continue with the three steps I have already taken and build a solid streak before adding more items to do. While walking I want to do some light stretching but I won’t be disappointed if I am unable to or forget to do so.