My Self-Care Diary
Use a journaling template to invite students to practice self-care.
Ages 5-10 / 30
min Activity
Objectives
- Consider self-care strategies that foster feelings of peace, gratitude, and joy
- Use a journaling template to share ideas for taking care of themselves, set goals, and practice kindness towards others
Supporting Research
When people feel tired or frustrated, their ability to practice empathy towards others decreases due to their mental and emotional burden. Therefore, in order to be more empathetic towards others, researchers recognize the importance of practicing self-care to replenish one’s capacity to also care for others. Educators should encourage students to practice self-care by identifying and engaging in strategies that foster their individual health and wellbeing.
To learn more about this skill, and how it promotes students’ healthy growth and the development of empathy, please check out our Empathy Framework.
Instructions
- Engage students in a conversation about practicing kindness to themselves. You might say: “Being kind to others is important, but have you ever noticed that it can be hard when you are feeling tired, sad, or upset? In order to be kind towards others, it’s also important that we are kind to ourselves, so we can make sure that we are in our “okay zone” where we make positive, healthy choices. How do you show love and respect for yourself?”
- Encourage students to share different ways they practice self-care, such as spending time with loved ones, making time for movement and relaxation, and forgiving themselves for making mistakes (and learning from them).
Deepen students’ reflection by asking the following questions:
• What is something that made you smile recently?
• When you feel stressed out or sad, what are some activities that help you feel better?
• Is there someone who you enjoy spending time with? Who are they, and what do you enjoy doing together?
• What is something that you feel proud of, like an accomplishment, special skill, or a quality that others have appreciated?
• Why is it important to be kind to ourselves?
• How do you feel when you practice these strategies? How do you feel when you don’t practice these strategies? Do you notice any changes in your behavior towards others?
- Throughout the school day, provide opportunities for students to practice self-care strategies. For example, use the Canva template below as a digital journaling activity, or print it out as a physical handout. The template can be accessed through this link by clicking on "Use template".
Please note that you will need to sign in to a Canva account to use the template - to learn more about creating a free Canva for Education account, and adding your students to a virtual classroom, please visit this resource.