Self-Care Menu and Checklist

Who this is for

A menu to choose from when you cannot think what would help. Three lists, sorted by how much of you they take — small, medium and big, with each of those meaning whatever you say it means — a few examples to cross out or keep, and lines for the things that actually work for you.

Anyone who knows they need a break and freezes at the question of what to do with it, people building a list of things that help while they are well enough to think of them, and anyone whose idea of self-care is not the one in the adverts.

What this helps you track

• Small things that fit into the gaps of an ordinary day
• Medium things that need an hour or a decision
• Big things that need a day, a plan or someone else's help
• Your own items on every list, which are the only ones that matter

How to use it

1. Write at the top what small, medium and big mean for you — a few minutes, an hour, a whole day, or whatever fits your life.
2. Read the printed examples and cross out any that are not you. They are there to get the list started, not to tell you what helps.
3. Add your own on the blank lines while you are feeling reasonably well; that is when they are easiest to think of.
4. Put the sheet somewhere you will see it on a bad day, and pick from the list that matches the time and energy you have.
5. Tick what you did if you want a record, or leave it as a menu and print a fresh one when it gets tatty.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Is this a list of things I should be doing?

No. Nothing on it is a prescription. The printed items are examples that many people find pleasant, and each one can be crossed out. What goes on your menu is for you to decide, and the blank lines are the point.

Why sort by effort rather than by type?

Because on the day you need the list, the question is not what kind of thing you want but how much you have got. Three groups you have labelled yourself answer that faster than a long list.

What if nothing on the list helps?

Then the list needs different things on it, and it is fine to change it. If it is more than that — if nothing helps for a long stretch — that is a conversation for someone qualified, not something a menu can fix.

Can I fill it in on screen?

Yes. The browser version lets you add items to each list, saves in your own browser and prints or downloads as a PDF when you want a paper copy.