DAILY MAINTENANCE PLAN
An introduction to daily practice activities that can improve and promote health & wellness
The purpose of the page ‘Daily Maintenance Plan’ is to provide you, the reader, with the tools you can use to design your own daily plan of self care and self improvement. You can learn why self-compassion is so important to overall health and wellness. The information can help you formulate – and be part of – a health and wellness plan and a daily self care practice. Mary Ellen Copeland calls it “Daily Maintenance” in her Wellness Recovery Action Plan program and books. Research shows that self care plays an important role in our overall health and wellness. Our mental, physical and spiritual health all impact each other. As a result, our overall health is impacted within the different life domains.
The daily maintenance plan offers a comprehensive set of activities aimed at promoting mental well-being and personal growth. The feature incorporates various components that work together to create a holistic approach to self-care, ensuring individuals have the tools and resources they need to prioritize their mental health.
Daily maintenance is a form of self-guided empowerment and self-improvement. It is intended to remind you of the importance of taking time for yourself, and if you desire it, to be at your best, enhance relationships, increase satisfaction with your life, and increase your productivity. Self-improvement, self-care, and self-compassion are not selfish, they are all an important part of your overall health and wellness.
The activities included in this feature are interconnected, complementing and reinforcing each other to enhance overall well-being. By practicing as many of these activities as possible, users can cultivate a multifaceted approach to self-compassion, self-care, and health and wellness. Guided meditations serve as a foundation, helping individuals cultivate mindfulness, reduce stress, and improve emotional regulation. These meditations allow users to explore their thoughts and emotions in a safe and supported environment. Watching videos, reading books, and articles provide additional knowledge and inspiration. They offer insights into mental health, personal growth, and wellness practices, empowering individuals to expand their understanding and explore new perspectives.
Inspirational quotes offer daily reminders and encouragement, fostering a positive mindset and serving as affirmations for self-compassion and personal growth. Reflection journal prompts and journaling provide an outlet for self-expression and self-discovery, helping individuals process their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. The inclusion of a daily reflection from Narcotics Anonymous serves as a support system for individuals recovering from addiction. It provides a sense of community and reinforces the importance of reflection and growth in one’s journey to recovery.
Engaging in pleasant activities fosters joy, relaxation, and self-care. By participating in activities they enjoy, individuals can boost their mood, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of fulfillment. Practicing mind-body and emotional coping skills equips individuals with effective strategies to manage stress, regulate emotions, and build resilience. These skills include deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding techniques.
Learning about and challenging cognitive distortions, cognitive biases, and logical fallacies promotes cognitive flexibility and critical thinking. It helps individuals identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts, biases, and faulty reasoning, leading to more balanced and accurate perspectives. Understanding emotions and learning how to regulate them empowers individuals to navigate and express their feelings in healthy ways. This knowledge helps individuals develop emotional intelligence, enhancing their overall well-being. Learning about and practicing character strengths and virtues encourages individuals to align their actions with their values. It fosters personal growth, resilience, and positive relationships by cultivating qualities such as gratitude, kindness, perseverance, and self-discipline.
Adhering to a structured daily routine of these activities ensures consistency and accountability. A structured routine helps individuals prioritize their mental health and make self-care a regular part of their lives. In addition to these activities, the website emphasizes the importance of proper nutrition, staying hydrated, engaging in physical activity and exercise, and getting quality sleep. These foundational elements contribute to overall well-being and complement the mental health practices. By integrating these various activities and practices, the “Daily Maintenance for Self-Compassion, Self-Care, and Health and Wellness” feature offers individuals a comprehensive toolkit for nurturing their mental health. It recognizes the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being, empowering individuals to cultivate a balanced and resilient approach to self-care and personal growth.
I created this page as a way to help people remember to care for themselves through continuous learning, meditation, exercise, healthy eating, spending time with people we care about, and other self-care practices. Self-care is important because it helps us stay healthy and lowers our risk of disease, illness, anxiety/panic, depression, and burnout. Self care may help improve brain health which will make you more productive at work, school and at home! It is important that we take time for our own needs too!
The benefits of self care are not only for you as a person but for anyone who is a witness to your good health choices. I believe that we are better people when we take the time to laugh more, play more and love more. Life is to short not to give ourselves this gift. This page is designed to help you practice self care in whatever way works best for you. If it’s some quiet time alone, laughing with a friend or playing with your pet then take some time today!
I invite you to read an article about the importance of relying on evidence based information and practices. The article describes the scientific process, and explains ideas like facts, theory, and hypothesis. It also covers the processes of a thesis, data collection, data analysis, peer review, and publishing research findings. Click here to read the article: The Scientific Method