treat your

future self
a step-by-step guide to identify the self-care
that works for you when you need it most

A WORKBOOK BY KATIE HAWKINS-GAAR

© 2019 My Sweet Dumb Brain

Figuring out what counts as self-
care can get confusing.
Without pausing to think about what you actually need and why, investing in
things disguised as self-care can ultimately be more harmful than helpful. Many of
our consumer-based self-care solutions are about escaping reality, instead of
exploring why we need to escape in the first place. It can be hard to choose things
that aren’t simply a quick fix, but actually make life better .

This workbook is designed to help you identify self-care that works for you .
Think of it as a guidebook on the days when you’re feeling too stressed, angry, sad,
frustrated, or tired to make smart self-care decisions. On those difficult days,
instead of reaching for your phone or a bag of chips in an attempt to self-soothe,
you can reach for this workbook — filled with all of your own insights and wisdom.

Tips for making the most of this workbook:

Try to block off time and block out distractions as you write. Put your phone on
Do Not Disturb mode, arrange a few child- or coworker-free hours, and find a
quiet spot to think.
Treat yourself as you’re filling out this workbook! Do it in an environment that
feels good to you. That might be a cozy coffee shop with a fancy latte, or in a
tidied-up room at home with a favorite candle burning.
This book isn’t meant to be filled out in one sitting, nor do you need to have
your answers immediately ready as you go along. Sometimes, I don’t realize that
something is self-care until I’m doing it. Take note of the moments when you
feel most grounded, content, and like yourself , and jot down those observations
later.
Store this workbook in a place that you can easily access. It’s something you’ll
want to refer to often — especially on those no-good days.
Plan to do this again in the future! What feels good to you can and will change
over time.

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this workbook. Self-care is a gift to
ourselves and to the people we interact with. Now go treat future you!

xoxo,
KHG

Want to share photos of your workbook?

Tag @katiehawk and use #mysweetdumbbrain.

And if you don't want to? That's cool, too.

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What makes you feel good?
This question might be tougher than you think. Figuring out what we like to do
— and what makes us feel like our best selves — can be surprisingly difficult. We
often don’t give a ton of thought to the specific things that put us in a good
mood.

Try not to overthink or judge the activities that you list below. Avoid writing things
that you think you should list. instead, focus on the things that specifically light
you up.

Write down some activities that often make you feel better.

What’s gotten in the way of doing these feel-good activities in the past?

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 How can you make the feel-good
moments happen more often?
Knowing what activities and habits are beneficial for us is a good first step. The
next step is to figure out how to make those things happen more regularly.

I want to do more of this ... Because I enjoy this ... And here's how I'll do it ...
Example:. Read books I feel so much joy from getting Get my library card; ask friends
lost in a novel for hours! for book recommendations;
replace my phone with books on
my nightstand.

3
What are the quick-fix things in life
you sometimes later regret?
It’s hard to think clearly when you’re under stress. And it’s easy to reach for
things that we think will make us feel better in a low moment, only to regret that
choice later. For me, it’s ending a stressful day binge-watching TV and eating
comfort food.

What are your quick-fix solutions? And what could you do instead?
Example:. I scroll social media when I'm lonely Text a friend to make plans or talk on the phone

Self-compassion is key.
We’re human. We all have days where things feel especially hard, and we don’t do
any of the future self-care things we said we wanted to do. That’s totally fine, and
totally normal. The key is to be kind to yourself. Don’t make a bad day worse by
beating yourself up. What would you tell a friend who was having a difficult day?

Give yourself some kind and compassionate advice and reassurance.

Dear future me,

4
 Have I done these things today?
There’s a reason my newsletter is called My Sweet Dumb Brain. Sometimes, on
those no-good, extra-anxious days, I need something like this simple checklist to
help me remember that I’m doing the basic things to help me have a better day.

Drank a glass of water

Eaten something

Gotten enough sleep

Gone outside

Spoken to someone — over the phone, or in person

Said something nice to myself

Stretched or moved

Showered

Written out my thoughts

Listened to music

Avoided screens/social media for a while

Add your own idea:

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A holistic approach to self-care.
One way to look at self-care is by breaking it into categories: physical, mental,
social and spiritual. (“Spiritual” can mean anything you want it to — think of
activities that make you feel more grounded, connected, and at peace.)

List or draw activities below that fit into these areas.

PHYSICAL MENTAL

SOCIAL SPIRITUAL

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Make time for self-care that
counts.
With busy schedules and endless responsibilities, it can seem near-impossible to
find time for self-care. But prioritizing the things that benefit you is important —
and possible!

What are some ways you can carve out time for you?

Bonus task: Choose a different font or pen color, and estimate how long various
activities will take that you’ve written this workbook. (i.e. walk outside; 10 minutes)

Self-care is anything but selfish.

Self-care benefits more than just you. How will taking care of yourself help others?
Think about ways you can be a better partner, friend, coworker, and so on.

When I get enough sleep, I have more energy for ...

When I take time to relax, I’m better at ... .

When I unplug from work and screens, I’m able to ...

When I'm kind to myself, I am more likely to ...

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Future you will thank you for this.
Looking for more insights and inspiration? Here are some additional ideas and
resources to help you on your future self-care journey. 

PODCASTS
By the Book, Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer
The Happiness Lab, Dr. Laurie Santos
The Hilarious World of Depression, John Moe

BOOKS
Digital Minimalism, by Cal Newport
The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care, by Anna Borges
When Things Fall Apart, by Pema Chödrön

NEWSLETTERS
Breaking Form, by Christina M. Tapper 
Girls’ Night In, founded by Alisha Ramos
The Sunday Soother, by Catherine Andrews 

SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWS

Here’s Your Reminder | @tinycarebot on Twitter
Dr. Nicole LePera | @the.holistic.psychologist on Instagram
The Nap Ministry | @thenapministry on Instagram
Also, staying *off* of social media can be good self-care, too!

OTHER SELF-CARE IDEAS

Start a gratitude journal or try morning pages — three pages of stream-of-
consciousness writing when you first wake up. Julia Cameron came up with the
idea of morning pages. If you’re looking to (re)connect with your creative side, her
book “The Artist’s Way” is an invaluable resource.

Set aside one day a month for a personal inventory day . Sabrina Hersi Issa is the
genius behind this concept. Each month, on the date of your birthday (for her, it’s
the 16th), block off time to do tasks like checking your credit score, setting up
appointments, and catching up on various errands. You can also use this time to
reflect on the things and people you’re grateful for, and the goals you’d like to
achieve in the month ahead.

BUT WAIT ... THERE’S MORE!

I received suggestions for more self-care resources than I could fit on one page!
Here’s a running list of self-care recommendations: bit.ly/evenmoreselfcare

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 Where do I go from here?
If you found this workbook helpful, pass it along! I love the idea of doing these
exercises with a friend or partner, or creating a group chat to help document
those self-care wins in the months ahead. Yes to accountability!

If you enjoyed this workbook and are feeling generous, you can leave me a tip via
Venmo me at @Katie-Hawkins-Gaar. Donations will go towards my own self-care
fund and help me create similar resources in the future. 

Last but not least, thank you for downloading this workbook and taking the time
to care for yourself! I truly believe we’re all better to each other when we’re better
to ourselves.

Sign up for my weekly newsletter,

@katiehawk My Sweet Dumb Brain.
© 2019 My Sweet Dumb Brain bit.ly/mysweetdumbbrain