# Self-Care Reflection Jethro Jones ## Assignment Directions This [article](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103402). Thoughts and reflections. ## Assignment I wrote a chapter about self-care in my book, How to be a Transformative Principal. Sure! Here’s a revised version written in the more conversational, personal tone of *How2be 1 Self-Care*: **Where We See Eye to Eye** The [article](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103402) really nailed it when it talked about the need to see self-care as a personal responsibility because, frankly, no one else is going to live in your skin or walk in your shoes (Riegel et al., 2021). This idea is at the core of what I wrote in *How to be a Transformative Principal:* taking care of yourself isn’t just about being able to serve others—it’s about honoring your own humanity. You deserve to take care of yourself simply because you’re human. The article emphasized how habits become the backbone of long-term behavior change, which is spot on (Riegel et al., 2021). For me, that’s like the “inputs and outputs” I talk about—what you put into your mind, body, and spirit matters, but it’s the regular, intentional actions that make it stick. **Where We Diverge** Here’s where I felt a disconnect: the article leaned heavily into technology, talking about eHealth tools and apps to support self-care (Riegel et al., 2021). Now, don’t get me wrong—tech is amazing and opens doors for people who might not have other options. But I’m more about keeping it simple and personal. Grab a journal, take a walk, drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Those are the kind of habits I focus on because they’re accessible to everyone, and as much as I love technology, the human things are what make us stay human. Another thing the article brought up was the influence of culture on self-care (Riegel et al., 2021). While I agree culture matters, I’ve mostly focused on the personal side of things—what you can control, regardless of what’s happening around you. It was a good reminder that culture shapes how we approach self-care, and while I talk about culture later on, you have to be able to take care of yourself regardless of your culture and the way people around you are. And surely, there are plenty of examples of people who still take care of themselves even though they are in a terrible environment or culture. Sometimes, leaving that culture is necessary to take care of yourself, and that requires great sacrifice. **What’s Still Unanswered** Resilience—how do we bounce back from life’s curveballs while still staying consistent in self-care? The article mentioned this as a big gap (Riegel et al., 2021), and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve touched on this in stories about my own struggles, but I don’t feel like I’ve nailed down the “how” of building resilience yet. I see just a glimmer, but not the whole picture. That's why I started a podcast about it called "[Resilient Schools](https://resilientschools.com)" Another one is self-care for people with severe mental illness. I’ve focused on the average person who’s stressed out or stretched thin, but there’s a whole population out there dealing with barriers I can’t even imagine. The article said we don’t know nearly enough about how to support them (Riegel et al., 2021), and I think that’s a challenge we all need to step up to. **Where to Go from Here** What I took away from reading the *2021 Self-Care* article is that while I’m on the right track in a lot of ways, there’s always room to grow. Self-care is personal, but it’s also universal—it’s influenced by habits, culture, technology, and so much more. If we can keep expanding the conversation and learning from each other, maybe we’ll all get a little closer to living our best, healthiest lives. Here are some resources I've gathered about self-care: - *[72 Ideas for Self-Care](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LrHYxeVxhhtwVjd6G87diWl7FNFMjD8u)- Want to implement self-care but don’t know where to start?  Here is a list of some ideas to get you started. - *[10 Self-Care Apps to Help get you Centered in 2019](https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LrHYxeVxhhtwVjd6G87diWl7FNFMjD8u)- If you’re looking for some more guidance and accountability to make a commitment to self-care, these 10 apps will help keep you on track. - *[Choose Yourself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmndCPvXiik)- In this TedTalk, James Altucher, renowned author of Amazon Best-Sellers Choose Yourself and The Power Of No, reveals how at one point failure led him to consider suicide, and how he turned his life around by following five key practices of self-care. - *[Self-Care for Educators-](https://www.pinterest.com/CounselorChels/self-care-for-educators/)This Pinterest Board is dedicated to all things self-care and is specifically for educators. - *[Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work](https://www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work#) - We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive. **References** Riegel, B., et al. (2021). Self-care research: Where are we now? Where are we going? *International Journal of Nursing Studies*, 116, 103402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.103402