The To-Do List is an essential part of the organized person’s life. What is often left out of to-do lists though, is a reminder section for self-care, compassion and how to ask for help. Since the majority of the people I work with have a number of competing responsibilities, roles, and priorities, I created this freebie To-Do List printable to get you focused on task completion, along with some reminders about making sure you select a self-care activity, tell yourself a compassion phrase, focus on effectiveness (whatever works!), and ask for help when needed.

Self-Care is crucial. It’s especially important for people with high stress jobs, careers and lives. Self-Care is the #1 topic in my sessions with First Generation Professionals, especially those in helping professions. Burnout and compassion fatigue are occupational hazards for helping professions, therefore self-care is a priority.

Self-Compassion aka Compassion Statements are just as important especially when people tend to beat themselves up for missing deadlines, performance evaluations, etc. Compassion means calling out the struggle for what it is and wrapping with it TLC (tenderness, love, care) for oneself. For compassion statements to be powerful, they must be personalized.
Below is my favorite book with empathic and compassion statements if you need help coming up with some (Disclosure: I’m a part of the Amazon Affiliate Program which means that I earn a small commission if you buy directly from this link. Proceeds from the commissions go toward buying more books to read and recommend). Otherwise, you can check out selfcompassion.org for more information.

Focusing on effectiveness, means “just do what works.” Sometimes we get caught up with control, perfectionism, fears about quality, (and oh so many more) that it causes us to avoid tasks and they don’t get done. Then we’re mad or disappointed in ourselves, and perhaps other consequences as well. Effectiveness means just get it done. I remember hearing in my college English and creative writing classes that a paper is never done, it’s just due. The same thing applies with a lot of tasks we need to prioritize. Not everything will require the same amount of detail. Do what works/satisfactory work (or even just that need that check mark next to it, like, ‘Paid Bill;’ ‘Scheduled conference call;’ ‘submitted request;’). These tasks might not require dissertations or much thought.

Asking for help is another big topic that I’ve come across. Not only personally, but professionally and with my clients. Additionally, this is a common theme among First Generation College Students and Professionals. Major strengths among First Gens is their resourcefulness and grit to get through high school and college, and many times with a feeling of doing it completely on their own (especially because they are the first in their families to do what they’re doing/studying etc). As professionals, I’m seeing that it can be super hard to ask for help, for fear that it might imply that we’re incompetent, not worthy, lazy, etc. But asking for help is a major strength. It’s what let’s villages raise children. It’s what teamwork is built on. It’s what can transform suffering into manageable pain, and isolation substituted with connection.

Try these tips! Download the freebie To Do list w SelfCareComppdf and let me know what you think.