Lesson Plan

Customized Self-Care Plan

Guide a 12th grade student to identify personal stressors, explore self-care strategies, draft a daily routine, reflect on practice, and set 2–3 SMART self-care goals.

Developing personalized self-care plans empowers students to manage stress, improve well-being, and build resilience during pivotal academic and life transitions.

Audience

12th Grade Student

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive exploration and reflective planning

Materials

Self-Care Strategies Overview, Personal Routine Builder, Daily Self-Care Reflection, and Self-Care Goal Tracker

Prep

Teacher Preparation

10 minutes

Review the Self-Care Strategies Overview slide deck to familiarize with recommended techniques.
Preview the Personal Routine Builder worksheet layout and prompts.
Print or prepare digital access for the Daily Self-Care Reflection journal template.
Understand the scoring criteria in the Self-Care Goal Tracker rubric.

Step 1

Introduction & Stressor Identification

5 minutes

Welcome the student and explain the session goal: to build a personalized self-care plan.
Prompt the student to list top 3–5 current stressors (academic, social, emotional).
Discuss how recognizing stressors is the first step in targeted care.

Step 2

Self-Care Strategies Exploration

8 minutes

Present the Self-Care Strategies Overview covering physical, emotional, and social techniques.
Ask the student to highlight 3–4 strategies that resonate most.
Discuss pros, potential barriers, and how each strategy addresses identified stressors.

Step 3

Personal Routine Drafting

10 minutes

Distribute the Personal Routine Builder worksheet.
Guide the student to map out daily/weekly routines incorporating chosen self-care activities.
Encourage specificity: time of day, duration, reminders, and environmental cues.

Step 4

Reflection & Goal Setting

5 minutes

Have the student complete the first entry in the Daily Self-Care Reflection journal, noting expectations and feelings.
Introduce the Self-Care Goal Tracker rubric and collaboratively set 2–3 SMART self-care goals.
Clarify success indicators and check-in frequency.

Step 5

Wrap-Up & Next Steps

2 minutes

Summarize the personalized plan and goals.
Schedule brief follow-up to review reflections and adjust strategies.
Encourage ongoing use of materials to sustain self-care practice.

Slide Deck

Self-Care Strategies Overview

We’ll explore three main categories of self-care:
• Physical
• Emotional
• Social

Review examples in each and later choose 3–4 that resonate with you.

Introduce the purpose of this overview: exploring a variety of self-care strategies across key areas. Encourage the student to keep an open mind and consider which feel most feasible.

Physical Self-Care

• Regular exercise (walks, yoga, sports)
• Adequate sleep and rest
• Balanced nutrition and hydration
• Time outdoors or in nature
• Relaxation techniques (stretching, gentle massage)

Briefly define physical self-care and highlight why things like movement and rest are foundational. Ask: “Which of these do you already practice?”

Emotional Self-Care

• Mindfulness or meditation sessions
• Journaling thoughts and feelings
• Deep-breathing or progressive muscle relaxation
• Creative outlets (art, music, crafts)
• Seeking support (counselor, trusted adult)

Explain emotional self-care as tuning into feelings and processing stress. Invite student to recall a recent time they used one of these techniques.

Social Self-Care

• Spending quality time with friends/family
• Joining clubs or group activities
• Volunteering or helping others
• Building a support network
• Setting healthy boundaries in relationships

Discuss how social connections support well-being, and why setting boundaries can be self-care too.

Reflect & Select

Which 3–4 strategies resonate with you?

Strategy	Category	Why I Like It	Possible Barriers

| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |

Next: Use the Personal Routine Builder to draft a daily plan.

Guide the student to select strategies to carry forward. Explain that they’ll use the Personal Routine Builder next to schedule these.

Worksheet

Personal Routine Builder Worksheet

Use this worksheet to draft your daily and weekly self-care routines. Refer to the strategies you selected in the Self-Care Strategies Overview.

Part A: Daily Routine Draft

Date: ___________________________

Complete the prompts below for up to three self-care activities you plan to do each day.

Morning Self-Care Activity
- Activity: ___________________________________________
- Time (e.g., 7:00-7:30 AM): ___________________________
- Duration: ___________________________________________
- Reminder/Cue (alarm, note, location): ___________________
Afternoon Self-Care Activity
- Activity: ___________________________________________
- Time (e.g., 2:00-2:20 PM): ___________________________
- Duration: ___________________________________________
- Reminder/Cue (alarm, note, location): ___________________
Evening Self-Care Activity
- Activity: ___________________________________________
- Time (e.g., 8:00-8:30 PM): ___________________________
- Duration: ___________________________________________
- Reminder/Cue (alarm, note, location): ___________________

Optional 4th Activity (if needed):

Activity and details:___________________________________

Part B: Weekly Routine Overview

Use the table below to map out which self-care activities you will do each day of the week. Specify time, duration, and cue.

Day	Activity	Time	Duration	Reminder/Cue
Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Part C: Implementation Planning

What potential challenges or barriers might you face in following this routine?
_______________________________________________________________________
How will you adjust reminders or environmental cues to overcome these barriers?
_______________________________________________________________________
How will you track and celebrate your progress at the end of each day?
_______________________________________________________________________

Once complete, use this plan during your first week of self-care practice and prepare to reflect on your experience in the Daily Self-Care Reflection journal.

Journal

Daily Self-Care Reflection Journal

Date: ___________________________

Self-Care Activities Completed Today:
Feelings and Emotions During/After Each Activity:
Positive Outcomes or Benefits Noticed:
Challenges or Barriers You Encountered:
Adjustments or Strategies for Tomorrow:
Stress Level (1–10): Before Self-Care: _____ After Self-Care: _____

Rubric

Self-Care Goal Tracker Rubric

Use this rubric to evaluate the quality of the self-care goals you set and your plan for tracking progress. For each criterion, select the descriptor that best matches your goal and progress plan.

Criterion	4 – Exemplary	3 – Proficient	2 – Developing	1 – Beginning
Specific	Goal clearly defines what will be done, who will do it, and how, with precise details.	Goal defines what and who, but lacks some detail on how it will be carried out.	Goal statement is general; key details (who/how) are missing.	Goal is unclear or too vague, with no specific actions identified.
Measurable	Includes quantifiable metrics and clear methods for measuring success.	Includes some metrics, though measurement methods could be clearer.	Metrics are vague or mostly qualitative.	No measurable indicators are specified.
Achievable	Goal is realistic, with identified resources and barriers, and strategies to address them.	Goal seems realistic but lacks full planning for resources or barrier management.	Goal may be unrealistic or missing consideration of feasibility.	Goal is unrealistic or does not consider feasibility or available support.
Relevant	Goal directly aligns with identified stressors and personal self-care priorities.	Goal somewhat aligns with your self-care needs, though the connection could be clearer.	Goal loosely connects to stress management but may not address core needs.	Goal is unrelated to personal stressors or self-care priorities.
Time-bound	Specifies a clear deadline and intermediate checkpoints for progress.	Includes a timeline, but checkpoints or deadlines are somewhat vague.	Timeline is vague or open-ended; no clear checkpoints.	No timeline or deadlines are specified.
Progress Tracking	Provides a detailed plan for monitoring progress (frequency, tools, reflection prompts).	Includes a plan for tracking but lacks detail on frequency or tools to use.	Tracking plan is very general; methods or frequency are unclear.	No plan for monitoring or reflecting on progress.

Revive Self-Care

Chioma Ahaiwe