Last Christmas, I asked for The Self-Care Planner from the blogger/artist Self-Love Rainbow as a Christmas gift. As I worked through my mental health struggles, I realized the need to document certain things. I found it was better to explain and document them. I also needed to improve my printing skills for tasks I have to do in life. Over time, I saw what I had accomplished. I realized I was on my way to doing much better by doing what was needed all along.

Additionally, to the ways to write and document things, there were other ways to improve my mental health. These were included in the planner. Reflecting on the past year and planning to make this year better were also part of it. I knew things would never change unless I did what was right for me. I had to take action to face this pointless and destructive behavior once and for all. If plans were made to help me see that I was doing what was right, it was essential. It was crucial to document how things were. Observing the outcomes when things did not go as planned was also crucial.

A beloved autism mom blogger had done an episode about medications and autism. She explained that working to get things where they need to be required documenting. It also involved noting the things that worked and those that didn’t. This helped to see what had to happen to make things a reality. These records had their weight in gold when things happened or didn’t happen. Before living independently, I knew the value of my medication. I understood how hard it was to get on that prescribed cocktail. By convincing myself of certain things, it took a long time to realize they were not true. After getting back on track, I saw improvements. People complimented me on how well things were going. I then knew the planner was well worth asking for as a gift.

I realized I had so much potential in me. It required doing what I needed to do all along to make things right. This involved being consistent, honest, and faithful in documenting what happened. I also documented what I did throughout the day. This helped me see that things were good if I kept the momentum going. While things did happen, it took realizing the importance of getting back on track. This was necessary to avoid falling back to where I once was. I felt better after overcoming the rough parts I faced initially with medication. It was clear that being on medication was much better than not. I understood never to repeat past mistakes.

We are all human and make mistakes. Noting when things happen and how they affect us can go a long way. It helps in understanding the why and how behind why things happen and how they happen. The self-care planner has helped me immensely. It has shown me how important it is to care for myself in the best way possible.