Self-care
Self care planner: a free, printable day-by-day week of small things for you
Updated 25 October 2026 · 7 min read · Free to print
A self care planner is a one-week plan for looking after yourself. This free printable one helps you name what is draining you and what restores you, choose up to three non-negotiables, give each day one small thing for you, line up people to lean on, and review the week. Print it or fill it in on screen.
Drawn from simple weekly planning and everyday self-care habits · Part of rest and self-care
Fill it in here (it saves in this browser, but not in a private window), print it, or download the PDF. Free, no sign-up.
A self care routine is easier to keep when it is written down and small. This planner starts with what is wearing you out and what puts something back, then turns that into one small thing for you each day. Not an hour. One small thing.
It is not a general to-do list. For the work, chores and appointments of your week, use the weekly planner printable. If you want to see which parts of your wellbeing need attention first, try the wellness wheel before you plan. If you want to check how looked after you feel across your life first, start with the self-care worksheet. This planner is the day-by-day week that follows.
A planner is a format, not a treatment, and it is a self-help tool, not therapy. If you feel worn out all the time, the signs of burnout guide is worth a read. If low mood or stress is what's really in the way, see your GP. You deserve real support, not just a plan.
How to use this worksheet
- 1Fill in the first two sections before anything else. Be honest about what drains you and what restores you.
- 2Choose up to three non-negotiables. Keep them small enough to do on a tired day.
- 3Add one small thing per day, with a time. Leave a day blank if it is already full.
- 4Fill in the 'when it all slips' plan now. At the end of the week, do the review and carry forward what worked.
The worksheet
selfgrowth.org
My Self Care Week
Name what drains you and what restores you, protect up to three things, plan one small thing a day, line up support, and review the week.
01What's draining me right now
List what is taking your energy this week. A task, a person, a worry, a noisy day. Naming it is not complaining. It shows what your self care has to make up for.
The things that drain me:
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
How drained do I feel overall this week?
Which of these can I change, shrink or hand over?
02What restores me
Write what actually puts something back for you, not what you think should. Think of small, cheap or free things. A walk, a call, a hot drink, an early night, a favourite show.
Things that restore me:
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
Something I keep meaning to do for myself but haven't:
03My non-negotiables this week
Choose up to three things you will protect, whatever else happens. One or two is fine. A non-negotiable is small and specific, such as 'lunch away from my desk' or 'in bed by eleven on Tuesday and Thursday'.
Entry 1
Entry 2
Entry 3
04Monday to Friday
One small thing for you each day, with a time. Pick from your 'what restores me' list. Leave a day blank if it is already full.
Entry 1
Entry 2
Entry 3
Entry 4
Entry 5
05Saturday and Sunday
Weekends can fill up fast with chores and other people's plans. Choose one thing that is just for you, and one that is slow.
Entry 1
Entry 2
06People I can lean on
Think of who you could ask for a listening ear, a bit of company or a practical hand. Next to each name, write how you'd ask. A short message is enough.
Entry 1
Entry 2
Entry 3
One thing I'd like to ask for help with this week:
07When it all slips
Some weeks fall apart. That is not a failure of the plan. Decide now what the smallest version looks like, so you have somewhere to land.
Signs the week is slipping for me:
My smallest version. On a bad day I'll still:
Who I'll tell, and the day I'll pick the plan back up:
08End-of-week review
Do this at the end of the week with curiosity, not judgement. The aim is to carry forward what worked, not to mark yourself.
How looked after do I feel at the end of this week?
Entry 1
Entry 2
Entry 3
What didn't fit, and what I'll drop:
One thing I'll do differently next week:
When you're done, a moment to reflect
- What drained you most this week, and could any of it be smaller next week?
- Which small thing restored you more than you expected?
- When a non-negotiable clashed with something else, what did you choose, and how did that feel?
- Who did you reach out to, and what happened when you did?
- What would you keep if you could only keep one thing from this plan?
Done for now?
Save today's answers as a dated entry. You can come back, fill it in again and compare the two side by side.
Why plan it this way
The layout is ordinary planning. You look at what is taking energy, list what gives some back, protect a few things, tie one small action to each day, and look back at the end. The 'when' column asks you to decide a time in advance, so the action can have a place in your week.
The 'when it all slips' section and the 'people I can lean on' section are there because plans meet real weeks. Writing the smallest version and a few names while you feel steady means you don't have to work it out on a bad day.
This is a planning format. No study has tested this particular planner, and filling it in is not a treatment. Change anything that does not suit you.
These are educational self-reflection tools, not therapy.
Your questions, answered
- What is a self care planner?
- A self care planner is a page where you plan how you'll look after yourself over a week. This one starts with what drains you and what restores you, then picks up to three non-negotiables, gives each day one small thing, lists people you can lean on, and ends with a review.
- What should I put in a self care planner?
- Small, realistic things you'd do on a tired day, each with a time: a walk after lunch, a call with a friend, an early night, ten minutes with a book. Add a plan for when the week slips, and a list of people you can ask for help. Skip anything that feels like another chore.
- How do I build a self care routine?
- Start with one or two small things and tie each to a moment you already have, such as 'after I make my morning tea' or 'when I shut my laptop'. Write them down, do them for a week, then keep what suits you and swap what doesn't. Add more only when those feel normal.
- What are self care non-negotiables?
- They are the few small things you decide to protect even in a busy week, such as a lunch break away from your desk or one evening with nothing planned. This planner caps them at three, so they stay realistic. If something clashes, you decide in advance what you'll say.
- What if I miss a day or the whole week falls apart?
- Missing a day does not cancel the plan. Use the 'when it all slips' section: do the smallest version, tell someone if you can, and pick a day to start again. Then shrink the plan a little for next week rather than adding more.
- Is there a self care planner PDF?
- Yes. Use the Download PDF button for a clean, print-ready copy, or Print to print straight from the page. It is free, with no payment and no email needed. You can also fill it in on screen, and your answers save in your browser.
- Is this a substitute for therapy?
- No. It is a self-help tool, not therapy or medical advice. If low mood or stress is what's really getting in the way, please talk to your GP. If you ever feel unsafe or have thoughts of harming yourself, call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), 988 (US), or find a line at findahelpline.com.
Keep going, related worksheets
Self Care Checklist
A free self care checklist printable: tick small, cheap things across body, mind, feelings, people, home, money and rest. Pick three and add a hard-day list.
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Self-Care Worksheet
A free, printable self-care worksheet for adults: check six areas of your life, see what drains and refills you, and make a self-care plan that costs nothing.
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Wellness Wheel
A free printable wellness wheel: rate eight dimensions of wellbeing from 1 to 10, see your wheel, then make a simple wellness plan with one small step.
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