• Tell me about yourself.
• Tell me about your greatest success or accomplishment.
• Describe your greatest weakness and/or strength (or top three of either) and how you overcome or use them.
• If I asked, how would your coworkers (or past managers) describe you?
• What is the biggest mistake you’ve made at work?

HEALTHCARE Interview Questions and TOP-SCORING ANSWERS!

Self Care Discussion Questions

Being Your Own Critic

• What are some thoughts you have had about yourself recently?
• Are they mostly positive or negative?
• What are your expectations for yourself?
  What would you do differently in your daily life if you knew no one would judge you for it?

Change

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” –John Kabat-Zin

• Have you changed as an individual since receiving the diagnosis? If so, how?
• How has that change effected your life and your family?

Love

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” -George Sand

For Caregivers & Family Members:

• How has the relationship changed since receiving the diagnosis?
• In what ways is love still communicated or expressed in your relationship?
• What is one thing you can do to show love?

For Individuals with Dementia:

• How has your relationship changed with your family since receiving the diagnosis?
• In what ways is love still communicated or expressed in your relationship?
• What is one thing you can do to show love?

Self Care

“When you discover something that nourishes your soul and bring you joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” –Jean Bolen

Analogy: On an airplane, an oxygen mask descends in front of you. What do you do? As we all know, the first rule is to put on your own oxygen mask before you assist anyone else. Only when we first help ourselves can we effectively help others.

• Questions for Caregivers and Family Members
  What does it mean to you as an individual to relax? Define it in your own terms.
• What activity brings you enjoyment? How often do you do this task?
• Do you think you are being selfish if you put your needs first or do you feel guilty by doing so? Why or why not?
• What motivates you?
• Do you have trouble asking for what you need? Do you feel inadequate if you ask for help?

Questions for People with Dementia

• What activities do you enjoy doing with your family that helps you relax?
• How do you cope with stress?
• What are some things that cause stress?
• Do you feel as though you can express your emotions openly with your family?
• Are you vocal about your needs?

How do you release negative energy

Spring Cleaning for the Soul

Questions for People with Dementia

• What, if any old habits, would you like to get rid of this season?
• Do you have any memories associated with the spring season?
• Do you have any routines that you do for yourself to maintain a good mood?
• Is there anything you want to particularly focus on in the near future? Any plans on how to do it?
• Anything you are looking forward to with warmer weather on the way (possibly)?

Questions for Caregivers and Family Members

• What steps, if any, are you planning for the future in the caregiving process?
• Is there anything in this journey that you wish had an “easy, cleaner” way of happening?
• Is there anything that you are researching currently and considering trying?
• Is there any physical chore that you have put off due to procrastination?
• Do you notice a change in your mood as the season changes?

Tips and Tricks for the New Year

The New Year is a time when most, if not all, of your past mistakes and stupidities are erased … and the New Year is a brand new slate upon which you can create even more and better mistakes and stupidities! –Anonymous

Questions for Caregivers and Family Members

• What have you managed well in the past year?
• What is the biggest lesson you have learned?
• What have you found to be the most helpful tip last year that might help others?
• Are there any community resources you have found to be helpful outside of this group?
• Is there anything you want to do differently in the new year and what are the steps that you are going to meet that goal?

Questions for People with Dementia

• What have you managed well this past year?
• What have you found to be helpful in the community?
• What are some challenges you faced this past year and how did you handle the situation?
• What is something that you want to do differently this year?
• What brings you the most comfort in challenging times?

Practice Answering Standard Interview Questions

Practice might not make perfect, but it does make prepared. Go through a list of standard interview questions and practice your answers.

Creating answers and practicing them in advance can help to ease some of your job interview stress by making you feel more prepared. Think of your answers as elevator pitches – short blurbs you can practice and recite with confidence.

Get comfortable with these questions. Write your answers down (a few times if needed – writing things down can help you remember them). And then practice saying them out loud, so that you feel more comfortable.

Know that your interviewer may ask different variations of these questions, or something completely new. But coming in prepared with some possible answers may also help you feel more comfortable improvising answers to new, unexpected questions.

I made a printable list of Standard Interview Questions just for you. Together we’ll go through each question, why they’re generally asked and example answers. There’s also space for you to write out answers of your own. You got this! Click here or fill out the form below to download yours. <3

Take Some Deep Breaths

I know this one seems so simple and obvious, but deeps breaths can help soothe you when stress hits. So, if you’re feeling job interview stress already, take a few deep breaths sweet friend. Now and, if possible, before your interview. You can park that car somewhere before you meet with the hiring manager, roll down your window and let the fresh air soothe you.

Give yourself a few minutes to inhale slowly and deeply, fill those beautiful lungs. And then exhale, nice and slow. This can help to relieve some stress and anxiety, which naturally comes with interviews.

Need a hand? Check out Mona Fakhry of Mindfully Mona’s Reel right here.

Jodie, I love the part where you say that self-care is taking time out for yourself in order to find what your non-negotiables are. Once, a really good (male) friend of mine told me — at the beginning of a relationship, when I pointed out that I didn’t really like the guy — “Sometimes, Fariha, he’ll only be 80% of what you want, but that’s good enough.” I don’t think that’s gendered advice, but I do think that women hear it WAY more often than men. When you tell anyone, but particularly women, who are used to being told that they’re not enough, that they should essentially settle — you are setting their standards low for them. I want to know what your non-negotiables are, and also if you think that women should have, in general, some default no-brainer-non-negotiables?Jodie: Yes, yes, yes — we definitely have our standards lowered for us more as women. Like, truly, I have heard women say “At least he doesn’t hit me!” As if this is some wonderful gift that someone doesn’t physically abuse them. But in our society, the standards so many women have set for themselves in regards to so many things is the bare minimum — jobs, self-esteem, women’s rights, access to health care.

What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions about self-care?Kara: That it’s easy or that admitting you need help makes you selfish or weak. Like I said earlier, self-care isn’t necessarily a spa day or Treat Yo Self shopping spree. I think because of that pampering perception self-care can be seen as inherently a privileged luxury, which is certainly true, but there are certainly self-care habits that are very accessible. Jodie and I put together Methods with that in mind.

Jodie: Absolutely. Being able to nourish myself and eat whole foods during the week is a total privilege that makes a huge difference. I’ve made it a priority though. Making the time at the beginning of the week to meal plan and grocery shop so that when things get busy, I can still have a fresh meal is a part of my ritual for sure. Getting to put on a funny podcast and cook dinner is a great decompression moment between work and the rest of my day and a girl’s gotta eat!

What do you think you need to improve in terms of your self-care practice?Kara: I have an impossible time taking a real day off and being able to enjoy it. I also need to workout, because it’s really great for me to clear my head, but I have the hardest time getting myself to do it.

Jodie: It sounds so cheesy to say well it just seemed to be one of those things no one was talking about, but it was definitely something I would bring up with friends that would always spark interest. 2014 has been kind of an exhausting, garbage year for being a woman and I think we could all use a little extra tenderness and extra permission to be kind to ourselves.

FAQ

What are some self-care questions?

• How do I feel at this moment?
• What do I crave in life?
• What makes me happiest?
• What are the positives in my life?
• What am I thankful for?
• What brought me joy today? This week? This month?
• What am I putting off?
• What is making me feel down?

What are 5 examples of self-care?

• Eat a healthy meal.
• Engage in exercise.
• Go for a walk.
• Drink water.
• Practice good sleep hygiene (click here for more information)
• Have a cup of tea.
• Sit in the sunlight.
• Take a shower or bath.

What are the 4 main types of self-care skills?

What are 5 self-care strategies?

• Maintain your friendships. …
• Get regular exercise. …
• Keep a balanced diet. …
• Ask for help and accept it when it is offered. …
• Think of yourself as your own best friend. …
• Plan something to look forward to, whether that be a trip with your mates or an outing – even a holiday.