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Field card 62

A 15-minute weekly check-in with yourself

A bad stretch is easy to miss when you're busy keeping everyone else going. This is a fifteen-minute check-in, once a week, with the same five questions, so you notice a slide early and know what to do about it.

Dad Field Manual editors · Drafted with AI help · Published Oct 15, 2026

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Time
15 min
Cost
$0
Ages
Any age
Where
Anywhere quiet

01What you need

  • This card or a notes appHave
  • PenHave
  • A recurring weekly reminder on your phoneHave

Where: Sunday night on the couch, or at the table after the kids are in bed. Same time each week.

Read this first

  • If you're thinking about hurting yourself or anyone else, call or text 988 now, or chat at 988lifeline.org. It's free, confidential and open 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.
  • This is not a diagnosis. It is a way to notice patterns. A professional is the one to tell you what is going on.
  • Never skip the last step. If the answers are bad, the plan is to tell someone, not to push through alone.

02Steps

  1. Set the time and place

    YouPick the same slot every week and set a repeating reminder. Sit somewhere you won't be interrupted. Put the phone on silent except for the notes. One minute.

  2. Answer five questions

    YouAnswer yes or no for the past week. Sleep: trouble falling or staying asleep? Mood: sad, empty or hopeless most days? Drinking or other substances: more than you meant to? Temper: short or aggressive with people? Focus: hard to concentrate on work or daily tasks? Five minutes.

  3. Compare with last week

    YouLook at last week's page. Which yes answers are new? Which keep coming back? A yes that keeps coming back matters more than one bad night. Two minutes.

  4. Read the result

    YouAll no: carry on. A new yes: pick one small change for the week, such as an earlier bedtime or two alcohol-free nights. Go to the next step if a yes keeps coming back, isn't getting better even though you've tried, or your drinking or temper is hurting you or someone else. The APA lists those as signs that talking to a professional could help. Two minutes.

  5. Act on a bad week

    YouTell one person today: “I've had a rough few weeks and I'd like some help.” Then book a doctor or counselor visit. If your drinking or temper is harming you or others, say so when you call. Four minutes.

  6. Write one line and close it

    YouWrite down your answers and one sentence on how the week felt. Keep the page. Next week you'll compare. One minute.

03If it stalls

  • If you don't trust your own scoring, ask your partner or a friend how you've seemed lately. People close to you often notice first.
  • If you skip a week, just do it the next week. Don't make up for it by overthinking.
  • If every answer is always no, check you're being honest. The point is to catch changes, not to pass.
  • If you can't think of who to tell, 988 takes calls from anyone struggling, not only people in crisis.

04Variations

With a partner

Do your own answers first, then swap pages if you both want to. Agree ahead of time that nobody argues with an answer.

New baby at home

Broken sleep is expected, so watch mood, drinking and temper more closely than the sleep answer. Keep the check-in to ten minutes.

Check-in with a friend

Pick a friend who does the same. Each week text only the word “green,” “yellow” or “red.” Call each other on any red.

Tried this? Tell us how it went

2 minutes
How did it go?

1 = it flopped · 5 = we'd do it again

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We read every note. Nothing is published unless you said yes above, and then only your own words, never as a rating or a test. We never show your email. Privacy

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05Sources

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 is reachable by call, text or chat, is free and confidential, runs 24/7, and is for everyone: mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug concerns, or wanting someone to talk to. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Checked Oct 15, 2026
  • Signs you could benefit from therapy. APA lists signs that you could benefit from therapy: an overwhelming, prolonged sense of helplessness and sadness; problems that don't improve despite your efforts and help from family and friends; difficulty concentrating on work or everyday activities; excessive worry; and actions such as drinking too much, using drugs or being aggressive that harm you or others. Read from an Internet Archive copy (captured 2025-12-31) because apa.org blocks automated requests. American Psychological Association Checked Oct 15, 2026
  • SAMHSA National Helpline. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental or substance use disorders. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Checked Oct 15, 2026

Filed under: Dad Mental Health · Dad Health

Dad Field Manual · Field card 62 · Dad Mental Health

A 15-minute weekly check-in with yourself

A bad stretch is easy to miss when you're busy keeping everyone else going. This is a fifteen-minute check-in, once a week, with the same five questions, so you notice a slide early and know what to do about it.

Time
15 min
Cost
$0
Ages
Any age
Where
Anywhere quiet

In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If someone is in danger right now, call 911.

What you need

  • This card or a notes app
  • Pen
  • A recurring weekly reminder on your phone

Read this first

  • If you're thinking about hurting yourself or anyone else, call or text 988 now, or chat at 988lifeline.org. It's free, confidential and open 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.
  • This is not a diagnosis. It is a way to notice patterns. A professional is the one to tell you what is going on.
  • Never skip the last step. If the answers are bad, the plan is to tell someone, not to push through alone.

Steps

  1. Set the time and place. Same time each week, quiet spot, repeating phone reminder.
  2. Answer five questions. Answer yes or no for the past week: sleep, mood, drinking, temper, focus.
  3. Compare with last week. Compare with last week. Circle any yes that keeps coming back.
  4. Read the result. All no: carry on. A new yes: one small change. A yes that keeps coming back: next step.
  5. Act on a bad week. Tell one person today. Then book a doctor or counselor visit.
  6. Write one line and close it. Write down your answers and one sentence. Keep it for next week.

If it stalls

  • If you don't trust your own scoring, ask your partner or a friend how you've seemed lately. People close to you often notice first.
  • If you skip a week, just do it the next week. Don't make up for it by overthinking.
Weeks in a row you checked in
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date

dadfieldmanual.com/plans/weekly-dad-check-in · Sources: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, American Psychological Association, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration