
PURPOSE & GOAL:
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To assess what self-care means to you, why it’s important, and how incorporating certain self-care practices will be of benefit to you
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To begin taking small steps towards a more (perceived) challenging self-care activity
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To have support and accountability for implementing self-care practices
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The self-care challenge is:
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Non-diety
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Non-punishy
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Non-judgy
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Non-shouldy
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Non-shamy
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That means that there is no pass or fail, successful or not successful, etc.
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Sometimes we have the best of intentions for ourselves, and sometimes it (implementing that intention) isn't available to us. Get curious instead of going straight for the self-judgement (i.e. it's because I'm a lazy person).
THE CHALLENGE:
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21 Days
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June 12- July 2
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$22
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Choose 1 or more self-care activities you want to practice (from the list or not)
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Join the Self-Care Challenge Facebook group
HOW TO CHOOSE A SELF-CARE ACTIVITY
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Choose 1-3 self-care activities. Feel free to select from different categories.
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Think about your basic needs. Are you meeting them?
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Determine why the self-care activities you chose are important to you.
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Is there a habit that you've been wanting to change for a while (i.e. screen use)?
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Do you want to cut back on drinking?
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Do you feel like fun is missing in your life? Have you thought about taking a dance or art class but feel silly about it. Like it's not a 'responsible' thing to do?
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Is your body craving more movement?
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Do you feel it's time to get started on your creative projects?
HOW NOT TO CHOOSE A SELF-CARE ACTIVITY (PREFERABLY)
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Try to not choose a self-care activity based on following public health advice (i.e. eat 5 vegetables daily, 2 drinks a week, etc.) because this makes it more of a "shouldy" goal (i.e. a New Year's Resolution type goal -> I'm going to start eating 5 vegetables daily because 'I should'). Think about YOUR unique needs.
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For example:
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Cut back on drinking because you don't feel great the way you're drinking now (you're often tired, foggy-brained, anxious, etc)
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Eat at least one fruit daily because you love fruit, and your body feels good when you have a fruit, and for whatever reason you haven't been eating fruit (this is me!)
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Move your body/exercise because it feels really good physically and mentally when you do it in a way that's enjoyable
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Don't be too ambitious. Focus on a couple. It's tempting to want to do them all.
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Try not to choose more than one challenging activity (like getting started on your creative project, learning a new language, or creating firmer boundaries with family).
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Don't choose anything that feels like a punishment, like trying to eat 10 servings of vegetables a day, or taking up daily running, or doing a cleanse, or anything you don't enjoy doing. Depending on your activity, you may experience a little resistance (i.e. getting up at 5:30am to view the sunrise or setting firmer work boundaries). Please determine what is a little healthy resistance versus outright dread. Remember, this is a SELF-CARE challenge.
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Finally, this isn't a New Year's Resolution challenge. Beware of approaching self-care this way, like making checklists of your new self-care activities, etc. If your self-care activity isn't feeling good, let it go. It wasn't what you needed. Continue reflecting on what you really need.
There are three self-care categories to choose from (they aren't mutually exclusive, just in case). These are some suggested self-care practices:
1. HABITS
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Phone/screen/social media use
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Daily/morning/after dinner walks
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Nature walks
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Daily journaling
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Deep breathing for 5 minutes daily
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Movement/exercises in general
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Hydration
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Increase Fruit and Vegetables
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Prepare nice lunches for yourself
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Moderate caffeine use
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Cut back on drinking
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Sunrise/sunset viewing
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Going to bed at particular time
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Getting up at a particular time
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Save some $
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Cut back on impulse spending
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Learn to budget
2. FUN/ENGAGING/RELAXING
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Sign-up for a dance class, or
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Language class, or
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Art class, or
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Sports
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New hobby or fun activity (roller skating)
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Take more baths
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Massages/Spas
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Travel
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Solo travel
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Solo time
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Gardening
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Daily reading
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Wear brighter clothes
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Try new recipes
3. MINDSET/PERSONAL GROWTH
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Learning to say “No” when you want to say "No" (but say “Yes” instead)
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Speaking up
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Eating (X food) without guilt
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Learning to quiet self-defeating thoughts
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Learning to quiet the negative body talk
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Ditch your scale (this one goes hand in hand with the above point)
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Daily body appreciation/gratitude
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Focusing on personal successes vs failures
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Creating work boundaries
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Begin writing your book/creating your art