It’s no secret that we all need to take better care of ourselves. We’re constantly on the go and always putting others first, but what about taking some time for YOU? That’s why I’m challenging you to do a self-care challenge! For one month, let’s focus on making time for ourselves and doing things that make us feel good. Trust me, you’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel after just a few days of making yourself a priority. Are you up for the challenge?
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In This Post
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care is so important and yet it can be hard to define. For some people, self-care might mean taking time for yourself every day to relax and recharge. For others, it might mean making sure you get enough sleep or eating healthy foods. It’s different for everyone, but the common thread is that self-care is about taking good care of yourself so that you can be your best self. So ask yourself, what does self-care look like for you? And make sure to give yourself the time and attention you need to keep yourself healthy and happy.
Why Do A Self-Care Challenge?
If you haven’t been taking care of yourself lately, now is the time to start! A self-care challenge is a great way to jumpstart your journey to becoming healthier and happier. Here are some reasons why you should do a self-care challenge:
1. You’ll feel better mentally and physically. When you take care of yourself, you’re not only improving your physical health, but also your mental health. Taking time for yourself can help reduce stress and anxiety, and lead to a more positive outlook on life.
2. You’ll have more energy. When you’re well-rested, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly, you’ll naturally have more energy throughout the day. This can lead to improved productivity at work or school, as well as more motivation to pursue your hobbies and interests in your spare time.
3. You’ll be able to better manage stressors in your life. Learning how to take care of yourself is an important skill that will come in handy when stressful situations arise. If you know how to manage your stress levels, you’ll be better equipped to deal with whatever life throws your way.
So what are you waiting for? Challenge yourself to a month (or even a week!) of self-care today! Your mind and body will thank you for it later!
How Does a 30-Day Self-Care Challenge Work?
A self-care challenge is a great way to jumpstart your journey to better wellness. It works by focusing on adding healthy habits into your life for a set period, usually 30 days. The key is to make the challenge manageable and realistic so that you can stick with it and see results. Something as simple as taking a brisk walk every day or drinking 64 ounces of water can make a big difference in how you feel. Give it a try and see for yourself!
To get you started, you can follow my 30 day self-care challenge. You can either follow this challenge exactly day by day or tick off each option as and when they are completed. You can also tweak some of the options to suit your preferences. If you choose to follow my 30-day challenge then you will find some free printable checklists at the end of this post.
Take Some Exercise
Exercise is well known for its health benefits and improving mood, however many of us don’t have time or fail to prioritise exercise in our daily lives.
Start small with just 10 minutes a day and built it up from there. Why not try out some simple yoga poses or even go for a short jog around the block? As your fitness improves, why not set yourself some fitness goals such as a local 5K race charity event? Not only a great way to improve fitness but a great way to help some local charities.
Read A Book
Reading has many benefits such as mental stimulation, stress relief and tranquillity. If a whole book seems like too much of a task, why not take some time out to read some short stories?
You don’t necessarily have to read a physical book either, other options include reading from a kindle or even listening to your favourite book with Audible.
Try Audible for free for 30 days with one free audiobook of your choice – yours to keep, even if you cancel. Prime customers receive two audiobooks in their trial.
Have A DIY Pamper Day
Make some time for a little pampering session. Run a hot bubble bath and use some of your favourite products and just chill and relax.
If you have time on your hands why not make your homemade spa products, and add some essential oils to build a complete relaxation oasis? Pair with a good book and a candle, and enjoy your moments of bliss.
Cook Something Nice
There is nothing better than cooking some of your favourite food. Why not indulge in some of the fancy recipes you have been meaning to try?
Maybe invite a friend or loved one and enjoy a hearty meal together.
Treat Yourself
Been eyeing up those new shoes or handbags for months, then why not take the plunge and buy that special item? If finances are short then why not treat yourself to something smaller such as upgrading that black coffee to an indulgent golden milk latte or iced matcha?
Catch Up With Family
We all know how fast time goes when we have busy lives, before you know it it’s been weeks or even months since you last spent time with your family.
Take some time to schedule a meal or small get-together with your loved ones.
Make A Bucket List
Setting goals and creating a bucket list helps us articulate what we want to explore, focuses our attention, and helps us hold ourselves accountable for pursuing our dreams.
Take some time to sit and list all your hopes and dreams including things you want to accomplish and places you would like to visit. Once completed you can then plan how you can achieve all these dreams.
Unplug From Social Media
The average person spends around 3 hours per day on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. That’s 3 hours per day, 1095 hours per year!
Why not use this time to pursue more meaningful activities such as hobbies, passions and dreams that can give your life more purpose?
Why not set yourself a time limit on social media and try and use the time saved to become more productive or enjoy some of your favourite activities?
Donate Or Volunteer
Have a clear out of all your old clothes, belongings or even furniture you no longer need and give them to some of your local charities. Having a good clear-out and de-cluttering can be beneficial to improving your mindset, giving them to charity will also give you a feel-good factor knowing someone else will benefit from these items.
Try A New Hobby
Always wanted to try out a new hobby? If so, just do it! If you have no idea where to start, try listing all the activities you have enjoyed in the past and check out what’s going on in your area.
Popular hobbies to try out include trying out a new sport, learning something new, getting out into nature, cooking & baking or arts & crafts.
Purge Wardrobe/Closet
Take some time to finally clear out that wardrobe! Why not organise your clothes into seasons, work clothes etc so that it’s easier to find what you need. Seasonal items could be stored away to make space for new items or just to make space to organise the space
Practice Meditation
Meditation is well known for relaxing the mind and reducing stress levels. Try meditation for a few minutes a day and see how you get on.
How to meditate:
- Find a place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you. Gently close your eyes and follow the sensation of your breath as it goes in and as it goes out. If your attention starts to wander simply return your attention to your breath.
- Don’t judge yourself or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.
- When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze, and open your eyes. Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment. Notice how your body feels right now. Notice your thoughts and emotions.
That’s it! That’s the practice.
Start A Journal
Writing can do wonders for your mental health! Start by writing down your thoughts throughout the day in a small notebook. Over time your journaling will develop and it will help you understand your emotions, reduce stress and give you the ability to solve problems more effectively.
Do Something Creative
Get your creative juices flowing and enjoy some creative activities. Why not upscale an old set of draws or try out some new crafts?
Listen To An Inspirational Podcast
Whether you’re figuring out how to set better goals, working on becoming a better person, improving your business, growing your wealth, building a rock-solid career, strengthening your relationships, or just need the proverbial kick in the backside to turn your life around, there’s a podcast out there for you!
Bake A Cake
One of my favourite self-care activities is baking! How satisfying is it to bake some of your favourite treats and then enjoy them with some of your favourite people?
Meet A Friend For Coffee
Arrange to meet some of your friends for a coffee and catch up date! Even if it’s just for a short 30-minute meet-up, just getting out and meeting some of your favourite people can do wonders for your well-being.
Go For A Walk In Nature
Not only is taking a walk a simple yet effective way of dealing with mental stress, but it also combines the scientific benefits of exercise and spending time outside.
Take a walk around your local park or travel further afield and explore a new area.
Make A Goals List
You can only achieve your full potential if you know what goals you want to achieve! Similar to creating a bucket list, generating a goals list can give you focus and accountability, helping you to plan and create your dream life!
Get A Massage
This has got to be one of my favourite self-care activities! Getting a massage may not be a cheap activity but a regular massage is one of the best ways to relieve stress and enjoy some must needed self-care. If concerned about cost, perhaps just indulge in a foot or hand massage which can feel just as good.
Watch Your Favourite Movies
Get the snacks in and take some time out to watch one of your movies. Why not make it a family night or invite some of your friends over for a movie night?
Learn A New Skill
When was the last time you learnt something new? Why not learn a new language, sign up for a course, or teach yourself something from YouTube, the list is endless.
Buy Yourself Something Nice
Take a little shopping trip and treat yourself to something nice. Why not buy some new beauty treats or a new outfit, maybe even some stationary to start that daily journal?
Make A Gratitude Jar
Keeping a gratitude jar is one of the most powerful things you can do to create a huge positive transformation. It’s also really simple!
Start by writing down one thing you are grateful for each day and pop it into a jar. Gradually the jar will fill up with positive messages that you can reach for when times are tough. Seeing physical proof of all the good things in your life can help get past some of the darker days.
Help Someone
Helping others is not only good for them and a good thing to do, it also makes us happier and healthier too. Giving also connects us to others, creating stronger communities and helping to build a happier society for everyone. And it’s not all about money, we can also give our time, ideas and energy.
Organise Finances
One of the biggest things we can neglect when we are busy is looking after our finances. Take some time to organise your monthly income and outgoing and if finances are in a bit of a mess, make a plan to tackle them and gain back some control.
Have A Social Media Purge
Keeping up with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat can be exhausting. So, to save your time and sanity, it’s worth culling your “following” list now and again.
If there are people you never interact with, or who you would be happy to never hear from again, don’t waste energy scrolling past their updates! Cut them out of the picture. Once you’ve done so, you’ll find yourself having a happier, more streamlined experience online.
Watch The Sunset
Sunsets are romantic, inspiring and Instagram-able, yet most of us only make time for this special experience when we are on vacation. However, you don’t need to be in some idyllic location to admire the beauty of a sunset.
Find a spot locally and take some time out to sit and watch the sun go down. If however, you are more of a sunrise person then why not get up early one morning and take in a wonderful sunrise view instead?
Have A TV Binge Day
When was the last time you took a day out to just do nothing? Leave all the stress and everyday life behind and give yourself a TV binge day. Binge-watch all your favourite movies or start a new series and indulge in a proper lazy day!
If you don’t currently have any subscriptions to any TV channels why not try Amazon Prime. Not only will you receive free next-day delivery on millions of items, you will also have access to 15,000 movies and TV episodes with unlimited instant streaming. You will also have access to over 2 million songs on Prime Music.
De-Clutter Home
Along with calming the mind, minimising excess clutter in your home has been found to stimulate creativity and improve well-being. Decluttering is freeing in so many ways. Letting go of the excess “stuff” that fills your home often feels like a weight is lifted from your life.
Take one room at a time and get rid of anything you don’t need, use or are broken. Either take these items to a charity shop, sell them or if no good, throw them out.
You will soon realise that you will have fewer things to tidy up, clean and manage, in turn providing more time to do things you value most.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking to boost your productivity, find more joy in life, or just take a break from the everyday stressors of work and family, doing a self-care challenge is a great way to jumpstart change. And it doesn’t have to be 30 days, even committing to five or ten days can make a big impact. So what are you waiting for? Pick out some activities and get started today!
Read more:
- How to have a self-care Sunday!
- 101 Self-care ideas to help you de-stress!
- 8 Simple ways to get healthy
If you want to focus on becoming the best, happiest version of yourself subscribe to the blog or follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.
