2020 Community Self-Care Check-in Challenge!

[BrendaBT]

As the New Year unfolds and we adjust back into our daily hectic routines it is important to remember to pause, take a break, and take care of ourselves as well. This year my biggest goal is to practice more self-care rituals. After all, beauty starts from within!

As a way to commit, hold each other accountable, and ultimately help each other take care of ourselves, we thought it would be fun to do a weekly self-care check-in, by choosing one ritual and reporting back weekly with our progress.

Now, I know most of us are busy people, but dedicating time for ourselves can be as simple and effective as:

1. A morning meditation, and/or nightly adaptogenic drink (may we suggest FOUR SIGMATIC - Golden Latte Mushroom Mix with Shiitake & Turmeric or FOUR SIGMATIC - Mushroom Hot Cacao Mix with Reishi )
2. Better sleep! Committing to getting a full night's sleep 1 night/week, and sticking to an earlier bedtime.
3. Waking up! Get up after that first alarm so you’re less rushed in the morning and have more time to mentally prepare for the day!
4. Be active - get to yoga 1/week or go for an early morning run before work.
5. Skincare - masking on a weekly basis, getting a facial, or remembering to remove your makeup every night!
6. “Me time!” Embrace the FOGO (fear of going out), read that book you've been wanting to pick up
7. Make healthier choices - adding more fruits and veggies to your meals.
8. YOU PICK! You know yourself better than we do, so if we missed something please share how *you* want to take care of yourself. Just don’t forget to check in with us! 😊

This thread will be a place to talk about your weekly self-care check-ins, share how you’re feeling about your progress, recommend/talk about products you’re using, and share your self-care tips and tricks.

Reply below to tell us which self-care ritual you’re committing to!

*EDIT 4/2:

Hello everyone, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe! Given the times, we may just need this thread more than ever so we wanted to add in extra self-care goals now that many of us are spending more time at home or are going into the world helping others. Here are some additional ideas for taking care of yourself. We challenge you to try a few of these and share your wins on this thread!

1. Stick to your routine: Maybe it's putting on your favorite outfit instead of PJs or doing your makeup/hair in the morning! Snap an OOTD and share it here.
2. Staying active: This could be as easy as one 10-minute workout video each week or dusting off your yoga mat. Let’s see that at-home gym or virtual workout class!
3. Setting up your space: Are you reading, eating, sleeping, working out, and BIC-ing in the same spot? Try to establish devoted spaces for all of your activities.  
4. Stay social: Set up virtual face-time with your loved ones and maybe spend some extra time here in the BIC!
5. Spring Cleaning: Try reorganizing your home, bedroom, or simply going through your stuff to declutter your space. If you reorganize your beauty space we would love to see a before and after photo here!
6. Take on a new hobby or learn a new skill: Master that smokey eye you’ve always wanted to. Maybe even learn a new language or instrument!
7. Do your own nails - no nail salon? No problem. Let’s see that at-home mani once you’re done – no worries if it isn’t perfect.

What are you doing for self-care? We are open to all advice and want to congratulate you on your little wins!

[PrettyPaint]

That's great to hear that it helped @itsfi. Let me know if you have any tips on how you actually cut it out. I'm having a hard time with it! I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly, but didn't you buy a water bottle that has a self-cleaning function? If so, do you like it?? Sorry if I'm making this up.

[itsfi]

Great memory @PrettyPaint! I picked up a self cleaning water bottle that has a water purification system in it. I try to remember to carry that with me all the time.

Cutting down on coffee has its challenges, that’s for sure. ☕️ I would drink coffee all throughout the day. I started tapering myself off of it by limiting myself to 2-3 cups before noon and then no more than 2 cups in the afternoon, before 3:30pm. Now I’ll do 1-2 cups in the morning and 1 in the afternoon. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  Oh wow, so you really significantly cut back. I am truly impressed. I feel like I would get so many withdrawal headaches. Do you still have enough energy to get through the day and did your body adjust? 

Thanks for posting a pic of your bottle! So do you ever wash it out or do you completely rely on the sanitizing function? 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, I eased into cutting back on the coffee to get to that point. Where I would want coffee the first couple of weeks, I would drink green tea - it has caffeine but I’ve read that it levels off differently. Then I cut back on the green tea and went with green juice, then eventually got to my current consumption. 

The first couple of weeks took some getting used to, but I think my body has adjusted. Cutting back helped my sleep - not getting up as often during the night, and I think that helped my energy level a lot. I do miss coffee though - I was just in a meeting and there were a couple of Starbuck’s and Peet’s cups around the table and I just thought “ohhh, coffee...” ☕️ 

ha! Great question. I do wash my water bottle. I haven’t gotten to a comfort level where I don’t. But it’s helpful for when I’m out and about and need to refill it. It’s also helpful when I travel. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  Thanks so much for the great tips on getting off the coffee. I think I'll try to replace my later cups of coffee with tea for a week or so and see how I do. I will need to start that tomorrow, though, because I was very bad today (ugh - I just had two nespressos at 8pm...shame). If cutting back on my consumption will eventually give me more energy, though, it will be worth it. 

I think it would be difficult to completely rely on the sanitizing function with the bottle. That's why I asked 🙂 

[sprocketta]

@itsfi What brand/model was the water bottle? I'd love something like that.

[itsfi]

@sprocketta, it’s by LARQ. You can find it online at Bloomingdale’s, Amazon, or direct through the brand - livelarq dot com. If you go direct, there’s another style available, geared for sports but of course it can be used for everyday as well. That one is single-walled. The original is double-walled.

[sprocketta]

Thanks @itsfi 

[ather]

@BrendaBT  This is such a great idea. I just started a new job and the warmest it’s been here is -37 and I’ve literally gone to work and come home and hide inside. A friend of mine stopped by my house today to drop off some homemade soup and I was apologizing to her for hiding so much inside. So my list will be:

1. Better sleep. I need to have less screen time before bed. I am on my phone way to much and I need to live more in the moment and less online. 

2. Waking up right away. Right now I hit the snooze till my son is awake. I should get up and have a cup of coffee and get ready first thing. Laying in bed only makes me more sleepy all day. 

3. I’ve been working out 4-5 days a week and I want to stick to that. 

4. make better food choices. I need to be like @eshoe and cut sugar out!!! Teach me your ways!!!!!

[haleyvvvv]

When it's that cold, going outside is hazardous. Hiding from it is a necessity, IMO, @ather. I can't say I'm not glad to have moved from a place that cold recently. Stay warm!

[ather]

@haleyvvvv  I agree. It’s finally warmed up here and I made it to yoga last night! 😊

[haleyvvvv]

Yay!!! That's awesome, @ather!

[itsfi]

Less screen time before bed is a good but hard one @ather! That’s great that you are working out 4-5 days per week! 

[ather]

@itsfi  I agree. It’s so hard. I need to put my phone down and read a book before bed. But I’m so bad for being on my phone. 😳

[eshoe]

Oh your second one is such a toughie, @ather! Re: the sugar, the whole family had to be on board-there was no way I was going to make it without them. My daughter has a sweet tooth so it’s been eye-opening for all of us, to see where sugar was sneaking into our diet. We are all planning our 41st day treats😂

[ather]

@eshoe  Yes I failed at 2 today. It’s a work in progress. As for sugar I agree it needs to be a family commitment and it’s hiding in everything. Makes it difficult to do. 

[eshoe]

Aww it’s ok, @ather hang in there. I did terrible on my sleep goal last night as well. I’m not taking it seriously enough, but tonight is another night.

[PrettyPaint]

@ather Ugh yes, I really need to limit screen time at night too (of course I'm on a screen right now...oops). 

[ather]

@PrettyPaint  Me too. Guilty.  My excuse is that I don’t like to be on my phone when my son is awake. But I also cheat. 

[fatimamummy]

I am doing all of it to some extent other than numbers 1 & 2. Getting better sleep is a goal I want to achieve this year. Due to physical limitations, going out for run is a little risky for me at this time but that is another goal of mine to get myself mentally and physically prepared to run out by summer. I’m proud to share with you all that I have reached to a strength level where I walk (on treadmill) 1.5 miles , 5 days a week. True that it takes me almost 30 minutes which is too long by normal standards but comparing it to the same time last year when I was using a cane to walk, I am very proud of myself. 

[haleyvvvv]

Congrats @fatimamummy!!