Wellness In Progress: December 2024

[itsfi]

Happy holidays, BIC!  2024 is flying by at a rapid pace, a pace that will undoubtedly pick up even more momentum as we draw closer and closer to the end of the month. This can be such a fun and joyous time, as well as a very busy and heavy one. Wanted to take an opportunity to keep our own self-care top of mind and to (hopefully) have some fun with it, so wellness bingo is back for December! 🙌

We're each on our own personal self-care journey, one that, if you're like me, varies - some days (weeks, months, years) are better than others. Wellness is a process - it's about progress, not perfection. It takes work. Much of that work will fall on us and our efforts, as it should, but it's helped, inspired, encouraged, and supported by others, be it friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, or those who make up this Community. Wellness takes work - let's do the work together, BIC!

How to play / participate:

All are welcome and encouraged to take part in this B Well challenge, wherever you are in your own self-care journey, and, as and how this game of wellness bingo serves you best. 

▶️  There are many ways to participate. A few are mentioned in the spoiler below, but if you have a way to approach wellness bingo that works best for you, go for it!

Spoiler

• Treat it like a game of BINGO, except in this BIC-version, you are your own moderator, either (a) selecting which activities you want to engage in or (b) putting them into a random generator tool, blindly pointing at a square, or writing each activity (or each square) onto a piece of paper, placing all of them into a bowl and pulling one out each day you intend to undertake a wellness activity, and then doing that activity.
• You can aim to do 5 activities in a way that earns yourself a BINGO!  5 activities across the same row, down the same column or across diagonally from upper left corner to lower right, and/or upper right corner to lower left. 
• You can just go about your day picking one activity to undertake and work towards doing all the activities on this B Well card (but see notes on making adjustments below).
• You can choose to go row by row or column by column each week. Thank you, @Mellmars1185, for sharing how you went about your wellness bingo last month. It's such a great approach! 😊 
• You can choose the activities that come more naturally to you, that you already do as part of your daily routine. Or, you can choose activities that are more challenging for you. Or a combination of both. 
• The self-care activities in the squares change from month-to-month, with some appearing in a previous month's bingo wellness card, and others being new or tailored to the specific month/season. If you're interested in seeing what others have done for some of the activities being repeated, you may want to take a peek at folks' replies on the Wellness In Progress: November 2024 thread.

🌟  BONUS CHALLENGE: This challenge is certainly one you can do on your own. It's also something we can take part in together! If you feel comfortable, share about the activities you did to earn each square by replaying to this original post. I love hearing from this Community, and others do, too. I've learned about new ways of doing things that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Some are incorporated into this month's activities; others may appear on future months' bingo cards.

🎀  Make Adjustments As Needed. We are all at different stages of our wellness / self-care journey. While it cn be good to challenge ourselves, sometimes, it's best to take make adjustments. I'm not at expert at this at all, and if there's an activity that is not something you are ready for or that you shouldn't engage in, make the adjustments you need to, or just skip that square altogether.

• Be safe. Consider weather conditions or where you are in your own wellness efforts. For instance, the second square in the last row is for a winter walk or hike - if it's storming outside or you're in an area where it is not safe to do this (e.g., weather advisory, shelter-in-place, etc.), then skip this one and stay indoors. Be safe. Also, for some of the activities listed in the boxes, particularly the physical ones, please consult with your physician or health care provider before starting, if and as appropriate, and adjust accordingly.
• Focus on one activity per week vs. one per day. We have BIC'ers who engage in wellness activities in some form every day, some more than one activity in a day. We also have BIC'ers who are starting out on their wellness journey or are coming back to self-care. There's be different objectives for each of us; make this work for you. If there's an activity in a square that you've been eyeing for whatever reason and you want to focus on that for the week, focus on working towards that activity for one day, two days, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 for the week. If there's another activity that piques your interest, give that a try for another week. 

⏲  The time periods for certain activities included here are arbitrary.

• For example, the third square in the first row is for "Exercise (20 minutes)" - if you want or can do more than a 20 minutes, go for it. If you're starting out or if you're crunched for time, aim for 5 minutes and work up from there, when, if, and as appropriate for you.
• Same with the "Stretch (20 minutes)" in the third row, second square.
• If you're starting out or are aware of certain conditions that may make either a more challenging effort, please discuss these activities your physician or health care provider before starting.

🤔  Wondering about the activities mentioned in the squares this month? Click on this link for a more detailed description of the wellness activities here - December Wellness Bingo Activities

Looking forward to another month of wellness bingo. Be well this holiday season, BIC! 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Yay 😁 thanks for doing this @itsfi  it really is inspiring to hear from everyone ❤️

[itsfi]

100% agree @peculiarzmakeup! I've picked up lots of new things from hearing how people earned their bingo squares. And yes, the motivation to keep at it has been great! 👍

[blackkitty2014]

Okie I’m in @itsfi 😂🤣😘

[itsfi]

Yaaaay! 😍 Excited to see and hear about what your self care looks like this season @blackkitty2014. Happy holidays!

[itsfi]

A little more detail of the activity described in each box for December Wellness.

ROW 1 (from left to right)

🍵  Warm & Cozy Drink - Treat yourself to a warm drink - Coffee? Tea? Hot water with lemon? Hot cocoa? Apple cider? Mulled wine? Something a little more ... spirited? Slow things down a little bit and cozy up with a warm drink. Show us your drink of choice here or on the What’s in your cup? thread.

📣  Speak Kindly To Yourself - Be kind(er) to yourself about yourself and express that kindness to yourself, be it aloud, as part of your inner monologue, in writing, or otherwise. 

Sometimes we’re our own worst critique. For some, speaking kindly to ourselves will be easier said than done.  For others, this act of self-care, self-compassion will not require as much effort, whether it's second nature to them or they've found ways to go about this that is authentic, realistic and balanced to who they are. There can be something in this for everyone - whether it’s giving yourself kudos or a pat on the back for something you accomplished, or redirecting certain self critiques into more balanced or positive ones. Whether it involves baby steps to get to a place where this feels more natural or less awkward or uncomfortable or whether it’s trying different techniques for practicing this form of self-care, this square is yours for the taking. You got this! We’ve got this!

💃  Excercise - running, walking, cycling, yoga, pilates, dancing, tai chi, weights, skiing, play basketball, rock climbing, swimming, etc. Be sure to consult with your physician or health care specialist before undertaking a workout and make any necessary modifications, if and as appropriate. 

🚰  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate - get in your daily recommended intake of water, be it 8 glasses a day or half your body weight, etc.

🕯  Aromatherapy - Light a candle to fill a room with your favorite scent - maybe while you're reading for leisure or having some quiet time or stretching - ooooh, multi-tasking and an opportunity to check off multiple boxes with this wellness challenge. Use a diffuser or spritz your favorite fragrance on your pulse points, so many different ways to create a mood for yourself.

ROW 2

🗑  Declutter - Do you have a pile of papers, makeup, something else that needs to be sorted through and decluttered? Start making a dent in that pile and spend 5, 10, or 15 minutes (or more) during the week organizing and decluttering. Every little bit helps.

📓  Quiet Time / Meditation / Journal - Carve out time for yourself, alone. Not to get to the things on your 'to do' list or to spend time with others. Set aside some time that's truly for yourself. To journal, to meditate, to just be still. 

🥑  Fruits & Veggies: Eat (or Drink) Them - Get in your fruits and veggies - fruit salad, 100% juice, salad, smoothie, etc. For some of us, this might mean starting out small and working towards our daily recommended servings and for others of us, it may something we already do. 

✋ Pay It Forward - Help others without expecting anything in return. Some examples (just examples) include:

• Donating clothes, toys, toiletries, canned goods to the local shelter or charitable organization
• Volunteering
• Paying for a stranger's coffee
• Leaving extra quarters at the laundromat
• Writing and sending a message (card, note, email, text, etc.) to someone who made a difference in your life
• Running an errand(s) for a busy friend, family member, coworker
• Donating blood

🎨  Arts / Crafts / Hobbies - Draw, color, knit, crochet, take photos, garden (remember to dress for the cold weather, ad remember SPF), visit a museum, cooking/baking, learning a different language, DIY projects, decorating the house, etc.

ROW 3 

🙏  Practice Gratitude - Notice and appreciate the small things. Or, start or end (or both), identifying something or someone for which/whom you are grateful - say it aloud. Or, write it in a journal. Or, share with others, or with the person for whom you are grateful.

🌼  Stretch (20 minutes) - Whether it's flexing and extending your whole body or concentrating on certain parts of your body, spend some time in the morning, evening or throughout the day, stretching. 

😍  FREE SPACE - This can be either a free square for the day or a square for whatever activity serves as self-care for you.

🛌  Prioritize sleep - There are a host of ways to prioritize sleep, including:

• Get on a consistent schedule (or start one) - try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
• Limit screen time or avoid it altogether before bed
• Set up a pre-sleep ritual - listen to relaxing/soothing music while going through your oral hygiene routine (e.g. Brushing your teeth, flossing, mouthwash) - if you're interested, post your music of choice to the 🎶✨Song of the Day and Music Thread!✨🎶 and/or your wind down routines to the Habit Stacking Thread 📚.

⛅  Get outdoors (and remember your SPF) - but stay inside if it's not safe for you to be outdoors. Be safe. If your outdoor activity is photo-friendly, take a pic and share it with us here and/or at the Nature Walks and The Beautiful Outdoors photos 🌿🌷🏞  thread.

ROW 4 

⏳  Digital Detox Before Bed (20 minutes) - Turn off and set aside your electronics - phone, computer, TV, etc. - for 20 minutes before calling it a night. An exception - if you listen to an audiobook or use apps like Headspace as part of your wind down or to help you sleep, no need to stop doing those activities. 

🌻  Try or Do something new to you - Has there been something you've been meaning to try or do? Taking up a new hobby? Learning a new language? Trying out the new coffee shop / wine bar / restaurant in town? Learning a new makeup technique? Getting one of the beauty services at Sephora? For that latter one, you may want to check out other Community members' experiences with these services on the Sooooo... How did it go? The Beauty Studio Service Thread. And if you take part in any of the services, please share about your experience!

🤔  Reflect - Take some time to look back on the highs and lows of this year. The prompts below are simply examples of what you might reflect on. 

• What do I feel most proud of this year?
• What lessons did I learn this year that I want to take with me into the next?
• What activities, habits, routines brought me the most joy and fulfillment? Peace? Calm?
• What habits or behaviors should I let go of or change because they are no longer serving me?
• What challenges did I experience this year? How did I work towards (or how am I working towards) overcoming them?
• What 3 words would I use to describe my year?

📖  Read for leisure / Listen to audiobook or podcast (20 minutes) - if it was a book or audiobook, consider sharing your thoughts on the book (without spoiling it) on the BIC book club! thread. 

🌺  Spend Quality Time With Your Loved Ones - be it a significant other, or friends, family (the ones we're born into and/or the ones we choose), your fur babies. If your fur babies are not camera-shy, think about sharing a pic of them on the Pet Paradise thread.

ROW 5

🌿 Mask Time - so many different masks out there for some R&R "me" time. 

• Hair mask?
• Face mask?
• Overnight mask?
• Sheet mask?
• Hand mask?
• Foot mask?
• A combination of all these masks?

🏞  Winter Walk or Hike -  Ahhhh, fresh air! If it's safe to do so, head outside for a leisurely walk (or a fast one) or a hike. Depending on where you live, bundle up - it's a little crisp (and possibly wet) outside this time of year. 

💖  Treat Yourself - How do you treat yourself? Is it one of the activities mentioned in this wellness challenge? Is it a different activity? Or, maybe it involves a food treat or a purchase of some sort? 🛍 If the latter, think about also sharing your haul on the December "🎶Deck the HAULS with boughs of Haul-ies!🎶" 🎁2024 hread.

🥕 Make a Dish with Seasonal Veggies - So many great seasonal vegetables this time of year. Whether it's part of a main dish or side,  consumed as a snack or as a smoothie or juice, or used in soup or salad, incorporate your favorite seasonal vegetable(s) (or try one that's new to you) into a meal. Feel up for sharing a pic of your creation or even a recipe? Swing by the Re: What's on your plate? thread to share your delicious dish. 

🎉 Resolutions - 2025 is just around the corner! Make one or two goals / resolutions you're aiming to work towards and achieve in the new year. Could be related to self-care, beauty, work, physical health, etc.

[ather]

@itsfi  Omg! I love the minions!!!! Let’s play bingo!!!!! 

[itsfi]

I’m excited to hear how everyone gets their bingo squares @ather; love learning new things.

[Titian06]

Thanks for the tag in the November thread, @itsfi !  I had an appointment with my urologist last week.  I passed a kidney stone earlier this year.  She said to drink 80 to 100 oz. of water a day plus add lemon or lime juice one to two times a day.  The citric acid dissolves kidney stones and keeps them from forming.  (I've never had one before.)

BTW, there are no seasonal fruits and veggies after November until next April in my neck of the woods.

[itsfi]

I did not know about the benefit of citric acid on kidney stones @Titian06; interesting. Adding lemon or lime to water adds a lovely zest. I like to add different fruits and/or herbs to my water and love coming up with / learning about different combinations. I usually aim for 64 oz - 100 oz per day but if my intake is more than that, I try to also have a glass of mineral water or something with electrolytes in it, like coconut water. 

Any fruits and veggies, seasonal or otherwise, are good, and if you have favorites this time of year, even better!