Wellness In Progress: February 2025

[itsfi]

Hey there, BIC! The February BWell board is up!  🎉  For a brief description of the wellness activities listed in the squares, check out this link --> February 2025 BWell Activities.  

If you're new or this is the first time participating, welcome!! The activities change from month-to-month, some reflecting seasonal shifts and others made to switch things up and add a new take or approach to self-care into our efforts.

Practicing wellness is a process, one that takes time and effort. Sometimes it's about finding what works for you, while other times, it's all about hitting your stride and maintaining your routine. We have our good days ... and our bad ones. Self-care can be a very personal effort - what works for one person may not work for someone else. And, that's okay. It doesn't hurt to have some support and encouragement along the way. Or just knowing that there are others working towards wellness. Wellness takes work. Let's do the work together, BIC!

▶️  How To Play - There are many different ways to take part in this wellness challenge. 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 and can select which activities you want to engage, choosing at random or thoughtfully deciding which activity/square you want to undertake.
  
  
• You can aim to do 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. OR
  
  
• You can just go about your day picking one activity to engage in 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 this approach!

⚠️  Make Adjustments As Needed - We are all at different stages of our wellness / self-care journey. While it can 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 one that you should not engage in, make the adjustments you need to, or just skip that square altogether.

• Be Safe. Consider weather conditions and your health and physical condition before engaging in any activities listed. For activities you're unsure of, especially the physial ones, before starting an activity, consult with your physician or health care professional before make any adjustments, if and as appropriate.

• Duration For Activities. As you will see, some activities include in parenthesis a time period. These are arbitrary and should be taken as a suggestion. If you are able to safely spend more time performing the activty, go for it. If it's better to start out with a shorter time period, do so. If you're starting out or are aware of certain conditions that may make it more challenging to engage in the activity listed, please discuss with your physician or health care provider before starting, and adjust accordingly.

Looking forward to another month of working together towards wellness! 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thank you so much! Yeah it’s definatley nice to spend time with family! @PrettyPaint 

[itsfi]

Woohoo!!! Congrats on BINGO @peculiarzmakeup! You did it in style!

Beautiful poem - so meaningful. Thank you for sharing; what a gift you have. 

Oh my goodness, that crystal you gifted your grandma - the winter pom beanie and the Starbucks mug are soooo cute!!! 😍

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thank you so much! And haha she loves it I used to buy too many crystals she didn’t like that but she gave me an approval on this one ✅ it’s too cute. It felt nice to share my poem! Thanks for starting this incredible challenge @itsfi 

[AMK721]

I'm so glad I found this thread 💖. I'm having a sad day and need some pick-me-up. I don't know if it's the weather, lack of sunshine, stress, or a combination of just everything. Does anyone else ever have those days when you want to go back to bed or have a good cry? 🙁

[AMK721]

Thank you @itsfi @peculiarzmakeup @makeitup305 @danielledanielle @PrettyPaint I appreciate you so much.

[itsfi]

How adorable is that gif?!!!! Great to hear from you @AMK721! I hope you have a fabulously fun and uplifting weekend! 

[makeitup305]

@AMK721 I call it my "blue" days. They usually coincide with my period coming in a few days later and every time it does I'm like "ooohhh that makes sense". I usually cuddle up and listen to some sad music if I'm feeling extra mopey or I'll try to cheer myself up with a comfort show (Parks and Rec or something similar) or a comfort book (one I've read multiple times and can just skip to my favorite parts). Hope the rest of your week is better.

[peculiarzmakeup]

Parks and Rec is the absolute best!!!! @makeitup305 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Self care day, take it easy. Some days are just so difficult im there with you. Do a little of all your favorite things ❤️ @AMK721 

[danielledanielle]

@AMK721, hang in.  We're here with you.

I've been calling them "crash outs"....I think that's what the kids call it now (which also means now that I say it, it's officially not called that 😂).  Yesterday, I just stopped mid convo with hubbs and closed my eyes and just leaned my head back. Like I was trying to take a nap, but standing.   He said it was like watching an app error/app freeze and that's essentially what it feels like.  I'll have those a few times throughout a day.  I think the combo of things you noted just wears on a person, and the fatigue is expressed in whatever way you're going.

[PrettyPaint]

@AMK721 I'm so sorry you had a sad day yesterday. I hope today is better for you so far. I definitely do have days when I want to go back to bed or have a good cry. I'm not so good at sleeping, so that's usually not an option! 🙂 I hope you were able to take care of yourself and do something comforting or relaxing. A glass of wine does sound quite nice. 

[itsfi]

@AMK721, hugs incoming!!!

"Does anyone else ever have those days when you want to go back to bed or have a good cry?"  Yes, those days are hard, all over - mind, body, soul. Some days, having that good cry would feel a little better; there'd be a release.  I don't know what is causing all the blaaaaahhhh for you; I'm so sorry you are feeling it. Keeping you close in my thoughts. 

Pouring a warm drink to have with you virtually.

Lemme know if you prefer something else - ice cream, chocolate, something stronger than the warm drink ... 😅

[AMK721]

@itsfi THANK YOU so much 🤗, you are so sweet, and your message put a smile on my face. I think I'll take a long, hot bath and do a face mask tonight. I may or may not indulge in some wine 🍷

[itsfi]

Love your gif @AMK721 ! Your plan sounds like a phenomenal way to give yourself some much needed care. I hope your evening brings peace and calm to your heart and mind, and restores your spirit. 

I cannot let you drink alone so I shall have a glass of wine, too. The hard part (but one of the fun parts) will be choosing which bottle to open up. Decisions, decisions!!! 🍷

[ather]

@itsfi  I love this! The pay it forward is my fav!!’  I can’t wait to check everything off! 

[itsfi]

Awwww, @ather, it makes me smile that pay-it-forward is your fave! It makes sense - you have an extraordinarily kind heart. 

[itsfi]

We're taking a slightly different focus in February on our self-care activtives - self-care through the 5 senses - sight, sound, smell, taste & touch. Well, for the most part. Some of these self-care activities are well associated with certain senses, while others may either involve more than one of the senses. You'll recognize most of these wellness activites, though some will be new or modified ever so slightly from a previous self-care activity. 

👁= Sight 

👂= Sound  

👃= Smell

👄= Taste 

🖐= Touch 

NOTE: If going outside isn't an option (for any reason or no reason at all), please adjust the self-care activity to accordingly. 

FIRST ROW:

• Movie - Book - Art - Photos: Indulge in some self-care by giving yourself a "time out" and spending it watching a movie / TV show, reading a book, looking at art or photographs - be it pictures you've taken or ones by a professional. Or, take a trip down memory lane and look back at old photos. [👁]

• ** Check-in with a friend FOCUS: Them: This is ideally done in a face-to-face meeting, over Zoom / Face Time, etc, or over the phone. It can involve coffee, a meal, a shopping trip, a mani/pedi, a workout, or a walk outside. The focus is on your friend - focusing on them, how they're really doing, etc.  Sometimes we can care for ourselves by caring for others. [👂 though other senses may be involved, depending on how you go about checking in with a friend] ** = see note below

• Aromatherapy: Light a candle; get out those wax melts; diffuse some essential oils; spritz yourself or your space with a perfume / room fragrance. Consider sharing your thoughts on the fragrance on the Home fragrance thread 🕯️💐🏠 orFragrance Junkie Central thread. [👃]

• Warm & Cozy Drink: Not sure what the forecast will be for this winter, but I'm pretty sure that for most of North America, it'll still be cold; and for some, extremely cold. Make or treat yourself to something warm and cozy. [👄]

• Exercise (20 minutes): Let's get movin' peeps! However, and whenever you can. Adjust to your physical condition. Please be mindful of your limits and be safe. [🖐]

** Checking in with a friend and sharing about how you/they are doing can involve sensitive information and for the check-in with these squares (or any of the squares on the board), it's fine to say "Done!!" or "Did It!" or "Check!" 

SECOND ROW:

• Get Outdoors (remember sunblock): Get outside and enjoy your surroundings. [👁] [NOTE: if it's not safe for you to go outdoors, find a spot in your house by the window to sit (maybe with a warm and cozy drink) and look out at what beauty is just outside your window] 

• Digital Detox before bed (30 minutes): Unplug from your electronic devices for at least 30 minutes before it's time to turn off the lights and call it a night (unless you use them to unwind - i.e., audiobooks, Kindle, apps like Headspace, etc.).  If 30 minutes seems too much, start out with 5 minutes or 10, whatever you're comfortable with.  [👂 Sound, ideally the sound of silence 😅]

• Self-care: Your Way: We each have a thing or things that ground, refresh and recharge us; activities that heal us. Do that thing. 

• Enjoy a childhood favorite: Did you have a favorite food, dessert or snack when you were a kid? Treat yourself to it. Or, was there a game you enjoyed playing or an activity that brought you a lot of joy (i.e., playdoh, coloring, etc.) [This could fit into any of the 5 senses, or possibly, more than one.] 

• Pay It Forward: "Paying it forward" involves doing a good deed for someone else, with no expectation to receive anything in return. There are several ways to pay it forward, including: 

          - Being courteous: Let someone go in front of you in line - at the store, on the road; return someone else's shopping cart

          - Being grateful: Be grateful for the kindness of others; for some of us, it may also mean accepting help from others

          - Being generous: Offer to help with errands or chores; sharing your knowledge or skillset, 

          - Being kind: Offer (a sincere & meaningful) compliment, actively listen to someone when they're speaking

          - Being positive: Offer kind or encouraging words to someone

          - Donating: Donate blood, your time, money, goods to a charity; canned food to your local food bank

          - Volunteering: Volunteer at local animal shelter, soup kitchen, your place of worship, a retirement home, 

As much as I love hearing people share about how they paid it forward, I completely understand that tooting our own horn may not be the most comfortable thing to do so if you prefer not to go into detail with how you checked off this square, it's fine to just say "done" or to simply mark the square to show that it was done.

[🖐 (and possibly other senses): You may or may not see the impact of your action(s) in paying it forward, but chances are that the recipient of that kindness will be touched by your words/deeds.]

Description of activities continued here - Description of Self-Care Activities - Rows 3 thuru 5

[itsfi]

THIRD ROW: 

• Practice Gratitude: There are many different ways to practice gratitude - saying "thank you" or letting someone know in an email, text in person, etc., that you are grateful/thankful for them or something they did. Or, write in your journal about something or someone you are grateful for. Or, making an effort to be (more) mindful of the good things in life - life can be hard and practicing gratitude may take an extra bit of effort; or, there may be days, weeks, months, when it may be something that's a work in progress and the square is marked off for taking baby steps towards that. [Depending on the activity, there can be one or more of the senses involved]

• ** Check in with a friend FOCUS: You: Yep, your turn to share about you. It's like the second square in the first row, but it's all about YOU.  [👂, but could involve other senses depending on the medium used for checking in with a friend.]  ** = see note at end of this post

• Free Space: It's all about YOU again. But this time, you get to choose how to make it about you. You can just take the free space and mark off the square. Or, you can do or redo another wellness activity. Or, you can do something that makes you happy or treat yourself to something you love!

• Seasonal fruits & veggies: Get in your daily recommended value of fruit & veggies, seasonal ones if that's doable. [👄]

• Mask Time: Show your face, hands, feet, hair, and/or body some TLC with a mask. If you're so inclined, post your mask and feedback on it to the 💖 Home Spa Day 🦄 What does your routine look like? or 💕😌 2024 Masking Challenge 😌💖thread. Incorporate a beauty tool into your routine and share about your experience on the It's Tool Time - The BIC Beauty Edition thread! One of our fabulous BIC beauties mentioned that she put on a mask and sipped on a cup of coffee while waiting for her mask to do its thing - that sounds so relaxing! Thank you for sharing that @ather! [🖐] 

FOURTH ROW:

• Be kind to yourself: For the last few months, our BWell square has focused on "speak(ing) kindly" to ourselves. This has a bit of a broader reach. What does it look like to "be kind" to yourself? Is it treating yourself to a coffee? French fries? Ice cream? A mani/pedi? A facial? Is it not doing work while eating your lunch? Is it setting healthy/healthier boundaries, articulating them clearly and kindly, and sticking with them? Is it saying 'no' to a night out with friends so you can say 'yes' to a night in for yourself? Is it slowing down, taking the time to hit 'pause' (and really pausing), taking a deep breath and and exhaling? Is it spending 5 extra minutes in the shower under the warm spray of water? Is it sitting down to slowly sip your cup of coffee/tea instead of rushing out the door with it in hand? What does it look like for you to be kind to yourself? Give yourself permission to do that; and then, do it. You got this. And you deserve it! 

• Quiet Time - Meditate - Journal - Breathe: Sometimes we just need to quiet things down, slow things down. To be quiet, to meditate, to journal, to just breathe. Carve out 5 minutes, just 5 minutes and give it a try. If you can do more than 5 minutes, go for it. If the thought of being still or quiet for 5 minutes causes anxiety to creep up on you, aim for 1 minute to begin with, 30 seconds if a minute is too much. [👂👁]

• Use scented bath & body products (unless you're sensitive or allergic to fragrance): Slow down a little to appreciate the fragrance in your body care products and spend some time massaging your hands, arms, legs as you work the product into your skin. It may be too cold outside to take time to smell the flowers, so we'll take time to smell our scented bath & body products. 😅 [👃🖐]

• Try or Do Something New-To-You: Has there been something you've been wanting to try? A new recipe? A new restaurant? A new hair cut or color? Or something you've wanted to do? Like getting an in-store makeup application with this season's trending looks? Or checking out the films nominated for this year's Oscars? Or participating in one of the fabulous threads on BIC that you just haven't gotten around to? Or picking up on or developing your hand at a new-to-you hobby or a hobby you've recently started?  

• Stretch (20 minutes): Stretching can help with improving muscle tone, alleviating pain, and increasing flexibility. Take 20 minutes to stretch out your entire body, from head to toe. Or, spend the time focusing on 2-3 body parts - focusing on hands, neck and shoulders can do wonders for those who spend a good chunk of their days in front of a computer. Does your work involve a lot of standing or are you driving a lot? Focus on your legs, quads and hamstrings.  If 20 minutes seems too long, start off with 10 minutes of stretching. [🖐]

FIFTH ROW: 

• Create: With your hands. Your words. Your voice. Drawing, sketching, knitting, crocheting. Writing music, poetry. Painting. Coloring. Taking Photos. Creating a Look / Doing Your Makeup. A new or new-to-you meal or dish. [Several senses can be involved]

• Music - Audiobook - Podcast - Nature: Whether it's for relaxation, stress reduction, or to inspire, empower and uplift, incorporate some music into your days and feel free to share 🎶✨Song of the Day and Music Thread!✨🎶. Or listen to an audiobook or podcast. Or (weather and other factors permitting) get in some fresh air and take in the sights and sounds that nature has to offer. [👂, and possibly 👁 and 👃]

• Have a healthy meal: Make, order in, or pick up a healthy dish or meal for you (and your family). It could be a side of veggies, and entree, or a healthy snack. [👄, possibly 👃]

• Hydrate: Whether your water intake requirements are 8-glasses a day, half-your-body-weight or another metric, get in that water! Drink it warm or cold; with or without ice plain; with a slice of lemon, or herbs, or both. Or jazz it up with some water drops. Or reach for some coconut water or electrolyte infused water. Keep and maintain healthy hydration levels by sipping on water throughout your day. [👄]

• Body Care: Find a part of your body, from head to toe, to shower some TLC upon. A few ideas include: getting a massage (for one area of your body or a full body massage); exfoliate yourself from head to toe - with a dry brush or shower scarf, or using a scrub or a body serum or lotion with a chemical exfoliant; moisturizing your skin; wearing sunblock; getting a mani and/or pedi; going to the gym; stretching; exercising; using one of the tools or extra indulgence items mentioned in the 2025 Skincare Check-In Challenge: Week 4 - Indulging in body care thread. [🖐; could also involve other senses]

** Checking in with a friend and sharing about how you/they are doing can involve sensitive information and for the check-in with these squares (or any of the squares on the board), it's fine to say "Done!!" or "Did It!" or "Check!" 

[ather]

@itsfi  This is awesome 🤩 Can’t wait to see what everyone checks off! 

[itsfi]

Thank you @ather! Looking forward to hearing about how everyone goes about self-care this month!