Wellness In Progress: January 2025

[itsfi]

2025 is literally just days away, BIC! Let's start off the year strong with making our health, wellness and self-care one of our priorities. We can make it fun, too, with another game of wellness bingo! 

Self-care can be a very personal thing - what works for one person may not work for someone else. Practicing wellness is a process - it takes time and effort. We have our good days and bad days - moments when we are thriving; and others, where we need to pause, take a deep breath (or multiple ones, for that matter), and reset. But even as our self-care journey is a personal matter, support, encouragement and just knowing there's something there doesn't hurt. 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, 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. OR
• 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!

🗒  Monthly Self-Care Activities:

• 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. 
• For a more detailed description of the activities in each of the squares above, click on this link ➡️ January 2025 Wellness Bingo Activities
• 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 some of the replies from other members of the Community in previous wellness challenge threads -Wellness In Progress: November 2024 and Wellness In Progress: December 2024.

🌟  Posting Your Self-Care Activities. 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 replying to this original post - with words, photos, and/or a pic of the bingo scorecard with the activity / activities you took part in crossed out. You can post weekly or at the end of the month, depending on your preference. We love hearing from the Community and have learned about new ways of doing things that we wouldn't have thought of otherwise. 

🎀  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. 

⏲  Duration for Certain Activities. 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, and adjust accordingly.

Excited for another month of wellness bingo, BIC. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year! 

[itsfi]

This was a beautiful read @peculiarzmakeup, and your photos are wonderful. 😍

How fun to go on a mini hike with your dad - that's some good quality time right there! Your love for your sister comes through in your posts - what a gift to help her and her friends become more aware of and develop their talents. 💞 

Yaaaay, I love hearing that you are getting some quality sleep. And, yes, winding down doesn't mean calling it a night and going to bed immediately. It's nice to slow things down and give your mind and body time to decompress, destress, etc. so that sleep can be more restorative.  Ohhhh, boundaries. So important to draw them and enforce them. And to not feel bad about it - that, I think, can be so much easier said than done. 

I'm sorry it's been a challenging couple of weeks. It's good that you've carved out time to process and reflect. Sending well wishes your way as we start a new week. 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Thank you so much 😊 ❤️ the beautifully designed prompts for the challenge are in my mind throughout the week I actually told my dad about the challenge he thinks it’s neat! Having these things in mind and experiencing them is so wonderful it’s a very enlightening challenge! And ahh yes I’m so with you on the boundaries. I really love these! And reading others! Sleep is so important. Thank you I hope you have a beautiful wellness week ahead ❤️ @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Week 2 - This past week's self-care activities are marked with a purple scarf in the photo of the wellness bingo  card above. In addition to the activities below, I've been making strides with being consistent with most of the activities from last week. 

Cook / eat a healthy meal: I made a large pot of veggie soup at the beginning of the week and had a bowl every night, with some variation each night - adding an egg one night; chicken another; having a salad with it yet another night, etc. 🍜

Quiet time / meditate / journal: After putting it off for a week, I sat myself down, lit a candle, made myself a cup of tea and spent some time journaling. ✍️ It's always been a good way for me to get things off my chest, to destress, to practice gratitude, etc. 

Listen to music: I've been listening to some instrumental music to help with relaxing as part of my winding down routine. 🎶

Free space: Last year, one of my goals was to work on self care through body work, in the form of monthly massages and am continuing with that practice this year, though not as a resolution/goal but more as maintenance. This past week I went to get a deep tissue massage and was pleased to learn that some of my alignment issues were looking much better - I've been doing some specific stretches during my digital detox / unwinding and that seems to have helped. 

Winter walk or hike:  It's less cold than it has been which makes it easier to spend more time outdoors. 

Declutter:  I went through and decluttered unopen backups of products I don't use anymore. I'll divvy up the products to donate to local shelter and the Red Cross.

Hair / scalp care: My hair has not taken too well to the majority of the pre-wash hair oils I've tried (they weigh my hair down adn take a lot of effort to wash out), so I picked up the Vegamour GRO Scalp Detox Clarifying Treatment for Dry, Flaky, Oily Scalp 3 fl oz/60 ml during last year's spring sale. It seems to work pretty well, my hair likes it more than pre-wash hair oils. I haven't been as consistent with it as I've liked and am looking at Pan It! - 2025 Challenge to help me make this a more regular part of my routine and, in turn, to help me make a proven assessment of whether this will be repurchased. 

[Samtian]

@itsfi Sounds like a great week! Deep tissue massage sounds very nice. 

[itsfi]

@Samtian, I love a good deep tissue massage. It's nice too when I go into it with less tightness than usual but that varies. This time, there were new areas that were troubling me - or maybe, they've always been there but were overshadowed by tightness/muscle tension in other areas. Anyhow, I really felt it the next day, in that "ohhhh, ouch; I'm sore (but in a good way)" 😲😆 It did force me to rest/sleep, hydrate and stretch more. 

[CynthieLu]

You've had a very productive week of wellness @itsfi 💓 

I love my veggies and a big pot of veggie soup sounds so good right now. I saw you shared your recipe with us too, thank you! 

It sounds like your doing well with your Digital detox at night? I try to practice this but it's not always easy. The Little peaceful steps your taking in the evening sound very calming. Music, tea, writting 💌 those just sound so soothing. 

[itsfi]

@CynthieLu, 100% agree - a digital detox before bed (or even during the day) can be such a challenge - I've been working on it with stop-and-re-start efforts and varied results for decades. Baby steps. It's finding what works for you in the particular stage in your life and the things you're managing at that time. 

Oh my goodness, one-pot soups are amazing! 🍜 The easier it takes to make something, the better! I have no problem spending a lot of time cooking for others but when it comes to just making sure I'm fed, I'm all for quick, easy and tasty. ☑️

[CynthieLu]

I feel the same @itsfi. Cooking for others I'm ready to go a full 9 yards, but if it's just me I want something with no fuss or huge effort. 

I'm definitely putting in a effort to be more electronic free in the evenings, but it is an on and off struggle for me as well. Some days unplugging feels so easy and right, and others it's harder to break away. I appreciate the encouragement, I am kinda taking a more chill approach to hopefully helpful lifestyle changes. The effort is there but I try to go at a slow build or try to be kind to myself as I go.

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi That's wonderful that your stretches have improved alignment issues. The veggie soup is a great idea! That sounds lovely in the cold weather. Did you follow a recipe or combine stuff you had on hand? I'm don't think my kids would be too enthusiastic about vegetable soup, but it sounds amazing to me. 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, I was really happy when I heard that my shoulder alignment looked a lot better. Phew. 

Oh, I love the one pot veggie soup and the multiple meals it can make. It's relatively quick and easy too - you can make it beforehand and reheat or make it on a school night. I sorta just use whatever veggies I have on hand, but the base veggies are carrots, onion, celery and tomatoes. It's gotten easier to make the more I make it. 

- olive oil (or any cooking oil)

- carrots 

- onion

- celery 

- tomatoes (fresh or canned)

- any other veggies on hand (fresh or frozen) - spinach, bok choy, green beans, peas, potatoes (but these will take longer to cook), corn, edamame beans, cabbage, summer squash, cauliflower, etc. This time I used spinach, green beans, and peas; the peas were frozen.

- herbs: again anything works, this time, I used dried and fresh herbs - parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves. The fresh herbs I add about 10 minutes before soup is done.

- dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)

- sea salt

- pepper

- chicken stock / broth

1.  Heat carrots, onions and celery with the olive oil on medium heat until they are soft and onions translucent

2.  Add dried herbs, minced garlic, salt, pepper and blend with the carrots, onions and celery.

3.  Add tomatoes

4.  Add broth and stir 

5.  Add additional veggies, as desired. 

6.  Cover pot slightly (or if your lid has a hole in it, then fully). Bring to boil and simmer until the veggies are tender. 

I can definitely see the kiddoes not being the biggest fan of veggies. To make it a little more enticing, sometimes I'll cook pasta in fun shapes and add that to the veggie soup - either pour the soup over the pasta in a bowl or include the pasta in the soup before serving. Another thing I've found helpful is to have them grate parmesan cheese onto their bowl of soup (with or without pasta). Something about them using the cheese grater themselves (with some help / supervision) makes it a little more fun. Just keep an eye on the littles though - they'll overwhelm the bowl with freshly grated cheese if they have a choice. Hahaha!

I've also served it with bread for kids or made croutons for them to add to the bowl of soup. Or crackers.

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thank you so very much for copying down this recipe. That looks amazing, especially the addition of fresh herbs. And I'm thrilled that it's a one pot recipe. My hands are so dry and cracked from the weather that I am trying to avoid unnecessary dish washing. I actually have some bok choy on hand, so this will be a great way to use it up. I think if I offer it to the kids, I'll definitely need to add some pasta. I love the parmesan cheese idea. My kids absolutely love parmesan (they would use an entire container for one meal if allowed), so I will definitely give that a try. Thank you! 🙂

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, you'll have to let us know how it goes ... and if the kids decided to try some soup. 😀 I really love the ease and convenience of this. I'm sure it's something others have done but it's a bit of a new-ish thing for me. I now make sure I have broth, a can of diced tomatoes and a bag of frozen veggies on hand at all times - I prefer having fresh veggies and herbs but this makes for a good and healthy just in case meal - for those days/nights when the fridge is bare or a grocery trip is on the "to do" list. It has made meal prep or just whipping something up so much easier. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi I actually tried it already!! Next time I'll need to get fresh herbs, but I was trying to use what I had on hand for the most part. I used carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, green beans, peas, some peppers, and I also threw in some red lentils to make it more filling. It was really yummy, and I will definitely make an effort to have ingredients on hand for nights when I have nothing to make. And my kids actually ate it - yay! I used the parmesan trick (thank you!), and they loved eating it with baguettes. I thought there would be tons of leftovers, but there's actually not a whole lot left! 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, that sounds delicious!! Yaaay, that's fantastic the kids dug in - ahhh, a baguette - kids love bread and cheese; well, come to think of it, adults, too! Very smart to include lentils - I'm making a note about that; it's nice to have ways to make soups more filling / heartier. I've been making cauliflower "rice" with that in mind - used that in lieu of pasta for my take on Italian wedding soup the other day. I love soups - filling, gets in my veggies, warms me up and easy to make! 😍 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Fantastic work! I love how you tracked your wellness for this week with a different emoji I think that’s such a great way to track things. I love when you said you made yourself tea and had reflection time and to practice gratitude. Your practices are very inspiring. I’m glad you were able to see things were up to date and get some decluttering done as well as some beautiful hair care I love Vegamour it’s one of my personal faves ❤️ great wellness week 🙂 @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Birds of a feather ... @peculiarzmakeup. 🤗 Your self care practices are amazing to read about - I love how you incorporate what you need for self-care with your every day - it makes it practical and sustainable. #inspirational 

I want to do better with journaling more regularly. It's a good one for me; I just need to tell myself that I don't have to write a novel each time. I say this but then when I start, sometimes a lot just rushes out and my hand has to keep up with all the thoughts coming out. 😂 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Aw thank you! I am very impressed by your journal entry trials this week I think the flow is so neccescary and helpful I always look at it like a puzzle and every piece is relevant and important I’m so glad you were able to do that this week along with all these other wonderful self care practices. It’s amazing to see everyone’s personal journeys on this thread whether it’s starting with a goal or continuing one! It’s certainly helped me to think of these things more thoughtfully and mindfully throughout the day I appreciate your attention to detail and beautiful imagery! Excited to see what comes next for you and everyone 🙂 ❤️ @itsfi 

[Shosh85]

Nice, @itsfi! You've accomplished so much this week!

Im intrigued by the Vegamour serum! I like that you can use it on dry or damp hair! Definitely seems like something worth checking into 👍

 I have the same question as @Mellmars1185, are you doing something different with your nails, or just simply letting them grow?! They look great, I am so jealous! 

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, the Vegamour serum has come in handy. My goal is to be consistent with alternating it with OUAI Detox Clarifying Shampoo with Apple Cider Vinegar every 7-10 days, though there's probably one week every month where I'll use both in the same week because my scalp / hair gets super oily. I've been massaging it in and out of the shower with the BREAD BEAUTY SUPPLY Scalp-Thingy: Scalp Massager - ny scalp massager would do, I like the handle on this one and that's it's called a "scalp-thingy". 🤣 

Growing out my nails, keeping them strong and long feels like a long journey. 😂 These are press-ons. I'm using them to keep the longer ones from breaking and same with the shorter ones. My actual thumb nail is close to the length of the press on and my index and pinky nails are to the point where I can see them against the press-ons. The other two nails ... they are staging a growth protest. 🙄 Starting last week, I've been tracking my nail strength and growth - and seeing what happens when there's a change in my nail care routine (provided I actually do a nail care routine) and when there's a change in my diet/food intake. They can get long if I'm careful with them - I can be pretty rough on my hands/nails so the length doesn't always last. Hoping I'll be better with my nail care.

[peculiarzmakeup]

@itsfi  The scalp massager is so helpful I’ve never seen this product it looks amazing to spread the product evenly! You learn something new everyday ❤️❤️ 

[itsfi]

@peculiarzmakeup, before I picked up the BREAD BEAUTY SUPPLY Scalp-Thingy: Scalp Massager, I probably would have wrote off similar products, but the scalp massager really is a good tool. Here are pics of both sides