Wellness In Progress: November 2024

[itsfi]

Hey there, BIC! I don't know about you, but keeping up (or even just doing) things for my own wellness or self-care can slide off my radar or just get pushed aside for some other activity. That happens even more often at the end of the year and with the holidays.

Here we have a game of wellness bingo for November. I thought it would be a fun way to try to keep at it, or to keep it top of mind, by making a little game of it. I also thought this might be a good way to get a leg up on resolutions for the new year. Wellness takes work - let's do the work together, BIC!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

🌻  There are a couple of ways to participate. You can aim every week (or every month) to try to check off a different 5-boxes in a row - vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. OR, to add a different take to this wellness challenge, you can use this sheet to see how many boxes you can check off this month. Those are just 2 ways to participate; I'm sure there are other ways and if there's an approach that you find works better for you to get in a little more self care, more regularly, please do share! 

BONUS CHALLENGE: This challenge is certainly one you can do on your own. It's also something we can take part in together! Share about the activities you did to earn each square. I love hearing from this Community - I learn about new things I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Or, share challenges or questions.

🎀  We are all at different stages of our wellness / self-care journey. I'm not at expert at all at this 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 the activity. For instance, the first square is to take a walk outside - if it's storming outside or you're in an area where it is not safe to walk outside (e.g., weather advisory, shelter-in-place, etc.), then skip this one and stay indoors. Be safe. For some of these activities, particularly the physical ones, please consult with your physician or health care provider before starting, if and as appropriate. 

⏲  The time periods I included are arbitrary - if you want or can do more than a 10 minute walk outside, go for it. If you're starting out or if you're crunched for time, aim for 5 minutes and work up when, if and as appropriate for you.

🗒  Wondering about the activities mentioned in the squares? Check this out - Wellness In Progress: November 2024 - Activity Summary

[ather]

@blackkitty2014  Wow great job! Digital detox is so hard!!! 

[blackkitty2014]

Thx you @ather @peculiarzmakeup @itsfi . Last half of October til mid Nov was rough for me. I’m glad i was able to do a little bit at a time since Itsfi posted and they added up.

[ather]

@blackkitty2014  I hope things just get better and better for you!! 😌

[peculiarzmakeup]

Amazing wellness bingos! I love the idea of having structure before bed or whenever a digital detox is going on as someone who works from home it can definatley be tricky my phones always there haha 🤣 I also work off it. It sounds like you had a great week! Happy to hear you have some time off to relax! @blackkitty2014 

[itsfi]

Woo hoo @blackkitty2014 🎉 You got BINGO twice - look at you go! 🙌 You're so close on a couple others as well. Impressive. 

Oh, hear ya on the reading front; I have a book that I'm close to finishing and I want to finish it, but I've just been inching along when it comes to giving more time to reading. Maybe today - it's pouring rain right now; a cup of tea and a book sounds fitting. 🍵📚

[ather]

Today I can check off:

Stay hydrated: I brought 2 water bottles to work and finished both of them today at work! This should count!!!

Exercise: On my lunch break I did a 40 minute spin class and after supper I did 50 minutes on my stair climber! 

Foot care: I have been taking care of my heels in preparation for my upcoming vacation and I put some heel balm on with my silicone heel socks! I love how the Olive and June heel balm works so well and the socks keep the moisture in while I’m sleeping and I wake up with soft heels!! 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Amazing job! Spin classes are super fun in glad to hear it was a good time, I’m also a fan of the stairmaster it’s tough! Great job hydrating! And foot care sounds like you have a great regimin! @ather 

[ather]

@peculiarzmakeup  Thank you!! 😊 I’m trying to keep busy!! 

[Mellmars1185]

@ather Wellness Wednesday! You had such a productive day of self care! I hope you feel amazing about it! Hydration, and heel care are things you should be proud of! Your description of your heel care and balm sounds lovely. It is intriguing me to try Olive and June.

[ather]

@Mellmars1185  It is so good! I also love the Olive and June nail polish! The heal balm is the star! My heels get so dry so it helps my heels stay hydrated and smooth! 

[itsfi]

Wow! Look at you go @ather! Ohhh, I used to love spin class - such a great workout! I got my water in too today, yaaay! 💦 

[caitbird]

This past week, I have continued to work in wellness tasks from this challenge as I'm able to - some repeats of the previous week, and some new ones as well. Some tasks that I was hoping to get to this week are still on the to-do list, but overall, I'm happy with my progress so far. And I am excited to say that this week...

I got a Bingo! 😃

Here are the boxes I have checked off so far this month:

Some of these I have done repeatedly, even every day (like stay hydrated) while others I've only done once (so far), like journaling. New since I last posted in this thread last week:

• 

  Journal time - it is an eventual goal of mine to work my way up to journaling daily, but for now I'm just counting it as a win whenever I manage to make time for an entry. I had a nice journaling session tonight.

• Try/do something new - when I went out to dinner with my family this past Friday at a local Mexican restaurant, I tried a new-to-me dish for dessert, sopapillas (fried tortillas with cinnamon sugar and honey - they were delicious and very decadent!). I know trying a new dessert is not exactly adventurous, but that's about the extent of my comfort zone most days 😅
• Free space - pet cuddles! There are tons of studies on the beneficial effects of spending quality time with animals, and some Fabian & Frida and/or Sunny time always makes my day better, so I'm counting this as self care. Here are the gremlins (affectionate) snuggled up on my feet right now:
• Get a good night's sleep - I struggle with chronic insomnia and have ever since high school, even with medication, so this task is often a difficult one for me. But the other day I had the day off and was able to sleep in, and it was just what I needed. I felt so well rested, it was amazing!
• Practice gratitude - I try to remember to be grateful every day for the good things in my life,  both big and small, and not take the people in my life or my own good fortune for granted. That being said, it's definitely a mindset that takes ongoing, intentional work (at least for me, anyway). Today I posted a few things I'm grateful for in the Gratitude Thread! 🙂  that I started a while back, and I hope to make this a regular part of my routine going forward.
• Be kind to yourself - like practicing gratitude, this is something that takes ongoing, intentional work for me. I often struggle with low self esteem, negative self-image and negative self-talk, so it's something I definitely need to work on. I am working on having patience with myself and giving myself grace when I don't reach my goals or meet my own expectations for myself, or when I experience a setback. I try to remember that what's done is done and in the past, and what matters most is how I move forward from here. Failure or one mistake or misstep doesn't have to be the end of the world, and every year, month, week, day and moment is a chance for a fresh start. It's definitely a work in progress and some days are better for this than others, but I do better with it than I used to.
• I am giving myself half credit for both get outdoors, and catch up with a friend. First, because I did get outdoors the other day; it was a beautiful, perfect sunny fall day and I was pet sitting for my neighbors, so I hung out in their yard with their sweet senior cat - he's my lil buddy and I love him - but I had to take points off because I didn't remember SPF 😭🙈 Second, because in the past week I've reached out to a few old friends, but haven't heard back yet, so the actual catching up hasn't actually happened, but hopefully it will soon!

This ended up being a really long update, oops 😅 if you read through all that, here's a 🍪!

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thank you for the 🍪😄! Excellent progress. I can totally relate to what you spoke to in the category Be Kind to Yourself. It sounds like you are on the right track girl! It helps to have the support of this wonderful community. Give your kitties a hug for me!

[itsfi]

@Mellmars1185, I love that @caitbird gives us cookies! 😍 And great ideas and inspo for our own self care practice. 

[peculiarzmakeup]

Amazing bingo! I love your practices you notice that you do each day. That journal is so cute, I think it’s a great goal to write each day or whenever something flows. Your free space is too cute I love animals and how they bring such sweetness to every occasion. That sounds fun to go out and experience yummy food. Love your gratitude practice. I can relate to being kind to oneself, you are amazing I love to read your post you have such profound insight. Congrats on your bingo and your wellness week, very much enjoyed reading your thoughts and seeing your photos. ❤️❤️😊 @caitbird 

[caitbird]

@peculiarzmakeup  thank you so much! 💜 I am glad you enjoyed it 😊

[itsfi]

That dancing cat gif is super cute, as are your real kitties lying on your feet - they look so comfy and happy, @caitbird! Such a great read of your BINGO activities - it made me smile to read that you had a nice journal session. And that you were able to get in some quality sleep - that feeling of being well rested is such a gift! 

Trying a new dessert absolutely counts for trying something new. I love trying foods that are new to me, most of the time, but I understand that is not for everyone and that's cool that you stretched yourself and went for something you don't usually go for; kudos to you. Oh, I agree - self-care takes work. We each have things that come less easy or less natural to us than others when it comes to wellness. And that's okay. We take it bit by bit and it gets easier than before. A side step or a misstep happens - that's part of life. We live; we (hopefully) learn, and we keep moving.

Yaaaay for BINGO! 

[caitbird]

@itsfi  thank you so much! 💜 haha I was like "I gotta use a cat gif, gotta stay on brand"🤣

It's true that self care takes work and it's a constant work in progress and some days/weeks/months are better than others (at least for me...) but I love this challenge of yours, it's a great way to keep things fresh and fun and keep self care top of mind. And I love that you've included such a variety of activities in the different squares; at least for me, there is a nice mix of things I do regularly already and things that I might not have thought to do otherwise. So thanks again for creating this challenge! It's been a lot of fun to participate in 😊

[itsfi]

Thank you @caitbird! It's been a lot of fun hearing about what self care looks like for everyone and how people are earning their squares - I've learned a lot and just as you said, there are things I might not have otherwise thought to do and Iove having those new options because sometimes I can fall into a rut when it comes to certain wellness activities. I'm excited to work on some of the boxes this week and looking forward to keeping it up next month, too. Having some free time with the holiday weekend will give me some time to try out some of the new things I've picked up here!

[fatimamummy]

This is a beautiful and thoughtful thread idea @itsfi . Last week I downloaded the template and decided before intentionally trying to do anything, it will be fun to see how many of these things I am already doing in my regular routine. I checked many boxes and yet no full line in any direction. I guess I need to put some intentional effort to complete a full line.

 

I walk on treadmill every working day but outdoor walks need more effort and I'll try to figure out a way to go out at least once in a while. 

Mask time happens twice a week, this week it was Farmacy Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask on Tuesday and on Saturday a routine with  Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing + Exfoliating Energy Facial with Enzymes + Niacinamide 2....  followed by OSEA Red clay mask and finished with KYPRIS Cerulean for the duration of watching "Hot Frosty" on Netflix for family movie night which by the way turned out to be a rather boring movie.

Most of other things are just a part of my regular day or night like when kids are in bed, I spend a couple of hours just by myself, taking time for my night time skincare routine that includes hand and foot care, Somedays I read , somedays I watch photography videos on YouTube and most days my guilty pleasure "K Drama" 

Exercise and stretches are also a part of my post physio routine. What actually took some effort was to be kind to myself. It doesn't come naturally so I had to put some effort for it. 

Music part also get covered naturally because I listen music during my time in gym. Good night sleep is a rare occurrence but this Friday somehow I slept like a rock and woke up late and well rested somewhere around mid day Saturday. 

[Mellmars1185]

@fatimamummy Wonderful wellness routines! It is great that you have already inclused many of these sqaures in your routine!