Working Towards Wellness: February 2026

[itsfi]

Hello, BIC! I don't know about you, but self-care is always one of those things I know I should do, but some days are better than others when it comes to actually getting it done, or getting it done meaningfully. There's a lot going on, all around us. Some are good things, some are hard things, some are stressful. Some of those things are part of our every day, normal routines; some things are not normal at all. In either case, in all cases, it's important to take time, to make time, to look after our wellness. 

Wellness Bingo: February 2026

There are many ways to go about self-care, including this game of bingo. If you're new to wellness bingo (or BIC, for that matter), welcome! 👋 If you're returning for another month of wellness bingo here on BIC, welcome back! 🙌 As always, more information regarding wellness bingo as well as the self-care activities listed on this month's board can be found in the links below. 

FAQ's 

How to Play / How to Post

Description of Activities

• Row 1 & 2 Activities
• Row 3 & 4 Activities
• Row 5 Activities

Whether or not you choose to join in a game of wellness bingo here on BIC (at home or on the threads), please give yourself a little extra time this month to look after your wellness and the wellness of those around you. 

[NOTE: I took a slightly different take on this month's board, incorporating some themes within the self-care activities inspired by a few of the events and occasions we celebrate and honor this month, which I talk briefly about in the description of activities. One thing you will see is that some of this month's squares include words in quote, in addition to the self-care activity for a particular square. Those words are lyrics to one of the 6 songs nominated for Song of the Year at this year's Grammy Awards, which I made an effort to connect to the wellness activity - some connections required more creative license than others. A 🎶 emoji is noted in the Description section for those activities with a musical tie-in and that tie-in is discussed briefly at the end of the description of the particular self-care activity.] 

For March 2026 wellness board, check out Working Towards Wellness: March 2026 

[eshores]

@itsfi I'm not very picky about books but like whodunits a lot. 

[danielledanielle]

I think that counts for quiet time, and all these activities @itsfi comes up with are open to modification, so you make your self care..

Which Grammy songs did you pick?

[eshores]

@danielledanielle The Kendrick Lamar and SZA one, Luther, I think it was. That got me on a SZA trail and I was listening to her songs for days. 

[danielledanielle]

Since I mentioned Go Red Day just now, I'm giving myself "Heart Health" 😅... But heart health can be a lot of different things, and I worked out yesterday, so there's that

 

[ather]

@danielledanielle  Great job!

[Samtian]

@danielledanielle Great job! My heart does NOT think working out is healthy hahaha. 

[danielledanielle]

Priorities @Samtian 

 

[ather]

@itsfi  This looks lovely!!! 😊 I am loving the heart health!!! It reminds me of the challenge we have at work! Last month we tracked how many fruits and veggies we eat a day. And this month was about the heart too and things to do to keep it healthy! 

[itsfi]

Thanks so much @ather; it took a lot more work than previous months, in part because I was learning about new things, like the songs up for a Grammy and the lyrics, meanings, etc. I'm taking that effort for one of the squares because I didn't finish until today but talk about cutting it close for getting this month's board up. Phew! 😂

I think some of the things that are celebrated each month can be a little ... gimmicky, commercialized. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm down for National Ice Cream Day, but ... However, when I learned that this month is also recognized as "heart month" I thought it was a good one and made it heart (health) month. Who couldn't benefit from putting in a little bit more effort to check / get / maintain our heart in good shape?!! For ourselves and for those who care about us, and who we care about. 

Oh, I like that, about tracking daily fruit and veggie intake. I might have to try something like that. I'm trying to do more fruits and veggies this month. 🤞

[danielledanielle]

I don't get why "Go Red" isn't as big as pink for breast cancer... Well , I have a hunch, but yeah, February is important for Women's Heart health.  This Friday is Wear Red/Go Red day.  Thanks for bringing this up @ather @itsfi 

[itsfi]

▶️HOW TO PLAY:
The short-and-sweet of it is to just jump right on in, by undertaking one or more of the activities described in a square. 

✔️Once you've performed the activity, that square is yours - check it off however you like. If you mark off 5 squares in a row, be it horizontally, vertically or diagonally, you've got yourself a BINGO!

✔️It doesn't have to stop there (or start there), feel free to work towards checking off as many squares as you can, or clearing the board, by the end of the month.

✔️Just remember, be safe and make adjustments, as needed.

✔️Have fun!

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

⏲Length of Activities. Certain activities may include (in parens) a specified time for the activity. This is meant as a guideline, an example. If this is not something you feel comfortable doing, for whatever reason, perform the activity for a different period of time. Start out at 5 minutes and work your way up from there. If you can go for a longer period of time, go for it. Remember, this is about your wellness and your progress.

📱 HOW TO POST:
Posting about your progress is completely up to you. If you feel up to sharing about the self-care activities you undertook, please do, no matter the number of activities! We love hearing about what worked or what didn't work for you. And, we're always looking to pick up some real life tips, tricks and techniques.

To post:

• Hit "Reply" in the lower left hand corner of this original post and write away in the box that will appear
• You can list the activities you performed, with or without your feedback on the activity, and with or without a photo.
• If you'd like, you can also attach a copy of the wellness bingo card with the applicable squares marked off.

For descriptions of the activities listed in the square, check out the posts below: (coming soon)

[itsfi]

A brief description of the self-care activities in the squares for this month's Be Well bingo card is below. Please note:

⭐Some squares on the wellness card include more general activities or types of activities. The information included below serves as a guideline or example of how you might go about the activity described. There are other approaches to take. Looking forward to hearing what everyone does for the squares they mark off.

⭐ For some activities, reference may be made to another resource or third party, each and every one of which are, to my knowledge (without inquiry) independent of, and not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, me, Sephora, its parent company or affiliates, unless otherwise explicitly noted.

⭐ Safety first. If conditions are such that it is not safe to perform the activity in question, be it due to weather, the location, your physical, mental or emotional state, do not engage in the activity. Make any appropriate modification or skip the activity altogether. If there are limitations or conditions that may prevent you from safely undertaking the activity, consult with your health care professional first to determine whether it is appropriate to engage in the activity.

⭐ If an activity includes a time duration that you are not comfortable with or capable of doing, adjust accordingly. Start with what works for you, whether that's starting out at 5 minutes or 10, or otherwise.

⭐ Where a reference is made to a website and includes "(dot)" please replace the "(dot)" with a "." / period.

***

ROW 1:

Music-therapy 

The Grammy Awards, taking place February 1, recognize excellence in music across different categories, as determined by a governing body. Music-therapy on this wellness bingo board recognizes the role of music to our wellbeing. Music can be a powerful tool as we practice self-care. It can help to reduce stress, lift us up, and serve as an outlet for regulating and expressing our emotions, whatever that emotion may be. Whether you need to sit in quiet contemplation with the words to your favorite song, or to belt out lyrics at the top of your lungs without a care of your surroundings, or to move to the beat on your playlist, at the club, by yourself or with friends, have at it. Find a piece that you found meaningful or just want to share what you're listening to? Stop on by the 🎶✨Song of the Day and Music Thread!✨🎶 

Exercise (30 minutes)

Let's get our bodies moving. Indoors or outside. On your own or with others. Let's get some exercise. At least 30 minutes if you can - all at once, or broken up in smaller cycles throughout the  day. If you're not feeling up to doing 30 minutes or it's not in your best interest to try for 30, go for 5 or 10. Exercise can come in many forms, including:

• Walking, running, biking, hiking
• Raking leaves, chopping wood
• Wall workouts, yoga, pilates, resistance bands, weights, doing balance exercises
• Tai chi, martial arts
• Swimming, racquetball, pickleball, soccer, volleyball
• Dancing, HIIT, circuit training, bootcamp, crossfit, aqua fitness, rock climbing

Brain Teasers

Just as our muscles need exercise, so too do our brains, but instead of running, yoga, bicep curls or leg extensions, think of the exercise for our brains consisting of: 

• puzzles and riddles, such as playing Connections, Sudoku, or Wordle, or  working on solving Rubik's Cube, crosswords, etc. (Thank you to @CorgiMommy and @ather to first intro'ing me to Connections and Wordle)
• card games, like Soltaire, Uno, etc.
• board games, including checkers, chess, Battleship, Clue, etc.
• video games
• learning (continuing to learn) a new language
• taking part in a scavenger hunt, dinner mystery murder game, or escape room

Digital Detox (30 minutes) 🎶

Unplug from your electronics for a minimum of 30 minutes. Let your unwinding time really be about unwinding. You can combine it with another self-care activity and check off multiple squares at once - e.g., like stretching (that's this square and the last one in Row 2); or sitting down with family for a healthy meal, with everyone's phone put away (that would net you this square, the one first square in Row 4, and the last square in the last row).

In previous wellness bingo games, the digital detox time has been before bed, but for this month, it can be anytime. Remember: 

• If you are aiming to do a digital detox before bed and if reading on your Kindle, listening to music or a podcast on your phone or using an app like Headspace is part of your unwinding routine, please keep doing those activities - think of this square as more unplugging from phone activities related to social media, work, etc.
• If you're driving somewhere and need your GPS, use your GPS. Perhaps find another time to do your digital detox. 
• If 30 minutes seems too long, start off small, with a 10 or 15-minute detox and work your way up from there.
• If you want to or can unplug from your electronics for a longer period of time, go for it!! 

🎶 Musical tie-in: Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter - "You said your phone was broken / Just forgot to charge it"

Gratitude
Gratitude is the heart's recognition of the goodness in our lives (big or small) on the days when we feel on top of the world as well as the ones when we struggle just to keep up with its challenges. To practice gratitude is to be thankful for something or someone, and to recognize it and acknowledge it.

Gratitude can express itself in several forms, including the following from positivepsychology(dot)com:

ROW 2:

Heart Health

February is recognized in the US as American Heart Month. Taking some creative license to make it a universal  heart (health) month because that seems like something important for everyone, wherever you may be. Let's celebrate heart (health) month by making an extra effort to look after our hearts by engaging in one or more of the following activities:

• making sure we are up to date on our health / medical appointments before the year gets away from us (or have an appointment scheduled on the calendar for a future date) 

• engaging in one or more of the activities discussed in the onlin article published by Healthline titled "30 Ways to Improve Heart Health Naturally" - healthline(dot)com

• engaging in one or more of the activities noted in the American Health Association's 10 Ways to Improve Heart Health infographic (below) 

Did you know that February 6 is National Wear Red Day? I didn't either until I was prepping for this month's wellness board. In support of heart (health) month and for an extra bit of fun ... and since this is Sephora Beauty Insider Community, (1) grab that something red in your closet or that pretty red blush, striking red eyeshadow, gorgeous eyeliner or mascara, or that stunning red lip color in your makeup collection on February 6 this year, or any other day for that matter and (2) share a bit of information, a tip or a resource with someone about heart health. If you decide to pick up a new red beauty item this month, be sure to swing on by the February hauls thread (will inlcude link later). Have a look to share, check out What are you wearing in 2026?? If you have a go-to red lip combo, let us know at Lips on Lock 🔐: List Your Lip Combos 💄👄. Or, if you have a fierce red ensemble you want to show off, stop on by the The Fit, The Fab and The Face: Outfit and Inspo Thread  

Joy 🎶

What does joy look like to you? What brings you joy? 

• If you didn't get a chance to create a Joy List as part of last month's wellness board, here's another opportunity to do so. For this square, (1) create a list of one or more activities that bring you joy and (2) do that activity / one of those activities. TIP: Keep your joy list close at hand for future reference (on your phone, the computer, or printed out and posted onto the fridge, your wellness board, or wherever it'll be handy for you to keep it). The list could be put to use as part of another wellness bingo board later in the year (hint, hint), or as a general resource if you ever find yourself needing a little extra spark of joy.

• For those who created a Joy List as part of their wellness activities for last month's challenge, here's an opportunity to (a) repeat an activity you did for joy last month; (b) pick another activity or activities from your Joy List and perform that activity / activities; or (c) add an activity to your Joy List and do that new activity. 

Examples of activities you may wish to include on your joy list are:

• going out with friends and family
• cuddling with your fur babies
• visiting a museum
• sitting down to dinner with the family, phones put away
• singing your heart out at karaoke night or belting out your favorite tunes in the car at the top of your lungs
• going for a run
• getting a mani/pedi
• knitting
• treating yourself to coffee / ice cream / cocktails / a pair of shoes / a new lipstick, etc.
• having a spontaneous dance party, even if it's a party of one
• gardening
• bowling
• baking
• beating your significant other at the latest version of Mario Kart
• reading a good book
• having a long late night conversation with a loved one
• going through old photos
• creating something with your own hands 
• other (________)

🎶 Musical tie-in: Luther by Kenrdrick Lamar and SZALuther - "I know you're comin' for / Better days / If this world were mine"

Nuevo para ti (New to you)

Super Bowl LX (60) is taking place February 8 in my home state of California, with the New England Patriots (congrats @Samtian) taking on the Seattle Seahawks, and Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show. My understanding is that Bad Bunny sings primarily or maybe exclusively(?) in Spanish. An example of learning something new to you this month might be to work on (or continue to work on) learning a foreign language, Spanish or otherwise. A few other examples of "new to you" activities to consider include: 

• learning a new skill - e.g., calligraphy, time management, graphic design, sewing, painting, public speaking, automotive repair, financial literacy, first aid, etc.)
• taking a cooking class, a course on creative writing, a welding workshop, or giving that HIIT class a try, etc.
• joining or forming a book club, the PTA, a bowling league, the gym, etc.
• learning about the Super Bowl or the teams playing in the Super Bowl (New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks);
• learning about Black History Month - February 2026 marks 100 years of organized Black history observances; 
• learning about the Year of the Fire Horse (starts February 17, 2026) or the traditions observed by the various countries that have historically observed the Lunar New Year (or trying out foods that are consumed during this time); 
• listening to a new-to-you song or musician;
• developing an existing skill set by digging deeper into that field or learning a new/different skill within that area/industry - you can be a phenomenal baker but have never tried your hand at making pumpkin brownies. Or, you may slay when it comes to your blush placement but want to become the queen of contour this season.
• having a "do over" - sometimes we try something and it doesn't go well or how we planned or wanted it to go. Sometimes we get an opportunity to try again (e.g., spin class didn't go so well the first time? Hop back on that bike and give it another go. That pot roast didn't quite taste how it was supposed to? It's not gonna be delicious if you don't give it another try. 

Remember, the above are just examples. The activity for this square can be anything new to you - something you've never done before. Or, it can involve developing a different skill set within an existing area of expertise. Or, it can be giving yourself a "do over" - it can be daunting to step outside of our comfort zones, but it can be fun and rewarding as well.

Cozy Comforts

Comforting and relaxing activities can take on various forms and are a form of self-care, especially in the winter season. Some cozy comforts that might be worth incorporating into your self-care practice this month include: 

• Taking a long shower or a warm bath
• Creating a cozy spot in your house to unwind - this could be the couch, grabbing some oversized pillows or cushions
• Having a s'mores night inside the house (or outside if you're up for being outdoors)
• Sitting by the fireplace or curled up on the couch with a blanket and a book
• Relaxing with your favorite drink and some calming scents
• Creating time and space for an at home facial
• Getting take-out or delivery (or cooking yourself), watching a movie and having a date night with yourself or a loved one

Stretch (30 minutes)

Go for a full body stretch or focus on one or more body parts. Set aside 30 minutes to stretch those muscles at once or break up your time throughout the day, fitting in what works for you when you can, whether it's 5 minutes during your morning or afternoon break, during your lunch period, by way of your yoga, pilates, barre or ballet class, or as part of the warm up or cool down before your cardio or weight training session. Tailor your stretching routine (the movements and the duration) for what your body needs and what you can carve out in your schedule. For example: 

• If you sit in front of a computer all day, consider spending a good chunk of this time on your hands and wrists, along with your neck, shoulders and core.

• If you stand all day, maybe you want to focus some extra time on your legs and back. 

• If you don't have 30 full minutes to spare (or if that's just a long time to devote to stretching), break it up for something that's more realistic for your schedule, your body, your lifestyle - maybe it's 3 10-minute sessions throughout the day.

• Maybe it's a series of 2 - 5-minutes stretches while you're on hold, on a video conference call (a great time to do some ankle stretches without anyone seeing what you're doing on screen).

• Or, maybe you start off the month trying to get in 10 minutes a day and work your way up to 30 over a longer stretch of time (pun completely intended).

Descriptions of activities continued below ⤵️

[itsfi]

Description of Activities (continued)

ROW 3:

Let It Go 🎶

Sometimes letting go, or releasing our attachment to past experiences or past or current possessions, expectations, relationships or emotions can be a powerful form of self-care. What that "IT" is that is being let go is entirely up to you. This is about your self-care. As examples only, the "it" can be:  

• too much stuff (clutter; possessions, etc.)
• too many competing obligations
• a past mistake
• an unhealthy relationship
• an inaccurate belief about yourself (or your abilities) that limits or hinders you from achieving something or from living your best life
• unreasonable or unhealthy expectations of others
• others' unreasonable or unhealthy expectations of you
• inner criticism / negative self talk
• comparing yourself to others
• dwelling on the past
• needing constant attention / approval
• procrastination
• perfectionism
• rushing through life
• people pleasing
• excessive / constant screen time
• other (_________)

How to go about letting it go will likely depend on what it is that you are seeking to let go, the circumstances surrounding that, and your own personal style. Some resources that may be helpful to you include:

• For getting started with letting go, check out the article "Shed, Shift, and Begin Again: The Power of Letting Go" from Psychology Today - psychologytoday(dot)com - there's a section on "5 Ways to Practice Letting Go" in this article that may be worth reading.

• For letting go of being attached to your phone / phone anxiety, there's a helpful article on bemorewithless(dot)com titled "10 Gentle Ways to Break Up With Your Phone (Without Missing It)" that offers some practical tip 

• For decluttering beauty products, check out: "How to Declutter Beauty Products in Just 15 Minutes a Day" from simplelifeofalady(dot)com or "How to (Finally) Declutter Your Beauty Supplies, According to Organizing Pros" from Real Simple online - realsimple(dot)com

🎶 Musical tie-in: Wildflower by Billie Eilish - "I should put it all behind me ..."

Quiet Time

Spending quality time with ourselves in solitude can be helpful to our well-being. No TikTok. No Instagram. No BIC. Spend some time in quietness, whether it be in the practice of being still or in meditation. Or, maybe you prefer to carve out some time in the day to journal (digitally or with pen-and paper). Or, take time out to focus on your breathing.

•  Quiet Time - Set aside some time to just sit (or lie down) and be still. The first thing to do is to identify how much time you want to spend being quiet. Start out by easing into if you're doing this for the first time or if you're just short on time - 5 or 10 minutes.

• Journal - Write down your thoughts, in general, or in response to a prompt/question. If you're looking for a prompt to get you started, check out the online article from silkandsonder(dot)com titled  "60 Fun Writing Prompts for When Your Journaling Practice Needs a Shake-Up"

• Breathe - There are a host of breathing exercises and techniques available online, including "10 Simple Breathing Exercises for Sleep and Relaxation" on the Oura Ring blog. If you do an internet search for "oura" and "10 simple breathing exercises" it should pull up an article titled "10 Simple Breathing Exercises for Sleep and Relaxation" - the post includes written instruction as well as illustration of the steps involved in the 10 different exercises described.

Free Space

Ahhhh, the free space! This square is all yours for the taking. You can choose to undertake a self-care activity for this square if you wish to do so. Or, you can choose to do nothing at all. That, too, can be a form of self-care in and of itself.

Date Yourself

I have had multiple people (single, married, divorced, etc.) who I respect greatly, suggest "dating yourself" as a form of self-care, in general conversation about taking care of one's self as well as in connection with wellness bingo, here and IRL. So, I dug a little deeper into this, and I'm game! I hope you are too, or are willing to give it a go. 

There are several ways to go about dating - there's the low-key, casual, easy coffee date approach. There's the fancy schmancy wine-and-dine date night. Dinner and a movie at home, going to a comedy club, on a hike, or having a picnic in the park. And, anything and everything in between. A couple of articles that might be of interest include:

• "31 Ideas for How To Date Yourself—And Why Therapists Say You Definitely Should" from well + good - site is wellandgood(dot)com [NOTE: replace the "(dot)" with "." ]

• "How to Date Yourself (And Why You Should)" from Verywell Mind - verywellmind(dot)com

I completely understand and appreciate that not everyone may be into research as I am, so I'll list half a dozen or so solo date ideas that you may want to consider (gathered from those articles, other articles and from thoughts that came to my mind):

• Going to the movie theater - splurge on yourself with popcorn and a drink 
• Visit a museum or art exhibit
• Dress up and enjoy a meal at your favorite restaurant (or one you've been wanting to try)
• Taking a class - pottery, cooking, painting, etc.
• Going to the ballet, musical, opera
• Touring your own city - on a self guided tour or taking one of those walking tours
• Visit zoo, aquarium, local gardens
• Go to brunch
• Try out a new coffee / tea shop / restaurant

Self care focus 🎶

One of last month's wellness activities involved identifying an area or areas of self-care you wanted to focus on in 2026. 

More detail on the "Wellness Wheel (8 Dimensions of Wellness)" referenced in the description above can be found here.

🎶 Musical tie-in: Abradabra by Lady Gaga - "Choose the road ..." Lady Gaga has described the track as a reflection on perseverance—facing not only the world around you but also the internal battles we face within ourselves. It's about thriving, not just surviving. This theme of resilience resonates throughout the song and is part of Gaga's larger artistic message to choose the road you want to pursue in life and to persevere through the hardships and revel in the joys along the way.

ROW 4:

Healthy Meal

Whether you're cooking at home, going out, getting take-out or having it delivered, or reheating leftovers, etc., sit down, slow down, and practice self-care by nourishing your body with a healthy meal. There are many different ways to eat a healthy meal and I recognize that this can be easier said than done for many, for a host of reasons. Some ways to go about having a healthy meal, whether you're new to it or it comes naturally to you include:

• Getting your daily intake of nutrients as recommended by your doctor or health care provider
• Having some form of vegetables (preferably not deep fried) with your meal
• Taking the time to sit down to a meal - not rushing
• Looking up some quick and easy recipes online to try. For instance, the blog, The Girl on Bloor - thegirlonbloor(dot)com - has a post titled "52 Easy & Healthy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights" that has some recipes that look quick and easy to make, healthy and tasty.

If you have a food pic or recipe to share, have at it here or check out the What's on your plate? thread. 

RAOK 

Feburary 17 is National Random Act Of Kindness Day. There are several ways to spread kindness. If you're looking for a new idea or new-to-you act of kindness, consider one of the activities noted in the following article:

• "35 Little Acts of Kindness to Brighten Someone's Day" Reader's Digest online (June 15, 2025) rd(dot)com

NOTE: I know that some of us may be a little shy about sharing the kindness that they spread to others and if that's you, not a problem at all. You can simply just check the box and leave it at that when you share an update. But, if you do decide to choose this square as part of one of your wellness activities for the month, I would ask you to just consider sharing what you did, more so that others of us might learn of other ways to spread kindness to others. Sometimes we learn new ways to do things from hearing what others have done. No pressure at all, but just something to consider. 

Permission Granted (aka Give yourself permission to ... ) 🎶 

There are a lot of things we "should" do; heck, there are a lot of things we are expected to do. Some of those things are legitimate, and there are things we should do and things that are expected of us that are healthy for us, that are good for us. BUT there are also things that we need to do - things that are essential for our personal growth, for our authenticity, our confidence, our joy - that go undone. And, I'm sure there are any number of reasons for that, some valid and some ...  well, some just ones that we've become accustomed to, whether or not it's fair or healthy for us. But, for this month, give yourself permission to ... 

• Sleep in / rest
• Take the last cookie
• Close the door and have a good cry
• Laugh out loud
• Treat yourself
• Create without needing it to be perfect
• Acknowledge your needs
• Walk away
• Heal
• Ask for help
• Make mistakes
• Draw boundaries
• Enforce those boundaries
• Shine without apology
• Be you  
• Speak your truth
• Let things or people go
• Not be perfect 
• Pursue your dreams
• Live your best life
• ________ (fill in the blank)

🎶 Musical tie-in: Golden by Huntrix - "Oh, I'm done hidin' now I'm shinin' / Like I'm born to be ..."

February 17 marks the start of a new year on the Lunar New Year calendar, the Year of the Horse. The song Golden is performed by the South Korean group Huntrx, South Korea is one of the countries that has historically celebrated the Lunar New Year, known as Seollal (설날) in Korean and was the INSPO for this 17th square on the bingo board.

Social Wellness 🎶

In 2024, the US National Institute of Health published a "Social Wellness Checklist" that identified tips for developing and strengthening healthy social habits and connections within different social circles and under different circumstances. Screenshots of the checklist is below. It's worth looking into and one the sections may be of interest to you. If you wanted to use this article as a basis for this square, just checking one of the boxes is sufficient - one of the boxes within the various sections, not one whole section, though if you wanted to work through the boxes in one section, you're certainly free to do so. 

🎶 Musical tie-in: APT by Bruno Mars and Rose (from Blackpink) - "All you gotta do is just meet me at the .."

The song "APT" has been described as "not just a song but a celebration of friendship, fun, and the vibrant culture surrounding drinking games in South Korea, all wrapped in an infectious pop melody."  - It's essentially about getting together with friends, or in the world of BIC wellness bingo, social wellness.

Plan It!

The older I get, the more I realize how quickly time flies by. Before it gets too far away from us, take some time to plan something for you. With February being a short month, consider this to involve planning an activity or getaway for some time later in the year (though it can certainly be planning for an activity or trip for this month). It can be: 

• a staycation or vacation with family, friends or yourself
• a weekend retreat at a spa resort or a ski lodge
• backpacking across Europe
• an Alaskan cruise, or a Mediterranean one
• going to the FIFA World Cup
• going to see the Total Solar Eclipse in Aragon, Spain in August
• a road trip across the US or Canada (or parts of it)
• a wine and food tour of Napa Valley (or Sonoma), California; or Bordeaux, France; or Tuscany, Italy; or the Douro Valley in Portugal; or Mallorca, Spain
• scheduling date night or a get together
• making an appointment for a massage, a mani/pedi, or facial
• carving out time for a walk in the park, a cup of tea or coffee at the new coffee shop
• seeing a Broadway show or going to a concert or a ball game

Description of activities continued below ⤵️

[itsfi]

Description of Activities (continued)

ROW 5:

Hydrate

What's your water number? Are you all about 8-glasses or more a day? Or do you subscribe to the half your body weight philosophy? Or some other benchmark? Do you prefer filtered, still or sparkling water? Plain or infused with flavor? Warm or cold? With or without ice? Whatever your preferences, just do it! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Mental Health 🎶

Caring for our mental health is an important aspect of self-care. There are several strategies on how to look after our overall mental health including managing our anxiety, such as: 

• Writing - Putting anxious thoughts and feelings on paper can help to process them. This can take the form of a journal or jotting down notes on your phone.
• Focusing your mind on something else like listening to music, or a podcast; reading a book; doing a puzzle, drawing, coloring; engaging in a hobby like knitting or painting
• Reframing your thoughts
• Engaging in physical activity to help release built-up tension - going for a walk outside to get some fresh air; stretching with a focus on the parts of your body that are experiencing a lot of tension or stress
• Doing breathing exercises to slow your breath and calm your body's response to anxiety

• More details about the above exercises ☝️ and the following "Five Senses Exercise" 👇 can be found in the online article titled "Finding Your Calm: Practical Strategies for Managing Anxiety" published on jssa(dot)org 

The "Five Senses Exercise" involves using our senses to calm the mind and draw us back into the present by identifying / naming:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

These are just some of the techniques and strategies to help regulate the body's response to anxiety. There are several other resources available, including seeking help from a licensed health care provider and/or therapist, as needed.

🎶 Musical tie-in: Anxiety by Doechii - "It's my anxiety / Gotta shake it off me..."

Create

Creative activities can be a meaningful form of self-care, providing an outlet for stress, promoting relaxation, and assisting in regulating emotional and mental well-being. Examples of self-care through arts, crafts, hobbies and other creative activities include:

• Painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics
• Writing stories or poetry, journaling, writing a letter to yourself or someone else
• Playing a musical instrument, singing, dancing
• Sewing, knitting, crocheting, macrame, pottery, making jewelry
• Photography, video design, editing, making films, making a collage
• Arts, crafts, architecture, creating a scrapbook, decorating the house, etc.

Childhood Favorite(s)

Did you have a favorite activity, drink, meal, experience or memory from your childhood? To the extent you can recreate or rediscover it, do so. If you share that recreation with a friend, family member or loved one, you could check off this square and the next one.

Quality Time 🎶

Carve out dedicated, uninterrupted, quality time to be with the ones you love and who love you, and let them know what and how much they mean to you, in a way that is authentic to who you are and that is meaningful to them. 

🎶 Musical Tie-in: DtMF by Bad Bunny - or "Debí Tirar Más Fotos" (translation: "I Should’ve Taken More Photos.") 

The phrase on which this song is based focuses on regret, on not appreciating the people, places and moments in our lives when they are right in front of us. It serves as the INSPO for this square's Quality time with loved ones be it your boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, significant other, family, friends, fur babies.