Working Towards Wellness: June 2025

[itsfi]

Self-Care Month kicks off on June 24, right on the heels of the summer solstice (June 20), but we don't have to wait until then to kickstart (or kick up) our wellness efforts. Whether you already have a solid self-care routine you engage in consistently, or you're dipping your toes into self-care for the first time, or you're stuck in a rut & looking for a refresh on your way to wellness, welcome!! 😀 

What Is This About?: 

Simply put, it's about focusing on our personal wellness, in a fun way à la the bingo card, with a few adjustments to the  traditional bingo rules. 

How To Play/Participate:

Work towards completing the activities on the bingo card during the month, taking into account where you are personally on your wellness journey & what will serve you best as you care for yourself. You may want to complete several of the activities in one week, or none at all. The next week may include checking off one square or taking the free space. You may find an activity to be something you want to hone in on and work on little by little, for a week or the whole month.

Do what you can when you can as you can. Make adjustments as needed. Remember, we're all in different places and spaces - physically, mentally, environmentally. Please tailor the activities to meet those places and spaces, including doing things incrementally, starting out slowly, bit by bit, and building up gradually from there, if and as needed.   

• For additional ideas on how to participate, have a look at BWell Bingo - How To Participate

• For more details (and examples) of the activities described in each square, check out: June 2025 Wellness Activities Described

We love hearing about how everyone goes about these monthly wellness bingo activities. If you're up for it, feel free (but not obligated) to share what activity / activities you've undertaken, what has worked for you - it can be once a month, once every other week, every 7-10 days, etc. It can include photos, or be as quick and easy as hitting "Reply" at the bottom left to this original post, sharing your activities, and then clicking "Post".

[jaaayp]

yes! perspective @itsfi ! 

[Samtian]

@jaaayp Great work! Gotta love old homes 😬 I feel your pain! 

[jaaayp]

they have so much character @Samtian but its definitely a love and hate relationship 😂

[AmandaWestt]

Hello everyone who is actively working on their health and well-being this summer! It is very inspiring to see your motivation and support in this community - together it is easier to achieve goals.

If among your plans there is a desire to lose weight, but without extreme diets and bad habits, I want to share a useful article. It offers a realistic and safe plan on how to lose 20 pounds (about 9 kg) in 2 months by changing the diet and adding physical activity: Https://betterme.world/articles/lose-20-pounds-in-2-months/

The main thing is gradualness, a balanced diet and maintaining good habits that can be maintained for a long time.

[itsfi]

That's awesome @AmandaWestt! 🙌 Was / were there certain activity or activities that you really enjoyed or found very helpful?

[CorgiMommy]

Worked hard this week and got a few bingos , green dots are what I accomplished this week

 Stay hydrated - getting warmer here so Hydration is a must

Have a cool refreshing drink - had a delicious homemade lemonade at the Tuesday Food Truck Rally

Physical Wellness-  went for my  annual physical this week

[PrettyPaint]

@CorgiMommy Great job doing the annual physical. I'm so bad at that! 

[CorgiMommy]

It was time so I made the appointment @PrettyPaint 

[CorgiMommy]

I kept getting texts from my doctor, I just wanted them to stop @byme4u 

[itsfi]

@CorgiMommy, congratulations! Great to stay hydrated.

[CorgiMommy]

Thanks!  BTW, love the meme @itsfi 

[Samtian]

@CorgiMommy Holy your almost done! Congrats! Homemade lemonade sounds yummy. 

[CorgiMommy]

Thanks so much @Samtian 

[itsfi]

Happy Friday, BIC! This week flew by, but I was able to get in a few self-care activities from the bingo board (marked with the sunglasses in the upper right hand corners). 

• Prioritize Sleep: ✔️ Back on a routine (yes!!) with this one and it feels good. Took a while but fingers crossed I stick with it. I've been sleeping through the night more consistently as well all month. 👍  A number of things have contributed to that but making an effort to stick to a digital detox before bed and prioritizing sleep (even when there have been evenings when I've gotten to bed much later) have been helpful. 🛌 

• Stay hydrated: ✔️ I've been adding fruits to my water more often, making a pitcher first thing in the morning; or as part of my prep the night before, I'll add some berries or other fruits to my water bottle and stick it in the fridge so I have cold, fruit infused water all ready for when I head out the door. 

• Stretch (30 minutes): ✔️ Been sprinkling stretching exercises throughout the day as well as having a longer, full body stretch I try to get in at the end of the day. When it comes to stretching throughout the day, there are the 10-minute stretch breaks I try to remember to get in, as well as some quick little stretches - focusing on my hands and wrists while on hold or waiting for the traffic light to turn green. Or, stretching my calves or ankles while standing in line at the store, or in the elevator, or sitting at my desk while on a videoconference call . They're smaller movements and for a much shorter amount of time, but they help. Especially the hands and wrists stretch as I'm in front of a computer a lot. 

• Create - Arts, Crafts, Hobbies: ✔️ Made a bookmark. As a proactive step, I placed it in the physical book I'm planning on reading next.  

Citrus infused water, with lemon, lime & orange slices (photo from last year)

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi I'm so, so happy that you are doing better at sleeping through the night! That's fantastic. That water pitcher looks so refreshing! 

[itsfi]

Thank you so much @PrettyPaint. It's been nice, and a long time since I've been able to do it other than when I'm just utterly exhausted and crash. I can see the difference when I get in some good sleep; doesn't even have to be a full 6-7 hours - mainly in not having to deal with puffy under eyes or dark circles - I can't remember the last time that happened for consecutive days let alone weeks. 😅 There are still nights I'll get up, but it's only once or twice and I'm able to fall back asleep quickly, either just by turning around or getting back into bed. 👍👍

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi That's so wonderful! And such an added bonus not to deal with puffy under eyes or dark circles! 

[itsfi]

Right, @PrettyPaint?!! I've resigned myself to puffy eyes and dark circles when seasonal allergies strike but if we can limit it to just those instances, that would be fantastic. I'm 100% aware that for those other times, I have to do my part with being (a lot) better about self care, especially when it comes to prioritizing sleep. It was truly eye-opening  (pun completely intended, lol) to see how that made such an impact. Gone (long gone, really 😂) are the days when I could get by with very little sleep and not have that show on my face. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Those days are long gone for me as well. 😢 I don't love it when people say I look tired because I'm sure it has something to do with my eye bags and circles.