Sephora

itsfi · ‎03-01-2026

Whether this is your first time tuning into wellness bingo on BIC or you've tried your hand at this before, welcome! 👋

What is this about?

Simply put, it's about focusing on our personal wellness, in a fun way à la a game of 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.

FAQ / FYI:

Spoiler

@adamsev @ather @blackkitty2014 @caitbird @CorgiMommy @curlychiquita @danielledanielle @eshores
@missjeanie @nuinui933 @Samtian @shaeschaeshea @Shosh85

CorgiMommy · ‎03-02-2026

Love the change on the free space

itsfi · ‎03-02-2026

@CorgiMommy, that's great to hear, thank you.

ather · ‎03-01-2026

@itsfi Thanks for the tag!!

Today I celebrated some friends/coworkers and made a healthy meal for them!!! Made them feel special!

itsfi · ‎03-01-2026

Wow, you are off to an amazing start off the bat; love it! That's so thoughtful and kind @ather! What did you make?

ather · ‎03-04-2026

@itsfi I made a roast beef dinner with carrots and potatoes!! And homemade buns! Yum!!! 😋

itsfi · ‎03-05-2026

I just ate dinner but reading that, I'm hungry again 😂 That sounds delicious @ather!

Shosh85 · ‎03-01-2026

@itsfi I appreciate the tag even though I missed the entire the month 😬.....February really just got away from me! I'm excited to start March BINGO! Thanks so much Fi! 🙌😃

itsfi · ‎03-01-2026

@Shosh85, I get it, life happens and time just gets away from us. You've got March's card and we'll try to check off some boxes in this winter-to-spring month. ❄️🦋

itsfi · ‎03-01-2026

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.

⚠️ 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.
You can also attach a copy of the wellness bingo card with the applicable squares marked off, if you'd like.

itsfi · ‎03-01-2026

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:

Spring Bucket List

Spring will be here before we know it. Let's get a jump start on it. For this square:

(1) Make a list of 3-5 (or more if you'd like) things you'd like to do this spring that are "all about you" - this doesn't mean it has to be a solo activity (though it can be); it can also involve family, friends, or both. The "all about you" qualifier here should be taken to mean that the activities for your spring bucket list be something for you, something you want to do, something you enjoy doing. AND

(2) Do one of those things this month and check it off your list. And then check off this square.

FYI: Keep this list handy - for times when you need ideas for a pick-me-up activity, as well as for future wellness bingo squares in April and May.

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

Seasonal Fruits & Veggies

Let's get in our fruits and veggies. This season offers a plethora of delicious fruits and vegetables. Roast 'em. Saute 'em. Add fruits or veggies to your oatmeal, salad, soup, pasta sauce, water, and/or smoothies. Or, just eat them as they are. If you have a farmers' market near you, grab a bag & head on over to see what's available. If seasonal fruits and veggies or a farmers' market are not easily accessible to you, reach for what is available to you, whether a favorite of yours or something new-to-you.

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.

Get Outdoors (Remember SPF & H2O)

Weather permitting, spend some time outdoors for some fresh air, even if it's just for a short, brisk walk. Remember to dress for the weather, and to apply sunscreen. If you have a favorite sunscreen, new-to-you or tried-and-true, let us know at the National SPF Day ☀️ thread.

ROW 2:

Spring Cleaning

The changing of the season offers an opportunity to create new routines, to shift, adjust and/or make better your existing space, habits and programs. A time to reset. Whether it's going through your closet or makeup collection, decluttering and reorganizing, or modifying your exercise routine, diet, or focus, let's assess what, if anything, in our lives needs a declutter, shift or reset.

Read - Podcast - TV / Movie

Read a book, a blog; listen to an audiobook or podcast; watch a TV show or movie. For leisure. To learn something new or further develop an existing skill set. As part of a DIY project or self-improvement. To give you a break from the daily grind. To make you laugh, cry, feel the feels. To bring you joy.

Exercise (30 minutes)

Let's get our bodies moving. Indoors or out. On your own or with others. Let's get in 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, cross fit, aqua fitness, rock climbing

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.

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, but not limited, the highlighted by positivepsychology(dot)com:

See post below for description of activities for Rows 3 through 5. ⤵️

itsfi · ‎03-01-2026

Description of activities (continued)

ROW 3:

Celebrate someone you know

Acknowledge, shout out, or give kudos or a heartfelt "thank you" to a friend, family member, coworker, business associate, your mail person, grocery store clerk, child's teacher, coffee barista, first responders, bus driver, bootcamp instructor, babysitter, dog walker, etc.

Celebrate the small wins

Life's big wins are often the results of many small steps. Celebrating small wins can boost mood, improve confidence and keep us motivated as we work through challenges and towards the larger goals. Celebrating the small wins can be done with a literal pat on the back; sharing your progress with family and friends, including your BIC friends if you are so inclined; and/or treating yourself to a little something. Give yourself an "atta girl" or "atta boy" or "atta <<insert your name>>" for moving yourself that much closer to your goal, and if you decide to treat yourself to a small reward, be it a cookie, lip balm, seeds for a flower garden, or something else, go for it!.

Celebrate a stranger

Sometimes, the simplest acts can have the most profound impact. Take a moment to:

Hold the door open for the person heading into the coffee shop behind you
Offer a sincere compliment for a stranger's style or actions (if it's safe and doesn't feel awkward or creepy)
Volunteer at a local food bank, animal rescue, shelter
Genuinely engage in more than just small talk with the new person at work, school, etc.
Pay it forward / perform a random act of kindness

Celebrate YOU

This is different than celebrating the small wins, which is about celebrating an accomplishment or feat, something done by you. This is about celebrating YOU, who you are. It's not about the milestones that you accomplish - though we're proud of you for those as well. This is about recognizing your worth and celebrating your existence. It's a thank you for being you. Some ways to do this might include:

List three traits you like about yourself (if that's too awkward, list 3 traits your friends would say they like about you)
Let go of negative self-talk. If it happens, just shake it off and reframe. Follow it up with an affirmation to yourself.
Buy yourself flowers aka Treat Yourself - be it to coffee, ice cream, sleeping in, a self-care day, a mani/pedi, a new lipstick, or actually a bouquet of flowers, etc.

Just Celebrate (Free Space)

Do something fun or nothing at all. This space is all yours.

ROW 4:

Digital Detox

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 third square in Row 5).

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, please 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!!

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!

Spring into skincare

Take a look at your current skincare routine to assess what, if any, changes need to be made as we head into spring. Some things to consider include:

switching to a lighter moisturizer
refreshing your cleansing routine - or your skincare routine in general
exfoliating - sloughing away dead skin from head to toe
looking into new or additional sunscreen for reapplication throughout the day
having a facial mist on hand to keep skin cool and hydrated

Treat Yourself

Taking intentional actions to look after your physical, mental an emotional well-being is key component to self-care and can take many forms, including, but not limited to:

Getting a massage, a mani/pedi, coffee, or a bite to eat with your significant other, a friend, relative, co-worker, or by yourself
Taking a relaxing bath or spending a little extra time in the shower after a long day
Getting enough sleep, sleeping in, getting to bed early
Treating yourself to something you might not otherwise - a new pair of shoes, earrings, a lipstick, perfume; coffee, a drink; flowers; a mani/pedi; a meal, dessert; a facial, massage, etc.
Spending time with friends or family you don't often see
An afternoon to yourself; calling a housecleaning service for a day; signing up and taking a cooking class; spending the day at a museum, going to yoga/pilates, etc.

Do something as a treat for yourself, be it purchasing a new beauty product for the March Passport to Beauty challenge (which I believe will start 3.19), or one of the activities listed above, or something else, but take time out to do something for you. To celebrate you.

Welcome, spring!

Spring brings (hopefully) warmer weather and weather permitting in your area, let's take advantage of all that the spring season has to offer by engaging in some of your favorite springtime activities. Or take this as an opportunity to try a new-to-you activity this spring. Here are some examples of spring activities that might be of interest to you:

Visit a farm, a flower garden or flower farm, a butterfly conservatory
Go berry picking or pick fruit at a local orchard
Arrange flowers
Decorate for spring
Take a walk or go for a hike
Ride a bike
Plant a garden - fruits, vegetables, flowers
Decorate Easter eggs
See the Cherry Blossoms
Fly a kite
Make homemade lemonade
Have a picnic
Go to a baseball game
Go to the park
Jump in puddles
Watch a sunrise or sunset
Make a smoothie
Bake a pie
Go to a spring festival
Have a BBQ

ROW 5:

Be Mindful

Practicing mindfulness involves staying present and fully engaged with the current moment. There are several ways to go about practicing mindfulness, including:

Being Still (with Music) - choose a piece of music you enjoy, create a comfortable space to sit or lie down and be still, listening and focusing on the instruments and if applicable, lyrics

Mindful Listening - focus on the person whose talking during the work meeting (and not your phone or catching up on email, yesterday's news, etc.)

Mindful Eating - slow down and enjoy your food/meal. Avoid working / checking or returning email while you eat your lunch

Hitting Pause - Slowing Down - Being Present - Stopping to Smell the Roses
- Instead of grabbing a cup of coffee and rushing out the door, take a moment to sit down and enjoy each sip
- When going out for a walk, take your time to notice the details of nature and, if applicable (and safe to do so), literally stop and smell the roses

Mindful Breathing - Breathing exercises can be a helpful way to ground and center us. The website Reality Pathing - realitypathing(dot)com published an article titled "7 Powerful Breathwork Exercises for Mindfulness" that outlined different breathing practices that are worth looking into.

Other Ideas for Practicing Mindfulness - Real Simple posted an article to its website - realsimple(dot)com - titled "27 Easy Mindfulness Activities to Feel Grounded Anytime, Anywhere" that identified several practical and straightforward ways to go about being more mindful. It's worth checking out.

Prioritize Sleep

Quality sleep - a well-rested brain and body - can play a crucial role in our wellness, our wellbeing. 7 to 9 hours per night is the recommended amount of sleep for adults for optimal cognitive function, memory and overall health, with consistency and quality sleep being key components to maintaining good health. It can be hard to make time for it with all the things we have on our plates, but every effort counts. If this is a self-care area that is new to you, consider focusing on one of these activities this week, next week, this month, etc., and continue to work your way through the list below as you feel ready.

Figure out your sleep needs - how many hours of sleep do you need each night? This is not how many hours you need to get by but what is the optimal amount of hours of sleep per night for you at this time in your life? Determine your needs and make it a priority to achieve this amount.

Establish a consistent sleep schedule and work on keeping to it as often as possible. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. This helps to regulate your body's internal clock. Look, I get this isn't always practical (or desirable - sometimes, sleeping in is a good thing!), but it might be worth a shot. When I first started trying to do this, I set 10/10:30pm as my target bed time, and would aim to start my digital detox around 9:30pm-ish. If I went out on Friday or Saturday nights, my goal bedtime would be pushed back to 12midnight but I wasn't too strict about it - I also didn't / don't go out that much so it's not really a problem but when starting out, I gave myself a broader window on the weekends.

Create a wind-down bedtime routine. This signals the body to wind down. Ideally, the routine is something calming - reading a book, meditating, doesn't involve electronics or if so, minimally and its function is to aid with winding down - i.e., Headspace, audiobook, guided meditation app, etc.

Create a sleep conducive environment in your bedroom. To promote better sleep, make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet space.

Draw boundaries; learn to say 'no'. Be mindful of your commitments and how they may interfere with your sleep needs. Part of this is reframing the role of sleep in your life - prioritizing sleep is not about sacrificing other things in your life. It's about recognizing how getting quality sleep regularly contributes to your well-being and choosing for it. Or, at the very least, choosing for it more often than not.

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).

Music-therapy

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.

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.