Working Towards Wellness: November 2025

[itsfi]

Whether self-care is new to you or you're a seasoned pro when it comes to wellness activities, welcome! 👋

There's a lot going on in the world - be it due to the holidays season, or 2025 coming quickly to a close, or just everyday stuff. Sometimes, we just need a space to block out the outside noise and spend some time focusing on our own well-being. Or some time to remind us to look after ourselves. Consider this one of those spaces. Jump right on in and join us for another month of wellness bingo. 

Self-care, the activities we undertake for our own well being, varies on our circumstances and needs. We're each on our own personal self-care journey, but it doesn't hurt to have a little encouragement along the way. Or to be an encouragement to others as we work towards wellness. Wellness takes work; let's do the work together, BIC! 

For more information on wellness bingo, check out the following:

• How To Play
• Rows 1 & 2 Activities Described
• Rows 3, 4 & 5 Activities Described
• How To Post

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy November!  

Spoiler

Tagging a few folks who have posted to previous Working Towards Wellness threads. Will try to update tags throughout periodically. If I inadvertently missed someone, I apologize. Feel free to tag others you think may be interested. Be well!
@ather @blackkitty2014 @caitbird @CorgiMommy @curlychiquita @danielledanielle @missjeanie @PrettyPaint @Samtian @Shosh85 

[itsfi]

Oooh, sparkly snowflake ❄️ bingo stampers 😍 and BINGO, too @missjeanie! Wahoo!!

Cranberry lemonade sounds delicious and so on point for the season. I see Starbucks is following your lead! 

I like your hydration plan for the month - do you think you'll end up drinking more water or less Diet Pepsi? 🤔

P.S. That's some top notch gratitude practice you engaged in this month. Good on you. 👊

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I like to think I'm the kind of trendsetter Starbucks needs to leach ideas off of hahahaha. I am still going through Diet Pepsi at pretty close to my regular rate so I may be drinking a little less, but I'm gonna say I'm just super hydrated of late lol... And now I want Mac n' Cheese!  

[Samtian]

@missjeanie 🤤 pumpkin creme brulee!? Ay sounds like heaven. Congrats on the bingo! 

[missjeanie]

@Samtian Thanks!  It was delicious!

[caitbird]

notes for week of 11/9-11/16:
My wellness activities this past week have mostly been repeats of last week's, but I do have a few new ones to add to the board:

💜go on a hike or nature walk (bundle up): I spent some time rambling through our woods while gathering kindling, so I am counting this as a nature walk, since I did keep my eyes and ears open for any signs of local nature and wildlife while I was doing it (of course). The highlight was the cute little splitgill mushrooms I found on one of the branches I collected - I am always happy to find fungi!

💜work on joy: I have been working on boosting my mood by practicing gratitude every day, appreciating the little things, being present in the moment, and focusing on the positive as much as I can. Even on days like today, when I slept more than I meant to and didn't get as much done as I would like, I'm trying not to beat myself up about it like I might have in the past, and instead, focus on the silver lining - a nice quiet, relaxing day at home with family, a chance to catch up on sleep, and extra cuddle time with my sweet kitties.

💜prioritize sleep: I have been trying to get to bed - and actually go to sleep - at a reasonable (or at least reasonable-ish) time every night; I don't always succeed, but I think I've been doing better overall lately.

💜 read/audiobook/podcasts/TV/movie: A friend and former coworker very generously gifted me a couple of books from my Amazon wishlist for my birthday. One of them is actually adapted from a fanfiction, so I am currently reading that before I start the book, because I always find it interesting to be able to compare the two versions. I've mostly read nonfiction so far this year, which is interesting and enjoyable in a different way, but it's nice to be reading fiction for a change.

💜give yourself permission to...: accept gifts and kind gestures from loved ones. Especially when I'm feeling down, it's often easy for me to feel like I don't deserve nice things, or that I'm not worth the time/money/effort of a gift or a treat. With my birthday recently, I received some lovely and thoughtful gifts, and was treated to a couple of wonderful meals out, by friends and family. I am working on honoring that kindness and generosity by accepting and appreciating these things, rather than listening to self-doubt and negative thoughts. I feel very lucky and blessed, to have so many things - and people - to be grateful for.

little collage featuring some wellness-related pics:

top row: sleepy Frida, a recent candle, a cozy drink; bottom row: new books, birthday gifts from family, splitgill mushrooms

[CorgiMommy]

Lots of great ways to take care of yourself and two Bingos!! WTG @caitbird 

[caitbird]

@CorgiMommy  thank you! 😊

[Samtian]

@caitbird Wow incredible job!!! Love the collage!

[caitbird]

@Samtian  thank you so much! 💜

[missjeanie]

@caitbird Your kitten is so pretty!!! Which Nest candle are you enjoying?

[caitbird]

@missjeanie  thank you! 😊 the Nest candle is Autumn Plum!

[itsfi]

Woah, you got yourself some BINGOs there @caitbird. Way to go!

I'm fascinated by the splitgill mushrooms 😍 they're beautiful. They look so artistic clustered together like that. 

Miss Frida, always fascinated by you. Adorable even when your sleeping. (btw, good job prioritizing sleep, Frida! You get to check off a square too! 😉)

[caitbird]

@itsfi  thank you! (love that gif too btw 😂) I was happy to find the splitgill mushrooms - I think they are beautiful, and I haven't seen any in a while, so it was a fun sighting. Haha, Frida (and Fabian) are champion sleepers, so "prioritize sleep" is pretty much a given for them every month 🤣

[miss8]

@itsfi , #OMG Literally #MinimizingEverything Has Done Wonders For My Wellness Activities 😊

[blackkitty2014]

Report my status before I’m getting lazy Again😂🤣 (PS: I will copy @itsfi @next time to put a different imo to keep track easier)

Still haven’t able to check on that digital detox but I will try during the holiday. Still haven’t able to check on “Treat someone else” box because I’m still waiting for some goodies to be available for purchase). Sigh. I allowed myself to be lazy with the daily exercise after reaching my Nov challenge on my iPhone. Does anyone doing this? 

[CorgiMommy]

Nicely done @blackkitty2014 

[Samtian]

@blackkitty2014 Congrats!!! 

[missjeanie]

@blackkitty2014 Tell me more about these challenges on your iphone?  I've never seen these on mine!  But I'm interested.  Not in running that far, but curious to see what they all entail!

[itsfi]

Woohoo @blackkitty2014, I spy a couple of BINGO's here! Congratulations! Love your emoji markers. 

Okay, so I had noooo idea about these phone challenges. Oh my goodness, you ran for almost 9 miles every day in November?!! And you're worried about "getting lazy"? I think we have a different definition of "lazy" blackkitty. 🤣 I feel like I need to lie down and stretch just thinking about how much running you've been doing. 

[caitbird]

@blackkitty2014  wow, great job! You have been crushing it with your exercise challenge, I'm so impressed! Is this an app you are using, for the exercise challenge?

[CorgiMommy]

I took a look to see what is have been doing in self care without thinking about it.  I did bend some of my rules as I heal up.

 Treat yourself:  I went to the farmers market or should I say I ate my way through the market.  Enjoyed an empanada,  cherry Danish, and brought a bag of pretzel bite to enjoy later.   Plus I purchased some of the best winter squash i have ever had!

Seasonal fruits and vegetables - see above

Stretch - it is important for me now so I don't have shoulder problems. 

Body care - used the FSE to purchase some awesome bath and body products.  

Give yourself permission to - listen to my body.   Healing is never linear it has lots of ups and downs.  Using this time to relax when I need to, change plans when I have to and improve my diet to get back to life. 

Read TV Movie etc. - watching the Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix.  I do really enjoy a legal drama!