Working Towards Wellness: September 2025

[itsfi]

Happy September, BIC! 🍃🍂🍁 Pumpkin spice season is underway and soon, the air will get a little crisper and the leaves will begin to change colors and fall. As the days get shorter and cooler, it's important to keep on top of our wellness routines, adjusting as necessary to meet the changes in the weather, our schedule, or life in general.

If this is your first visit to the monthly Working Towards Wellness thread or you've been here before, welcome; we're so happy you stopped on by. Please feel free to stay and check out the thread as oft as you'd like and join if you're interested. If you're back for another month of wellness bingo, welcome back! Looking forward to seeing what everyone, new and returning, has and will be doing this month as part of their wellness practice.

We're each on our own personal self-care journey. If you're like me, that journey varies - some days are better than others. Wellness is a process - it's about progress, not perfection. It takes work. Much of that work falls on us individually, and our efforts towards self-care, as it should, but that effort is, and can be helped, inspired, encouraged, and supported by others - be it friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, and the members of this Community. Wellness takes work - let's do the work together, BIC!

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), 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.

• Description of Activities. For more information or examples of the activities described in each square, check out ➡️ September BIC Wellness Activities

Posting: 

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, click "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.

Spoiler

@ather @blackkitty2014 @byme4u @caitbird @CorgiMommy @curlychiquita @danielledanielle @jaaayp  @Mellmars1185 @PDXXXX  @peculiarzmakeup @PrettyPaint @Samtian If I'm forgetting someone, I apologize. I'll try to tag more later. Feel free to tag others who you think may be interested. Thanks to folks who have inspired some of this month's new self-care activities by your suggestions and previous posts.

Also, for those who have been participating in these wellness bingo activities, consider posting your favorite or newly discovered self-care activities to the September is National Self-Care Awareness Month - Share your go-to self-care activities! thread as a way to give  folks, new and long standing to BIC, some real, practical ideas of how to look after our wellness. Having tools at our ready is a good thing when it comes to looking after our well being.

[Samtian]

@caitbird Can't beat kitty cuddles! Hope things get better for you soon! Love the checklist and collage!

[danielledanielle]

Great self care list and I love the collage!  @caitbird Frrrriddddaaaaaaaa

I would count kitty cuddles as working on joy, btw

[itsfi]

2nd that @caitbird @danielledanielle 

kitty cuddles = working on joy

[itsfi]

@caitbird, brought a smile to my face to see your post! You've been missed; it's good to see you. Those are some fantastic wellness activities you gotten to so far this month 🙌

I didn't know Dubai chocolate was a thing; when I read your self-care summary, it made me think of this yummy treat I've had at a Korean bakery. I went online to look into it a bit more (for research, of course) and I think I'll need to do some follow up at the bakery. I mean, I could just ask if they use actual Dubai chocolate in the treat. Or maybe, I do that and I get my hands on some Dubai chocolate and another piece of that baked yummy goodness and do my own taste test. Hmmm 🤔 I think the latter is more in keeping with the traditions of the BIC Science Team. 😂🤣😂 You have just inspired a new project!

Wow, it is rare that every song on an album is a hit, that's awesome! How did you hear about the artist? Love the seasonal self care bucket list that you made, and so impressed (and inspired) that you've already checked off some boxes. Go, girl! You're off to an amazing start!

[danielledanielle]

Dating myself was nice.  I really like the food at the place in went to, but haven't gone alone.  Everything came so quickly (the place is on point 🙌🏽) .  I listened to a podcast while I ate.

Spoiler

 

 

I'm going to go for board.  A lot of this month aligns where I'm at and need to be.  Like, I definitely need to sleep, so while this hasn't happened every night, I think I did it twice, intentionally.

[Samtian]

@danielledanielle Wow you are knocking it out of the park! And that date looks yummy!

[CorgiMommy]

@danielledanielle wow, you really have been working on your self care, congrats!

[danielledanielle]

You inadvertently pushed me @CorgiMommy last month.  Not from like a "anything you can do" more I was like... Whole board, I never thought to even try.  I appreciate you listing activities, like I forgot which month (sorry @itsfi  😂), but I remember you listing different things for trying something new.

I don't always comment, but I read stuff and cheer y'all on.  It's good stuff.

[caitbird]

@danielledanielle  awesome job, you are crushing it this month! Also that food looks amazing! Hope you enjoyed it 😊

[danielledanielle]

It was soooooo good 😊 @caitbird 

(Happy to see you!)

[itsfi]

And we have BINGO!!!! x2 🎉🎉 Coming close to a couple more. You are owning it this month @danielledanielle. Excellent work!

btw, love the new profile pic! 😍

[danielledanielle]

Thank you! @itsfi , I like it too! I've forgotten I've changed it twice already, and have startled myself

[Samtian]

• Stretch- Stretching at work throughout the day. I don't think I'll ever be able to wake up early enough to do it before work.
• Seasonal F&V- It's fair season for us! We just had the Eastern Idaho State Fair, so I had some corn 🙂 *Note to self update the walk square because I walked around the fair often. 
• Music- I try to get the cats to dance with me but they won't. 
• Create- Always editing.
• Aroma Therapy- Brought out the fall/winter themed wax melts! 
• Read- Really enjoying the 4th Bourne book. I gave up on the 3rd. 
• Seasonal Drink- Fair season= fruit smoothies and cotton candy smoothie. Normally I get a Horchata smoothie but tried Cotton Candy, and frozen lemonade. 

[CorgiMommy]

Nicely done!  @Samtian 

[caitbird]

@Samtian  great job! You are doing amazing! Going to the state fair sounds so fun - those are some interesting smoothie flavors!

[itsfi]

Awesome work @Samtian 👊🏼🙌🏼 what a way to start off self care September.  Stretching throughout the day is a great practice to get into - it’s probably when we need it the most, too, right?! Love the falling leaves for checking off the boxes - very creative and fun! 🤩 

That State Fair has some creative smoothies - admittedly it’s been some time since I’ve been to a fair but it’s the first I’ve heard of Horchata or cotton candy smoothies. 

[Samtian]

@itsfi State fairs are fun for me. I love ours. 

[lunalov]

Happy fall y’all!!! I cant wait to play in the leaves! The smell of the wind and pumpkin spice candles!!

this is a great board for fall! Im so exited to participate 

[itsfi]

So happy to have you join @lunalov; welcome! I love your self care plans for fall. It brought a smile to my face reading them. 😊 Thanks for the reminder too - I need to pull out my fall candles! 

[ather]

@itsfi  This looks lovely! Cannot wait to participate! 

[itsfi]

Thank you @ather; looking forward to hearing about your wellness practice this month!