It’s a new week! which means I have seven new ideas for our weekly self-care challenge (now in its third week). If this is your first time here, each week I will challenge us to do one of the self-care options below for each day of the upcoming week. I encourage you to keep a journal of each of these tips so it will become a natural part of your regular self-care habits. I developed a formula to help describe the three main goals of these weekly tips i.e. my formula for self-care to help define what self-care means.
Building AWARENESS +remaining CONSISTENT +making TIME =an ACT. Building the awareness around self-care habits, making time for self-care and staying consistent is an act of taking care of ourselves.
On Friday of last week I asked us to switch out 30mins to an hour of tv and listen to a podcast instead. I found and listened to Naturally Randi Kay’s podcast (my first time listening to her). She had a podcast called The Ultimate Self-Care Habit where she talked about self-care non-negotiable. Which is essentially “one doable thing that you will do for yourself everyday no matter what.” A light bulb went off inside of me because that is at the heart of what these weekly challenges are about. She said “we should start with one simple thing and build on it instead of trying to change everything over night. Listen to the podcast here it’s only 11mins long.
- SUNDAY-–ORAL HEALTH (physical self-care), I want to assume that everyone is on top of this but you never really know. If you’re not already on top of your dental care, start today, whatever that looks like for you. If you don’t floss, floss today. If you only brush once per day start brushing twice per day. Also, if it’s been over six months since you’ve seen a dentist make an appointment today to see someone soon.
- MONDAY-–EXFOLIATE (physical self-care), exfoliating removes dead and dry skin cells from your body and helps increase circulation. I try to exfoliate at least once per week with a body scrub (stores like TJMaxx and Marshalls have a variety of options at a great price) or you can use a loofah if you have one. Be sure to take some extra time in the shower or bath to exfoliate your skin today.
- TUESDAY-–MINDFULNESS PRACTICE (emotional self-care), i don’t make time for mindfulness the way I use to. I use to set aside at least a half hour to meditate daily. Meditation is really a powerful tool, and if done regularly you really start to notice some benefits. Engaging in a regular mindfulness practice will change how we look at ourselves, our community and how we choose to handle life’s challenges. Even if you can only carve out a few minutes today make sure you use that time to practice meditation. If it’s your first time, there are a lot of guided mediation practices on YouTube.
- WEDNESDAY-–DO A FACE MASK (physical self-care),i am a MaryKay girl. My sorority sister sells MaryKay products and I’ve noticed the changes it made to her skin so I decided to try it. I didn’t have bad skin before but I wanted to use good products that would produce noticeable changes over time and MaryKay has done that for me. I do a charcoal face mask 2-3 times per week (see pic above) and I noticed changes within two weeks. If you already have a mask routine take sometime for it tonight. TJMaxx has a variety of options (especially if you’re on a budget). If you’re interested in MaryKay products you can check out my sorority sister’s site here. and follow her on instagram @_therealrhondafay_.
- THURSDAY-–A CARBLESS MEAL (physical self-care), i’m sure some of you may already be on top of this i.e. healthy eating but this is for my readers who may not be as disciplined when it comes to their diet. If you’re never mindful of the types of foods you eat I’m challenging you to do that today. Make one of your meals a carbless option and if you’re worried about getting hungry way before your next meal, choose a healthy snack such as fruits or nuts.
- FRIDAY- GIRLS NIGHT PAMPERING SESSION (physical self-care), I know we are social distancing so only choose this option if you’re comfortable or if you have a few friends you can invite over (an alternative would be to do this with your daughters even if they are little ones). If you don’t have a pampering session plan you can use some of the ideas in this post or use the tips in this blog. Another option would be to check out pinterest.
- SATURDAY- HAVE A GLASS OF WINE (emotional self-care), and I mean A glass of wine and not the whole bottle lol. Trust me, I know sometimes the bottle might be necessary but the goal here is to start a health journey but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a drink when it’s needed. If you don’t drink get a bottle of sparkling apple cider. Tonight just focus on celebrating taking time for yourself all week.
These are basic self-care habits that shouldn’t take much of your time. It may not seem like much but little habits can turn into life long routines…if you stay consistent. I’m not perfect with my self-care routine, in fact, I’m doing these challenges each day of the week with you in hopes that I will develop a consistent habit. We are all learning.
How many of the suggested habits did you add to your routine each day? Tag me in your instagram photos especially if you do the girls night. Let’s chat!
~~Tam33ks!!
Follow Me:
Self-Care At Forty 
I really like the self care ideas for each day of the week. It made me aware of how little self care I do. I’m usually focusing on getting the next task done.
LikeLike