#30daysofimprovement

Self-Care Challenge:

For 30 days, make self-care a priority. 

I’ll post this now and everyone who wants to participate can work on their foundation of the challenge until next Monday. The challenge doesn’t officially start until April 13th, 2020. 

The Foundation:  - Explore the different meanings of self-care and define what it means to you. Think about the areas that are causing you the most stress or are the most neglected. (For me personally, I’m focusing on accountability, self-discipline, and being understanding with/learning more about myself.)

- Write a list of things that you feel would help in these areas. This is what you’re going to use as your framework for this challenge, so only include the ones you actively want to do. If it’s something you drag your feet over a lot, it’s best left off the list. Remember, you are pushing yourself to improve, but you are not forcing yourself to be above your ability. Make this as easy and fun for yourself as you can.This is not a punishment, this is a fun challenge of improvement and a way to pass time. (For myself, I have picked videos, quotes/writing in a journal, cleaning house, drinking more water, keeping on top of schoolwork, and taking care of finances.)

- Finally, plan out how you want to approach improvement in these areas. These are the activities themselves, in very specific forms. Examples:

TedTalks: They cover a fair amount of concepts, and there are whole categories for self, depression, anxiety, and others I’d like to watch.

YouTube Videos: I use it for seminars/talks/motivational speeches

Journal Prompts: Generally found on pinterest - pics saved in a folder on my tablet 

Quote Shuffle: Personal tool - I write a list of quotes and shuffle them before picking a few and reading them, then sitting with and thinking the concept over for a while and writing down anything I learn. 

Domestic Tasks List: At least once a week, I should be contributing a minimum of 3 or 4 things around the house, not including the care of my pets. By creating a list of tasks, I can spread them out over the course of a week, keep track of what completed, and pick/choose which ones I do next. By not doing them all at once, I have the spoons to cover them all at my own pace, and some days I have enough to do more, which adds to my accomplishments and takes away some anxiety over not doing enough. 

School Tasks: Same concept ^ but using due dates on a weekly basis.

Finances List: A list of bills and due dates, semester sessions, etc that hangs by my door. I can’t leave my room without seeing it, so it serves as a good reminder not to make any impulse purchases, plus keeps me on track for my payment schedule.

Water Bottle Chart: A weekly water-intake chart where I can mark off how many bottles of water I have had in a day. I try for three or four bottles, but it doesn’t always happen. At the end of the week, I grade myself on a total of x out of 21 and feel a sense of accomplishment when I get a good grade.

Bedroom List: Cleaning my bedroom is a method of decompression for me, so this serves a purpose more as a reward than a talk. 

The Challenge: For thirty days, make it a priority and make a point to follow through on your plans. Everyone has a different schedule, so don’t push yourself harder than you can manage. Your daily list may not always be the same.

Keep track of what you have and haven’t done over the course of the thirty days, whether that’s via journal, log, notes, or something else. Look for any patterns. Note any changes you may notice and see if they’re connected to your actions.  

Note: The goal is not a uniform, rigid schedule, but rather some form of accomplishment on a daily basis. Be flexible and patient with yourself. This is a no-pressure, no-judgement challenge. Don’t overload yourself, and don’t tear yourself down for missed tasks.You do not fail if you missed a day or didn’t succeed; instead, use the opportunity to be patient with yourself and find a different approach if needed. 

This is a 30 day challenge, but I will cycle through 3 times, as that’s enough time to establish new habits. No one has to repeat it with me, but if you want to, you can! My ask box is open for questions. 

Again, the challenge doesn’t start until April 13th, 2020. The time until then will be used for building the foundation and making the charts, lists, schedules, etc needed for the challenge.