The season of Fall is synonymous with rebirth. It is a time when the world sheds it's leaves and changes it's colors in preparation for the next chapter. Fall is a great time for us to reinvent ourselves and chart out new milestones. With that in mind, here is the 30 day wellness challenge, self-improvement activities to try for each of the 30 days!
1) Drink More Water - One must nourish themselves to flourish. We often make resolutions to drink water and then find ourselves not drinking enough, especially on our busiest days. Water is essential for our gut health, to improve skin and hair health, and to fuel the many biological processes of our body. In short, drink more water!
2) Stretch Routine - Many struggle to incorporate consistent movement into their day. This is because many people come up with a fitness resolution and then immediately hit the gym hardcore. Then they burnout and stop working out all together. The best way to incorporate movement and make it a habit is to incorporate it in small steps. Stretching is a great way to include movement and also increase mobility as you work your way up to your fitness goals.
3) Balanced Breakfast - Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, especially for women. It sets the tone of the day. Your breakfast should include both protein and healthy fats. This helps kick off the metabolism, build gut health, and helps balance hormones in the long run.
4) Go For Walks - Since the popularization of the 10k step challenge, it has become apparent that many people have lost weight simply from walking. Walking is a form of low intensity, steady-state cardio, that gets the heartrate up and helps burn calories without raising cortisol levels.
5) Skincare Routine - With skincare, less is more. Oftentimes, people use too many actives or too many abrasive products, leading to worsening skin quality. All you really need is an SPF, a moisturizer, and a good night cream containing retinol. Trial and error will help you learn which products and ingredients suit your skin.
6) Mindful Journaling - We often live life on autopilot mode. Spending a few minutes each day to type up a short entry concluding your thoughts is a great way to process and rationalize your current life. It can also help you consolidate memories and observe your own behavioral patterns.
7) Digital Detox - the media is wonderful! Social media is a fun escape. But we must be mindful of the toxic standards perpetuated on social media, as well as the bombardment of discrete advertising and consumerism littering social media. It is best to give yourself a set timed window to scroll social media during the day. Then log off and disengage. Engage with your current life.
8) Shadow Journaling - After getting into a groove of journaling your daily occurrences and thoughts, look up shadow work prompts. These are prompts that compel you to write about your inner fears, complexes, and shadow self. These prompts encourage deep introspection, which can be uncomfortable, but is needed for growth.
9) Strength Training - After getting into the groove of adding movement into your day, slowly add in strength training. You can look up mat workouts on YouTube. Pick a few short videos to follow. Add in small dumbbells to up the intensity. Even doing short strength training workouts will help carve some lean lines onto your body.
10) Prep Healthy Snacks - Many fitness regimes become victim to snacking. When you are in the mood for a little treat, have healthy but yummy alternatives on hand. Bake goodies at home and store them away for when you feel peckish. You can even make frozen treats like Greek yogurt and chocolate bars. There are tons of quick snack ideas to pick from online. Batch prep some and store them away for those ravenous snacking moods.
11) Learn A Little Each Day - Mental stimulation is just as important, especially if you are done with school. Don't let your brilliance dissipate. Keep your brain active and healthy by challenging it to learn new things. Pick a topic you are passionate about and spend a little time learning about it each day. For some people, this is learning a new language. You can do this by spending a few minutes on a language learning app or by watching an episode of a foreign drama in that language.
12) Communicate With Others - Oftentimes the make or break in our mental health is the access to support and communication. To have community, one must open the lines of communication. Reach out to friends and family. Keep in touch. Avoid isolating yourself.
13) Daily Reading - Another way to keep your brain active and your vocabulary growing is by reading each day. You do not have to read volumes of novels. Pick books you enjoy and read a few pages each day. This can be done easily by replacing phone scrolling with reading.
14) Declutter - Downsize, recycle, and refine. Take stock of all your belongings and get rid of the items you don't use anymore. Keeping only the items you truly like will help you refine you space and cultivate your personal style. A clean and neat space also lowers anxiety, irritability, and leads to a happier mental state overall.
15) Creative Hobbies - The modern day life is busy and hectic. Between work, school, and personal obligations, there is little to no time for personal cultivation. Engaging in fun hobbies for oneself is very important to help burnout and mental fatigue in life. You can spend a short block of your day doing something creative. This can be drawing, crocheting, baking, writing, taking photos, whatever it is that you enjoy and helps you get those creative juices out.
16) Stretching Daily - It is true that our muscles and joints get stiffer with age. Our body slows down a bit and stops working as it used to. There are ways to combat this however. Stretching everyday allows you to work those muscles and keep those joints lose. As they say, if you don't use it, you will lose it. So go ahead and use it!
17) Daily Gratitude - Mindfulness and positivity are the backbone of sound mental health. Practicing gratitude only requires you to set aside a few minutes a day for quiet reflection of all the things you cherish in life. We often mull over everything we dislike about our lives. Spending five minutes to appreciate all we have can do no harm. In fact, if done regularly, it can change your outlook.
18) Scrub & Moisturize - Our body is also part of our skin. We often forget taking care of the rest of our skin aside from our face. Next time you hop in the shower, use a nice scrub to exfoliate your skin and then follow up with a moisturizer to give your body the nourishment it needs.
19) Random Acts of Kindness - In a world growing increasingly hyper-independent, we have begun to lose sense of community. Performing small acts of kindness for those you encounter in your day is not only refreshing for your mental well-being, it helps forward a tidbit of positivity into the world. That positivity can then carry on and create changes you may not even be aware of.
20) Consistent Sleep Schedule - This can be hard to do, but it is so important for your overall health. Much of our physiological and mental functioning is linked to good quality sleep. Set an alarm for the mornings, abide by it, and set a standard bedtime each night, abide by it as well. After a few nights, the routine will get easier.
21) Meal Prep - Plan your meals for the week ahead of time. This way you know exactly what groceries to get over the weekend and you can stick to a healthy meal plan throughout the week. Batch make lunches and snacks. Prep what you can for the dinners. This way you can skip all the extra steps and make a fresh dinner each day. You can even batch-make little goodies for breakfast. All of this ensures that you have a foolproof way of hitting your targeted macros.
22) Digital Declutter - Go through your phone and toss out the apps you are not using. Toss out pictures and videos that you do not need. Go on social media and unfollow creators you are not in tune with anymore. Create a fresh space for yourself digitally. Give yourself digital clarity.
23) Positive Affirmations - Start your day by repeating positive affirmations. Not only can this kickstart your day off to a good start, it can ignite manifestation, and rewire your subconscious thoughts positively.
24) Meditation - Take a few minutes to meditate or quietly reflect. We spend so much of our days on autopilot that we are not processing everything that occurs in our lives. Give yourself space to simply ruminate.
25) Extra Hydration - Boost your hydration by adding beneficial elements to your water, such as lemon slices, or electrolytes. Give yourself that extra replenishing hydration.
26) Get Some Sunlight - Go out for a walk in nature. Ground yourself and soak up the sun. We need vitamin D for both our physical functioning and mental functioning. Vitamin D is key in many of our bodies processes. Getting sunlight is great way to recalibrate your systems.
27) Budget Plan - Review your finances, pay the bills, and set aside a budget for each month. Identify how much needs to spent on each category and stick with it. Shopping is all good and well, until the credit card bills start to haunt you. Avoid the extra stress and budget for your means.
28) Vision Board - Many studies have shown that vision boards are effective in helping people achieve their goals. A vision board sets intentionality. It defines your goals and allows you to manifest them, ushering in manifestation.
29) Epsom Bath - Soothe your muscles and skin with an Epsom salt bath. Add essential oils for aromatherapy and really let yourself destress.
30) Relax - Set aside time each day to do nothing. Yes, nothing. Simply relax. Regulating stress levels is key for our physical and mental health.
This is a wrap! It takes a month to build positive habits and following this 30 day wellness plan can definitely help you take that first step. A few of these are sure to stick after some repetition. It takes only one positive habit to create a trickle of change in your life. Small steps lead to bigger steps, and steps pave the way. Hope this helped!
What other wellness activities would you add?
- ISBAH xoxo
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