Are you ready for your January Self-Care Challenge? I have created 31 challenges for you to complete. Don’t worry, they are easy! January self care challenge (download and print)
(1) Eat black-eyed peas and greens. It’s good luck and they are good for you!
(2) Watch the Quadranids meteor shower. If you can’t see them, just take a moment to look at the night sky.
(3) Fill a planner with events. There are so many things to look forward to in 2021. Mark the events and days you don’t want to miss in your calendar, along with birthdays and anniversaries. It will give you a lift because it will give you something to look forward to. We all need that.
(4) Today is National Spaghetti Day! Spaghetti would be the perfect warm meal for a cold day. Spaghetti sauce is good for you — unless it has lots of sugar in it. Pick a sauce that doesn’t have sugar, like Simply Ragu (or make your own). I think the kind without sugar tastes exactly like the regular kind! Important: researchers are finding that the antioxidant lycopene, a nutrient found in tomato sauce, appears to be useful in treating the corona virus. Lycopene also helps prevent heart disease, liver disease and some cancers.
Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com
(5) Pick a book to read this month. Something you have been meaning to read but haven’t made the time for, maybe.
(6) Save a little money. I know it is hard to save right now. Last year, I saved pennies, dimes and nickesls in a can. (i use my quarters for laundry). It was just my spare change, so I didn’t really miss it. I cashed it in yesterday and it was $25! And I really needed it this month. Even if you only save a $1 a week, by the end of the year, just think: you would have saved $52! If you saved $10 a month, you’d have $120.
(7) Here is a winter guided meditation for today…it is only a couple of minutes long.
(8) Today is Bubble Bath Day! Enjoy!
(9) Today is Vision Board Day! You can make a Vision Board on a bulletin board, in your journal or planner, on a poster or on a smaller sheet of paper. Vision Boards help you visualize how you will feel when you achieve a goal…or what achieving that goal may look like. You can cut out phrases and pictures from magazines, Pinterest or Google to make a collage that inspires you. I also like to use the paper pads from Michael’s, as well as stickers.
(10) Complete a crossword puzzle. Word games are good for your brain. I like the ones in Women’s World magazine because they are fairly easy but if you are up to the New York Times one, have at it! Womens World magazine also has sweet affirmations you can cut out and post to inspire and motivate you.
(11) Today is Clean Your Desk Day! January is such a good month for organizing and de-cluttering. You’ll work more effectively with a clean desk.
(12) Today is Stick to Your Resolutions Day! Check back with this blog on January 12th for ideas on how to stick to your resolutions.
(13) Create a sacred space in your home. I think this will be a fun project I plan to do. All that is needed is to set up some corner of your home, in your bedroom, perhaps, where you can meditate or pray. Add a floor pillow or other comfortable seating, maybe a candle, plant, crystal or other item to help you focus. There are some beautiful examples on Pinterest.
(14) Take Vitamin D and avoid foods and drinks with high fructose corn syrup. Especially in winter, most of us are deficient in Vitamin D. If you are elderly, obese or a person of color, you need even more Vitamin D than others. Even if your doctor says you are not deficient, taking Vitamin D is a good idea. Researchers and doctors believe taking Vitamin D supplements may help protect you against the corona virus. However, high fructose corn syrup interferes with how the body uses Vitamin D. So avoid or reduce soda and other foods with HFCS during the pandemic.
(15) Take an herbal tea break and make a list of things you are grateful for today.
(16) Here is a Yoga workout for beginners to chase away the winter blues.
(17) Our skin gets dry in the winter. Try soaking your feet for about a half hour. You can add some vinegar to the water. Then use a pumice stone to remove dried skin from cracked heels.
(18) Cook broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts or cauliflower. These foods are low-calorie, full of nutrients and fiber-rich. But important to know for now, they also increase your immunity, according to Woman’s World, which is very important during the pandemic. And Better Homes & Gardens reports this month that eating just a tiny serving daily can lower your chances of forming calcium in your arteries (which can lead to stroke or heart attack) by 46%!
(19) Reduce your stress with this soothing jazz music video.
(20) Have you tried reading affirmations? Have you tried reading them aloud? They can make a big difference in your mental wellbeing. Try saying one while looking in the mirror at yourself.
(21) List ten things you are proud about. Have you tried this? A terrific mood booster. Worth the investment of time!
(22) De-clutter and organize your bathroom. This is a relatively small task that pays off in big benefits because we spend so much time in the bathroom. Clear out everything from under the sink or in storage cabinets and give it a good scrubbing. Toss expired medicines and any makeup older than a year old. Now, when you walk into the bathroom, you’ll find just what you need — a soothing way to start the day.
(23) Connection is so important while we remain safer at home. Since getting together with friends isn’t recommended during a pandemic, schedule time to talk or meet on Zoom to catch up.
(24) Today is National Compliment Day! Make it specific and sweet. You’ll feel great, too!
(25) Run your humidifier. During the cold months, running a humidifier will keep your nasal passages from drying out (especially good for preventing croup in babies!). This helps reduce your chance of getting a respiratory infection. It also eliminates those pesky electric shocks you get in cold weather! It will make your home feel warmer and more cozy. And it’s good for your skin. If you use distilled water, calcium deposits won’t form on the heating element of your humidifier. No humidifer? Open the bathroom doors after showers or boil pots of water to humidify the air.
(26) Here is a challenge: take a walk outside for thirty minutes (unless it is very cold). While you are out, try to touch at least ten trees. If no one is looking, really focus on connecting with at least one tree. What do you feel when you place both hands on the trunk?
(27) Make homemade soup or chili. The one good thing about the pandemic is we have all become better cooks! On a cold day, what can beat a steaming bowl of soup or chili? Here is my easy-to-make chili recipe.
(28) Have a no-complaint day. I don’t know about you, but I complain TOO much. I’m not proud of that. Sometimes, complaining becomes contagious! Or it can be a way to connect socially, because everyone needs to vent, sometimes. Try to keep your complaining to a minimum by thinking of ways to solve your problems, instead (or live with them, if you can’t solve them). You will be amazed how you feel if you try not to complain once for an entire day!
(29) Tour a museum exhibit, online. Of course, most museums are closed now. But looking at art is so restoring for the soul. You can take a mini tour of just about any major art museum in the world on YouTube. Maybe you’d like to pick some beautifully colorful paintings to look at, since winter can be a little dreary. Matisse is good for the winter blahs! Here is a talk about one of my favorite paintings by the artist, Eduoard Manet.
(30) Hydrate with lemon water. Do you drink enough water? I don’t and I think almost no one does! But we all mean to. I definitely drink more water, however, when I take the time to put lemon slices in a pitcher. Cucumber slices is refreshing, too!
(31) Quarantine safely. There is no better self-care activity we can undertake right now than to NOT get sick during the pandemic. You know what that means: frequent handwashing, cleaning surfaces, wearing a mask and avoiding indoor public spaces….and not getting together with people outside of our household if we can help it. I know this is hard. It won’t last forever, but we have to be diligent for a few more months and now, more than ever.
Happy New Year and bright blessings to you all in 2021!
Cool Yule 
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