Summary
Join the April Self-Care Challenge for Women!
Are you ready for some self-care this April? The following is our brand spanking new April Self-Care Challenge for Women, with new ideas to be the best you can be, mentally and physically!
(This post may contain affiliate links to support my small business.)
April Self-Care Challenge for Women
Celebrate the new season with some fun and ambitious self-care challenges and make your physical, mental, and emotional health a priority in this new April self-care challenge.
Why Self-Care In April?
Self-care is important for everyone, but it is particularly important for women because we tend to put others ahead of ourselves. We are shaking off the dregs of winter, Spring has sprung, so April is a great time to invest in yourself. Why?
- Stress: April is a busy month for many people, as it marks the start of spring and tax season. Women are often tasked with managing multiple responsibilities, including work, family, and household chores. This can lead to increased stress levels, which can have negative effects on physical and mental health. Engaging in self-care practices can help women manage stress and improve their overall well-being.
- Weather: The nicer weather eliminates any excuse not to get more active physically because of the cold and fresh in-season fruits and vegetables are in abundance.
- Allergies: As spring begins, the weather starts to warm up, and flowers begin to bloom. While this can be a beautiful time of year, it can also trigger allergies in some people. Women who suffer from allergies may need to take extra care of their health during this time, which could include self-care practices such as eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of rest, and staying hydrated.
- Mental health: April is National Stress Awareness Month. This provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and to encourage people to seek help if they are struggling. Women are often more likely than men to experience anxiety and depression, so engaging in self-care practices that promote mental health, such as meditation, yoga, or talking to a therapist, can be especially important for women in April.
The Challenge
Now, without further ado, let’s start the April Self-Care Challenge!
- Enjoy the sun while reading a book or magazine: Spring is the perfect time to enjoy warmer days and everything new coming into bloom. Make time to take it all in, the sights, the smells, and the textures of spring while enjoying quiet time to read.
- Spring Clean Makeup with Fresh Colors: Did you know you should replace make-up, especially eye and lip care every six months? Time to clean out your makeup bag and replace it with gorgeous spring colors of pink, lavender, and robin’s egg blue.
- Listen to the birds on a walk: Make time for a 20-30 minute walk a few days a week. While walking, make an effort to learn to identify the beautiful birds that you hear.
- Start a Book Club: Gather a few friends and commit to reading at least one book a month. Why is this important? It’s well-known that as we get older, women make less time for friendships, yet friendships are essential for good mental health. Also, reading can reduce stress and improve mental and emotional intelligence. Maybe dive into one of those “banned” books to expand your education.
- Spring Recipes: Find five healthy and deliciously indulgent spring recipes like this basil pesto to try as part of your April Self-Care Challenge. How about a new salad, pasta dish, or decadent dessert?
- Listen to New Music: If you are someone who only listens to pop music, expand your horizons by sampling some classical or Jazz music. Claude Debussy’s Claire De Lune is the perfect anthem for spring!
- Plan A Getaway: Plan a summer or fall getaway with a friend or even a few friends. There is nothing better than a weekend adventure with friends to recharge you. Even the anticipation of a trip will put you in a good mood. Explore a new city, go glamping, sleep in late, and party until the sun comes up, whatever you want to do! Psst: Did you know I am planning a few women’s weekend trips this year, including Napa, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, and more? Stay tuned…
- Look in the Mirror: Sometimes our biggest critic is ourselves, we tend to look in the mirror and only see our flaws. But beauty is skin deep and there is something beautiful and unique about everyone, even you. Why not make an effort to become your own biggest supporter instead? Every morning this month, look in the mirror, think about five things you like about yourself, and whisper to yourself “Hi beautiful! As you go about your day, reflect on that moment (no pun intended) and remember that you are beautiful and unique. Learn to love yourself for who you are and strive to show the world your best self.
- Water Colors: It’s time to find your inner Picasso! Grab some blank canvas or paper and a new container of watercolors and paint the world around you. Who cares if your squirrels look like horses and your birds look like dinosaurs, you are an impressionist baby!
- Spring Clean Those Closets: Spring is a great time to go through your closets and clean out those old coats, sweaters, and shoes you no longer wear. If they are in good condition, be kind to others and donate them to Goodwill or another donation service. Donating allows you to pass on your gently used items to someone who may need them, reduces waste, and supports a good cause.
- Eat In-Season Fruits & Vegetables: Spring offers so many options for eating fresh in-season fruits and vegetables with produce that is fresh, flavorful, and nutrient-dense. Eating in-season is usually also less expensive because produce can be purchased from local farms, involving less storage or transport. Strawberries, citrus fruits, pineapple, and melon are popular in-season fruits. Peas, asparagus, spinach, and broccoli are healthy and delicious in-season vegetable options.
- Decorate Your House: It’s time to put away the warm, cozy colors of winter and let a breath of fresh air (and color) into your home decor. Soothing pastels and vibrant bold colors can add a touch of spring to your home.
- Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize!: Spring is a perfect time to moisturize your skin and get it summer-ready. The air is warmer and more humid, allowing the moisturizer to be absorbed slower. Before you grab your favorite moisturizer, don’t forget to do a nice full-body scrub to slough off the dry, flaky skin.
- Tech Free 24 Hours: Can you do it? Can you go tech-free for 24 hours? Setting your tech devices aside for a short time can have so many mental and physical benefits such as improved sleep, better face-to-face interactions, increased productivity, and avoidance of situations that can cause stress such as confrontational posts. April is the perfect month to go tech-free!
- Start Two Self-Care Jars: This month, start a self-care jar with ideas and tips to practice self-care throughout the year. Write some self-care ideas on slips of paper and place them in a clean mason jar to use when you are overwhelmed and need a push to take care of yourself. As an added bonus, start a jar for a friend and present it to her at the end of April with a big bow, so she can practice self-care too!
- Sit Under the Stars: Now that the days are getting warmer, so are the nights. Grab your mobile phone, download the astronomy app Star Guide and get outside at night to gaze at the beauty of the night sky. Star Guide is a live-action app that will show you the stars, constellations, and celestial objects you can see above you. If you live in a big city with lots of light pollution, grab your family and take a drive to the country where you will be able to see more of the night sky.
- Get to Know Someone New: Is there someone you work with or see on a regular basis that you don’t know very well? Invite them to coffee or lunch and take some time to get to know them, it may change your life. Many years ago, I worked with a woman named Kathy. We worked together for about six months but I never took the time to get to know her and had some preconceived notions of who she was. One day I had car problems and she offered to pick me up from the dealership at lunchtime. To thank her for giving up her lunchtime to help me, I offered to take her to lunch. During that lunch, we talked and laughed and I discovered we had so much in common, she quickly became one of my best friends. Your next best friend could literally be sitting across the room from you — go outside of your comfort zone and get to know the people you work and/or interact with better.
- Meet A Friend For A Picnic: Enjoy the beautiful spring weather and invite a friend you haven’t seen for a while to a nice spring picnic. The food can be as simple as sandwiches or as elaborate as a gourmet meal; the food is not what matters, your friendship is. Maybe your friend is your significant other and you can make this romantic–it’s up to you!
- Plant Some Flowers: You know that new Miley Cyrus song “Flowers” that is hitting the airwaves? It’s true, you can buy yourself flowers and you should…just make them flowers you can plant so they last longer. Tulips, lilac, peony, and daffodils are all fragrant in-season flowers to plant this April.
- Make An Easter Basket: Easter is this month so you likely have already started making Easter baskets for your family. But what about you? Moms sometimes get forgotten for holidays, so take some time to find things you would like and make an Easter Basket that the Easter Bunny would be proud of.
- Do Something Adventurous: Are you someone who doesn’t like to take risks? BORING! I’m not saying you need to put your life in danger (I am really not saying that!) but there is something exhilarating about stepping outside your comfort zone to try something adventurous and fun you would not normally do. It could be as simple as playing hooky from work to go on a spring hike, signing up for a scuba diving or painting class, or taking a friend ziplining. Live life on the wild side this month!
- Let It Go: It is easy to get angry, but it is much harder to take that anger and let it go. Anger is a normal human emotion but if your first step is to jump to anger in every situation, it can be detrimental to you and the people around you. Take steps to take care of yourself with enough sleep, healthy eating, and regular exercise, which can help manage stress. Also, learn to set healthy boundaries with people so you are not so quick to feel the need for defense. Communicate your feelings, pick your battles, and learn to not be so quick to jump to anger in every situation. If you do get angry, learn to walk away so you don’t say something that will be hurtful to you or the person you are angry with.
- 30 Minutes: As women, we are conditioned to go, go, go all the time and we feel guilt when we are not on the go. Women have perfected the art of juggling work, family, and life but sometimes a ball gets dropped. This month, take thirty minutes at least twice a week for you, ALL YOU. Spend that 30 minutes reading, taking a bath, or just staring out the window; something mindless and nourishing to recharge your mental and physical batteries and do not feel guilty doing it!
- Spring Jammies: It’s time to pack away the flannels and get some fun spring jammies to make bedtime extra cozy. Are you dealing with hot flashes? Get some cute and cool bamboo jammies that will keep you cool all night. Bonus? Take those new jammies and go to bed 30 minutes earlier than you usually do, your body and brain will thank you later.
Ready to do this? Download the April Self-Care Challenge here and be kind to yourself this month!
If you have been doing my challenges or just starting these challenges, come join my Facebook page to talk about better self-care! ♥
Looking for more challenges?
