It is almost February, so time for the February Self-Care Challenge for Women! Did you do any of the January challenges? In addition to celebrating a whole new month, we are celebrating Valentine’s Day on the 14th so be sure to give yourself a little extra love this month. ♥
{This post may contain affiliate links to support my small business.}
February Self-Care Challenge
In addition to Valentine’s Day, February is also my birthday month! While I don’t relish getting older and all the things that go with it (wrinkles, grey hair, etc.), I do not dread my birthday. I have family and friends who love me and who I love unconditionally in return. I’ve worked hard my whole life to get where I am now and have earned every stripe (wrinkles) I have. The past year I have worked hard to get healthy and be more active, I’ve worked hard developing my blog and my travel business …I have so much to be thankful for!
Age is an extraordinary process where you become the person you always should have been. – David Bowie
Honestly, I do not dread aging because I am too busy living life. My mother passed away at 70, ravaged by cancer during the last two years of her life. She retired a few years before she got sick and had so much she still wanted to accomplish, but cancer cut her time short. Her experience taught me two things. 1. Take my health more seriously so I can live a longer, healthier life for myself and my family. 2. Live life to the fullest, challenge myself, and keep my mind and soul continuously filled with new and different things.
Society would like me to believe I am irrelevant because of my age but I am more relevant than ever before! I’ve finally found my voice, found worthwhile ambitions, and have too many goals left to accomplish to worry about what society thinks about me and my wrinkles. They say age is just a number….it is. Some days I feel 88 and some days I feel 18, but I am done worrying about how my age bothers other people. I really do strive to seize the day. Carpe Diem!
As I mentioned last month, our monthly challenges would start to get more ambitious. The idea here is to push yourself to try unique and different things, to think and feel differently about yourself and others around you, and to celebrate YOU. There is a lot of anger and frustration in this world but you can change your mindset. Look for the beauty and joy that exists around you and inside you…it is there, you just have not made the time to see it!
**If you like these self-care challenges, be sure to follow me on Instagram for more self-care and healthy living tips. https://www.instagram.com/acorkforkpassport/ **
Self-Care Challenge
The following are the self-care challenges for February, with bonus points for extra deeds. Remember, do not stress if you don’t get all the tasks done, these are here to relax you and promote joy, not add stress. ♥
- Three For Three: Yes, you are getting older, but that is not a bad thing. You are just as beautiful as you were at 20, just in different ways. Write down three things you like about yourself as you age and three things you don’t like or wish you could change. Focus on the three things you like first and do things to highlight those likable characteristics. For example, if you like the color of your eyes, get yourself a new eye shadow to bring out the color in them. Now, those things you wish you could change? Focus on the three things you don’t like and figure out how to accept them or change them so you do like it. You don’t like your grey hair? Get some temporary hair color and have fun with a new color! Don’t like the wrinkles on your forehead? Embrace those lines, you earned every single one of them. Bonus points for letting go of disapproval for things you don’t like that are beyond your control.
- Meditate: Learn to meditate and make a commitment to meditate 15 minutes a day. Bonus points if you learn to do some healthy stretches while you meditate.
- Naptime: Naps are a wonderful indulgence and not just for babies. Learn to shut down for 30 minutes every now and then and get some zzz’s. Bonus points if you buy yourself a fluffy new blanket to snuggle in.
- Get Out/Breathe In: Go for a walk and halfway through, close your eyes and breathe in the air. Identify three different pleasant smells and recall a memory the smells remind you of. Enjoy that memory for five minutes. Bonus points if you can do it for 10 minutes.
- Bake Cookies: Bake 5 dozen of your favorite cookies and give away a dozen of them to four different people. Give them to the mail carrier, your child’s favorite teacher, your boss, an elderly neighbor, or someone else deserving. Enjoy that last dozen for yourself and your family. Bonus points if you make 8 dozen and give away six!
- Start A Journal: Have you ever wanted to write down your thoughts> Start a journal and write in it for five minutes each day. Make sure you write about two good things that happened that day and two frustrating things. Bonus points if you decide to let go of the frustrating things and don’t write them down.
- Movie Day: Make a list of your five favorite movies and watch one of them by the weekend. Bonus points if you make yourself some popcorn or fresh veggies to munch on while you watch your movie.
- Closet Cleaning: Go through your closet, clear out at least five items, and donate them to a local charity. Bonus points if you find an outfit you have not worn in a long time but want to keep and start wearing it again.
- Give Of Your Heart: Celebrate Valentine’s Day this month by signing up for a volunteer organization such as Volunteermatch.org and volunteer at least three hours a month. Bonus points if you volunteer for five hours a month.
- Picnic Time: Get your favorite picnic foods together and have a picnic in your living room, either by yourself or with family. Bonus points if you eat without the television on and play a game instead.
- 18 Again: Listen to three of your favorite songs when you were 18 years old. Bonus points if you dance and sing to those songs at the top of your lungs!
- Send A Postcard: Send five postcards to four people who live far away and one to yourself. Bonus points if at least one of the postcards is to someone you have not talked to in years and this opens the door to a reconnection.
- I Heart You: Write a positive review for a business you like. Bonus points if you write positive reviews to three businesses.
- Splish Splash: Light some candles and take a bath or shower by candlelight. Bonus points if you stay in the bath at least 45 minutes.
- Act Out: Host a charades night at your house. Bonus points if you use props while acting out your charade (hats, scarves, goofy glasses, etc.)
- Doctor, Doctor: Do you put off going to the doctor? Make an appointment for a check-up and keep that appointment Bonus points if the doctor’s appointment is for a mammogram.
- Use Your Manners: People have gotten used to being casual and sometimes that means forgetting their manners. Make a pledge to be polite to everyone you encounter in the next 30 days, even if you do not agree with or like them. Bonus points if you can listen to someone’s perspective that you don’t agree with without arguing for 15 minutes.
- Starstruck: Go outside, look at the stars, and think about your ancestors who looked at those same stars. Bonus points for sitting with an older family member and writing down some of their cherished memories.
- Redeeming Qualities: Stop looking at the negative in people and find something to admire about them. Everyone has some kind of redeeming quality. Bonus points if you can find two things to admire about someone.
- Yes…and No: Learn to say yes to things that allow you to experience more adventure and joy in your life and no to the people and things that suck the “life” out of you. Develop better boundaries with people. Bonus points if you can be more spontaneous to things you would normally say no to.
- Dangerous Toxins: Understand that it is okay to walk away from a toxic relationship. Ask for help if you need doing so. Bonus points if you allow yourself to mourn that loss, then move on to bigger and better people.
- Sweet Talker: Valentine’s Day is this month so indulge in a few pieces of your favorite chocolate or candy. Bonus points if the chocolate is heart-healthy dark chocolate or has almonds or fruit inside.
- Kick Some Ass: Take self-defense, martial arts, or an empowerment class to help make you stronger and less vulnerable. Bonus points if you graduate from that class.
Printable Copy of Challenge
To help you accomplish this month’s challenge, go here and print out the printable February Self-Care Challenge guide.
When you are finished with the February Self-Care Challenge, be sure to come back for our March Self-Care challenge, with even more unique, fun, and bold tasks. If you have not done January’s tasks yet, be sure to start there first, as each month the tasks get more daring. Don’t forget that even after you finish the self-care tasks each month, go back and revisit various tasks throughout the year to stay healthy and happy.
Let’s Talk
I’d love to hear from you and find out how you are doing with January and February Self-Care Challenge. What has been difficult for you to do and what has been easier? What obstacles have you had to overcome to accomplish these tasks? What kind of assignments would you like to see in future challenges? Please share your thoughts below in the comments area. If you are a midlife woman born 1980 or before, please be sure to join us in our Healthy Midlife Living women’s Facebook group, where we talk all things midlife!
