Wellness Challenges

I’ve decided to try some wellness challenges in hopes to form some good habits!  I am trying two challenges each for body, mind and soul, and so far, I am feeling pretty good!  I have been doing a few of these for some time, and some I am just starting now.  The goal is to just continue being a better me!

 

Body:

Drink 2 Glass of Water First Thing:

The first challenge is what inspired this all.  One blog that I follow is doing weekly wellness challenges and the first one was to drink 2 glasses of water first thing in the morning daily.   As easy as this sounds, certain days were difficult to get that second glass in before eating or chasing after my toddler.  Needless to say, I almost do it habitually every morning now and it has only been two weeks!  By starting off the day hydrated, I feel less urgent for coffee (don’t get me wrong, I still have that cup or two), but I feel active and ready to take on the day!

Take Vitamins Daily:

When I returned to work after my maternity leave (and Norah went into daycare), the entire family was sick for 3 months straight.  One of the best ways to avoid sickness is rest-but if I could not help my exhaustion (returning to work after a year and a half with a baby to care for was extremely tiring), then what else could I do?  Well, I started to take vitamins.

One is a multivitamin (from Costco-cheap and contained extra B vitamins which I definitely needed)-I sometimes take this every other day.   I also take 1000mg of Vitamin C a day.  This vitamin has prevented a lot of colds, and when I am sick, I seem to fight through the cold faster.  If I am feeling run down, I take 1000mg in morning and 1000mg at night.  Trust me-it works!!

The last pill I take is a flax seed oil pill— this has helped my psoriasis immensely and it makes my hair shiny and healthier!

I find now a days, we cannot rely on food  alone to obtain our nutrients.  I have been taking vitamins for 7 months diligently and it has really made a difference!  Norah is also taking a multivitamin (tri-vi-sol by Enfamil) and I have noticed a difference with her immune system too!

 

Mind:

No Smartphone after 8PM:

The first challenge was again from a blog that I follow, and it was to not use the smartphone after 8pm each night.   This is an amazing idea, as I am really starting to not like the dependency our generation has on technology!  So for some nights, it was fairly easy to not reach for my phone, as I am usually exhausted after a day at work and having a toddler (and cooking and housework somewhere mixed in).  Other nights when I did take some time to relax, I found myself reaching for my phone while watching tv or taking a bath.

Well, it has been over a week and I am really enjoying my phone-free time!   I am reading more- which I love to do, but never make the time!  Generally, I feel like I am putting my evenings to better use!  I still go onto social media, pinterest, etc- but once 8pm hits, I unplug and enjoy the rest of my night!

And the hugest outcome of this (being a person with anxiety that tends to struggle with falling asleep from time to time), is that I fall asleep a lot faster and actually sleep better most nights!

 

Write Two Blogs a Week:

I am really starting to enjoy blogging-regardless if anyone reads this or not-and now I have set this little goal of trying to write two blogs per week.  This keeps me focused on something fun outside of work that stimulates my mind and keeps me learning and writing!

I have been trying to do this for the past couple of weeks and surprisingly, I have enough topics and thoughts to keep up with this goal!  I am curious as to how far I will keep this challenge up!

Soul:

Singing at Church Weekly:

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I have started to sing weekly at my church.  This has been so healing for my soul.  In the past month, I have only missed one week due to some other engagements, but have continued to go to my weekly practices to stay on top of the songs we are learning!

This challenge has changed my life completely.  I am involved in something that makes me feel good, and it brings me to church weekly- giving me that one hour to reflect and regroup!  This has been one of the most fulfilling life changes, and I hope to keep doing this- even as life becomes busier and busier!

 

Meditation:

As I am a Christian, the main meditation for me is praying.  I have really slacked on this, and need to get back on track.  This form of meditation for me is extremely important for my anxiety and my worries each day.  So I hope to start once a day again-maybe not a rosary each time, but at least to thank God every evening.  It really brings life into a better perspective, and I would like to teach Norah this as well-perhaps it will provide comfort and give her a place to go when she is frustrated or worried.

I also am trying to do yoga 3 times a week.  I would not say that this is a meditation in where I am praying to something/someone, but by doing this practice, I am teaching my mind to focus on the actions and moves rather than thinking of everything going through my mind.  It sort of puts all my thoughts on pause (and the exercise reduces stress and improves my mood).  Currently, depending on the week, I have been doing yoga 2-4 times, so 3 times a week is meeting in the middle as a good solid goal.

 

Well that is enough challenges for me!  Phew- I’m tired, but excited!!

What are some challenges you have tried?   What are some that you continue to do to this day?

Until next time..T. xx