The Challenge Check-In: Week 1

July has started off with a bang, people! And I must say that bang finally feels great! Since we kicked off the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge on July 1st, I’ve been pretty focused on getting myself back on track. I’ll admit, May & June kicked my tail, & I knew last week that it was time to buckle down & get back to refilling my cup. 

Where I Started: Pre-Challenge

Not many people knew, but May & June threw me for a loop! I had things going on in every aspect of my life that had me stressed to the max. I was so mentally, physically, & emotionally drained that I would often get off from work & head straight to bed. I just didn’t think I could keep pushing. 

     I put on a good front, I must admit. I showed up to work, was my usual overachiever self, & joked around, but my anger was on 10. I still cooked & cleaned around the house, but I had headphones on the majority of the time. I still helped others out when needed, but my energy was low. I made sure content & blogs were written & posted on time, but it took a lot to concentrate. And not to mention, every little thing set me off. Tolerance level was in the negative.

     Between knowing what I know from my line of work & having a keep it real convo with myself, I buckled down & committed to getting back into taking better care of myself. I reached out to people for help & agreed to accept it. I made an appointment with my doctor to see if there was anything to do on the medical side. I decided it’s time to use those EAP benefits again. I kicked my physical health journey off again by committing to eating better & get moving more. And I decided to follow through on a request from my first IG Live to do a self-care challenge.

How It’s Going: Week 1

On day 1 of the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge, I started strong. My anxiety had been super high, so I needed to blow off steam. There’s a lake near my house, so I grabbed my headphones, pumped a good playlist, & got to walking. Because I don’t like exercising, I initially decided on one lap around it being sufficient. However, I was in the zone & the music was on point, so I ended up walking 2 laps…a little over 3 miles. Ya girl felt energized!

     Walking was so peaceful! Even though I couldn’t hear what was around me, the visual was so serene. There was a light breeze, the water was calm, & a few animals scurried around. The vibe made me so emotional, & it started something that I needed to begin to start feeling like myself again: motivation!

     That walk & the bedtime meditation from day 1 had me feeling so good that I went back early the next morning. Church was going in my headphones, so I got filled on several different self-care levels. Since day 2’s task was to disconnect from social media, I filled my day with other things like reading, working on my posts for the month, & relaxing on the couch. It was so easy to do!

     Days 3-5 had me back at work but still feeling positive from how I started off the challenge. Work didn’t seem as stressful, & lighting candles & doing yoga sessions helped me to unwind. I walked twice yesterday, so I really felt relaxed. Even though it’s so hot right now, I still made an effort to move around & keep my motivation going. 

     Today’s task to say 3 positive affirmations was something I didn’t need to be reminded to do. I usually choose 5-8 each year to say at the same time every morning for the year. Some days I believe them, others not so much. However, putting some positive thoughts into my brain each morning gives me a glimmer of hope that the day might just be a good one.

Where We’re Going From Here

I’m hoping this 31 Day Self-Care Challenge can bring as much positivity into your lives as it has in mine so far. A few people have been checking in with their daily progress, so I know I’ve done my job of bringing something positive into a few people’s lives. If you haven’t gotten your copy of the 31 Day Self-Care Challenge, shoot me an email to [email protected] & I send a copy to you. Or, you can simply follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/intentionallyevolve) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/intentionallyevolve) for the daily challenges. Over the next week, we’re going to put more emphasis on relaxing, so stay tuned & continue to pour into yourself. You deserve it!