16 DAY SELF CARE CHALLENGE FOR BUSY BEES

You hear a lot about self care now days, and you probably see plenty of self care challenge posts. It’s literally everywhere. Sadly, the amount of information that you hear about it can actually make self care seem overwhelming instead of relaxing. You may work full time, go to school, run a business, or any combination of the three, and feel that there’s NO way you can cram anything else into your busy schedule. I’m here to tell you that if you feel this way, you probably need self care the most!

So how do you solve this problem? How can you remain the busy go-getter that you are and still find time to take care of yourself while juggling all of your responsibilities? Good news! I have a 16 day self care challenge created using quick and easy self care activities just for you! This self care challenge is 16 days in order to get you through the end of self care August (or any other month of course).

16 DAY SELF CARE CHALLENGE

I designed this self care challenge for busy people so each activity is short, simple, and to the point. The goal here is to get used to spending 5-30 minutes a day practicing self care, in order to form healthy habits. Think of it as building the foundation for incorporating self care into your life.

DAY 1. DRINK MORE WATER

Told you it was easy haha. Seriously though. I was never the type to drink a lot of water. I would only drink when I felt thirsty, but now I have a goal of drinking at least 72 ounces of water of day. I have a 24oz Starbucks tumbler that I use to help me reach that goal. So once I fill it up three times I’ve reached my daily goal. Drinking water is important for SO many reasons, including increasing energy and reducing fatigue, which is why I consider it a major part of self care, and made it the first step in this self care challenge.

DAY 2. GO TO BED EARLY

Sleep is important people! Sleep helps to boost your mood, increase energy for the day ahead, improve memory, lower stress, regulate your metabolism and more. When you’re well rested, you’re more likely to be productive and focused throughout the day. It’s an important part of taking care of yourself. Try to go to sleep an hour earlier than you normally do.

DAY 3. MAKE A WHOLESOME BREAKFAST

Make your favorite breakfast today! Especially if it’s on the weekend when you may have more time. If it’s a week day, wake up a little earlier to cook yourself something nutritious to give you that extra fuel to get you through the day. My favorite breakfast to make is Besan Cheela, Poha or Bread Toast.

DAY 4. MAKE TIME FOR “ME TIME”

This time can be used to do anything you like! Read, journal, draw, paint, listen to music, set goals, exercise, whatever you enjoy! Spending quality time with yourself is just as important as spending time with loved ones. This is especially important for us introverts as we usually need me time to “recharge.” So today, spend an hour with you. No distractions, no stress.

DAY 5. PRACTICE SELF LOVE

Make a positive affirmations list! Make a list of 10 empowering statements and keep them somewhere where you can see them everyday. List them in a journal, type them up and print them out, keep them at your desk, paint/draw them out all fancy and cute, whatever you want!

DAY 6. LISTEN TO A NEW SELF HELP PODCAST

This is especially easy if you have a commute to work. Podcasts range from 10 minutes to an hour so you can find one that fits your needs. I personally love The Mindful Kind podcast by Rachael Kable. She focuses on mindfulness, self care, and life balance, and each podcast is only 10 minutes long. I like to listen to one of her podcasts and then play upbeat music for the rest of my drive. It’s the perfect way to set the mood for the day.

DAY 7. COLOR A PAGE IN AN ADULT COLORING BOOK

I LOVE adult coloring books. It honestly helps me to focus more. If you loved the podcast task from yesterday, you’d probably enjoy coloring while listening to a podcast! It’s super relaxing and you’ll be learning something in the process. The coloring may also help you to focus more on listening to the podcast.

DAY 8. COMMIT TO A “NO COMPLAINTS DAY”

We’re all guilty of complaining, yes even me and you. I have days where I catch myself complaining too much and have to stop myself. I’m not saying you can never complain. We all have to vent sometimes. However, complaining brings negative energy with it so don’t make it a habit. So for day 8, I challenge you to refrain from complaining all day. This will help you train your brain to keep negative energy out, and help build a more positive mindset.

DAY 9. TAKE A WALK

Go outside into nature and just walk around and be mindful. Go to a local park, or simply walk around your own neighborhood. Stay off of your phone when you do this! Really take in and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. Get lost in your thoughts, and enjoy the fresh air.

DAY 10. EXERCISE

I know exercise may not be your favorite thing to do, but do it. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes! I honestly need to get back into the habit myself. You’ll notice you feel more energetic when you get into a habit of exercising. That’s my experience anyway. It gets rid of tired, sluggish feeling that happens in the afternoon sometimes especially if you’re sitting down at a desk all day. Exercising can also help you fall asleep better, and is an important part of physical self care.

DAY 11. WRITE A SELF LOVE LETTER

Yes, you read that right. Write a love letter to yourself. You know those love notes you write for your significant other describing all the amazing things that you love about him/her so much? Write yourself one of those letters describing all the amazing things you love about you. What are your strengths? What positive characteristics do you have? What are your favorite personality traits? What are you good at? What have you accomplished? What makes you unique?

DAY 12. CLEAN UP YOUR WORKSPACE

A messy workspace can hurt your productivity. Take some time to get organized, and decorate your space. Your workspace, whether at home or the office, should inspire you, and make it easy for you to get things done. Go through your things and get rid of anything you don’t need anymore. Clean up your space in order to help clear up your mind, and maximize productivity.

DAY 13. MAKE A GRATITUDE LIST

Another simple writing activity. Just make a list of everything you’re grateful for. This will help you to visualize all of the positives in your life and improve your overall mood and happiness. It’s important to focus on what you do have, and stop worrying about things you don’t have. The gratitude list is another part of developing a positive mindset which is great for self care!

DAY 14. UNPLUG FROM SOCIAL MEDIA DAY

Yes! As part of this self care challenge, I challenge you to stay off of social media for a day. At least limit it. Have you ever found yourself unlocking your phone and immediately opening up Instagram or Twitter without even consciously realizing it? I have. What about mindlessly scrolling through all your social media sites every 10 minutes? Yea. It’s like a sickness lol. I’ve noticed myself doing this and have really tried to cut back on how many times I open up social media. Plus, I think it’s more exciting to open it every few hours when there’s been way more activity, and you actually have things to respond to as opposed to mindlessly opening it every few minutes.

DAY 15. USE A WELLNESS JOURNAL

There are a lot of journals out there now that include prompts related to happiness, gratitude, mindfulness, self care, etc. Journals like this one are perfect for people who want to get into journaling, but don’t know where to start on their own. Try one out and spend 10 minutes a day filling out one of the pages as part of your self care routine.

DAY 16. RELAX

You made it! So just relax. Honestly, take a day to do absolutely nothing. Relax at home, the beach, your favorite coffee shop, the spa, wherever makes you feel at peace. Treat yo’self because you totally deserve it!

I want to hear about your experience with this self care challenge! Starting tomorrow, I’ll be participating in the challenge myself and posting what I do for each day on Instagram! You can follow along and share your own self care challenge activities with the hashtag #SelfCareWithP! I’m so excited for you to join me 🙂