October is a great month to focus on self care. Self care is an important part of life, but it’s one we often forget. It’s hard to take care of others effectively if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. Timely reminders for doing just this are often needed.

Right before the end of the year shuffle, which includes holidays, weather changes, and a lot of stress for many people. Taking a little time to focus on yourself can help you manage these challenges like a champ – or just give you a much-needed breather in the middle of all of it. These are usable any time you need it – so feel free to carry them into future months!

The trick with each of these things is that in the time you are doing them – focus on what you’re doing. Be present in the moment or moments and focus on just this one thing for that period of time.

With that in mind, IggleFitness has created a 31 day Self Care Challenge to get you through October!

The Self Care Challenge:

  • Day 1: Go outside and just breathe. Spend 5 minutes out-of-doors with nothing else to do but clear your head and breathe some fresh air.
  • Day 2: De-clutter a space you use regularly. Does your kitchen counter catch debris like that’s its actual job? Is your desk a disorganized disaster area? Clean up a space that you use regularly, and see how much better you feel.
  • Day 3: Take a bubble bath. (If you don’t have a tub or don’t like baths, a nice hot shower is an alternative!) Bonus: slather bubbles on your face and be silly. Laughter is a great stress reliever!
  • Day 4: Embrace the pause. Feel yourself getting frustrated? Pause. Angry? Pause. Worrying about things you can’t control? Pause. Allowing yourself to let go of things can often help you work through them more quickly.
  • Day 5: Pay it forward. Whether it’s buying a drink for the person in line behind you, or helping someone reach something on the top shelf, do something nice for a stranger today.
  • Day 6: Give yourself a manicure or pedicure. (Or go have a pro give you one!) Not into mani/pedis? Give yourself a hand and/or foot rub with a nice-smelling lotion instead!
  • Day 7: Dance. It doesn’t matter if you’re good at it or not, get up and shake your booty for 60 seconds. Feeling good? Do it a little longer!
  • Day 8: Write a positive affirmation and stick it where you will see it each morning. (Our suggestion: your bathroom mirror.) Need some help coming up with something good? You can find a huge list of suggestions here.
  • Day 9: Did you drink water today? Try to drink the recommended amount for your body type today.
  • Day 10: Clean out a closet. Chances are, you have a lot of things sitting around collecting dust or cluttering up closet space that you haven’t used in a long time or are never going to use again. Take some time and clear out some of these things today.
  • Day 11: Treat yourself. Buy yourself a treat today – something you don’t normally buy. This could be a coffee from a coffee shop, a special dinner, or anything that fits within your budget but is something you don’t get on a regular basis.
  • Day 12: Make a piece of art. This can be anything from a pencil doodle to a painting to a coloring book page. Give yourself permission today to just enjoy the process of making without worrying about the outcome.
  • Day 13: Write a letter to yourself to read in a time of great stress or unhappiness. Seal it in an envelope and stick it somewhere that you won’t forget about it. Open it when needed.
  • Day 14: Polish your resume. This accomplishes two things: having an up-to-date resume and looking back over your achievements and how you’ve grown.
  • Day 15: Do something you haven’t done in a long time but used to love. Examples: write a story, ride a bike, rollerblade, read a book, play a video game, peruse Stumbleupon.
  • Day 16: Take a different route today. Whether it’s to work, to school, or running errands – pick a different way to get to your destination than you normally take, and drink in the different sights, sounds, and even smells that you encounter.
  • Day 17: Tell someone you love them. (Hint: that person can be yourself, too.)
  • Day 18: Spend 5 minutes stretching. This can be at your desk or on your feet – whatever you want. Just take a few minutes to get the blood flowing and your joints a break.
  • Day 19: Eat a healthy and well-balanced meal.
  • Day 20: Listen to a piece of classical or piano music. (Not your thing? Listen to a favorite tune…just be sure to listen.)
  • Day 21: Try something new! From downloading an app like Duolingo and starting to learn a new language to taking a class to learn a new skill or even trying a new food.
  • Day 22: Fix something small that you’ve been putting off that has been annoying you. Light bulb burnt out? Spots in the refrigerator? Squeaky door hinge? Anything goes.
  • Day 23: Moisturize! From your face to your toes, give your body a great dose of all-over moisture. (If you want a little extra self care today, another bubble bath or hot shower beforehand makes for an extra-pampered self!)
  • Day 24: Go for a walk. (Or a run.)
  • Day 25: Go an entire day without swearing.
  • Day 26: Give yourself a compliment first thing in the morning.
  • Day 27: Check in with your body. Take some time and lay down, flexing and releasing your muscles from your toes to your head, noting any discomforts you might have. Try to relax those muscles, and focus on stretching them in the coming days.
  • Day 28: Unplug. Whether for an hour or a whole day, make a conscious decision to use no electronics for this period.
  • Day 29: Find your wheelhouse. In your wheelhouse are the things you know a lot about: your strengths, your weaknesses, your experiences. These are excellent things to remind yourself of when you’re feeling down – and for helping you to recognize (and beat!) patterns. (Link is an example of this used in a writing workshop, but this can apply anywhere!)
  • Day 30: Catch some zzz’s. Make sure you get a good night’s rest tonight, whatever that looks like for you. (Standard recommendation is 8 hours of sleep.)
  • Day 31: Dress to the nines. Whether it’s a costume, street clothes, or professional attire – go all out today. Look good = feel good.

This is meant to be a helpful and relaxing practice, so don’t worry about missing a day or three. These prompts are to help you relax and focus on you, not add more stress to your day.

As always, we love to see what you’re up to. Tag #igglefit if any of your self care involves social media or if you want to share self care tips and tricks of your own!