Self-care challenge

Our guest columnist is Jean Newell, BSH, CHES, senior coordinator and wellness coach for the Y Healthy Living Center at Ponte Vedra.  

During a crisis, it's especially important to take care of ourselves. That's why the Y Healthy Living Centers are providing an opportunity for you to hone in on self-care activities and explore things you may not have ever done before.

To encourage you to stop, slow down, and take care of yourself, print out our 30-Day Self-Care Challenge and start checking off activities as you complete them:

As a wellness coach, my main role is to motivate others in adopting new behaviors for a healthy lifestyle, while also being a voice of reason in guiding clients to realistic goals that may seem small, but have a huge impact if repeated daily. That is my advice to you: make this 30-day challenge realistic! I suggest setting aside time for one activity per day.

Here are some other helpful tips:

• Plan ahead! Like with any new thing you’re starting, it's easier when you plan ahead. Review your schedule for the next few days or week and pick out which activities you would like to do on which days. Some days will be busier than others, if that’s the case, don’t mark that day for an activity. If it is helpful, put the activity on your calendar or set an alarm on your phone to remind you.
• Be flexible and practice self-forgiveness. Many of us have high expectations for ourselves for what we can get done each day or a varying level of motivation. If you are feeling overwhelmed or down about yourself, stop for a moment, acknowledge this feeling and try to do it in a non-judgmental way. Instead of telling yourself, "It is bad that I feel overwhelmed" (judgmental), substitute that with the non-judgmental phrase, "I feel overwhelmed."

Once you have done this and feel you are ready, try to reframe the situation; “It is okay that I feel overwhelmed, maybe instead of doing X activity, I will do Y activity instead. It is not the activity I planned for, but I am still doing an activity that will help me reach my goal. I will plan to do the other activity tomorrow.”

• Do the challenge with a friend or family member. Having someone doing the challenge with you keeps you accountable and motivated.
• Celebrate yourself! Whether it is a simple pat on your back or something more elaborate like purchasing something you want, it is important to take a moment to celebrate yourself when you accomplish something, big or small.