Day 24 of the 30-Day Self Care ChallengeDraw/Paint/Be Creative (and Hang It On Your Wall/Fridge)

This is similar to day 17 – being like a kid. Draw or paint a picture. Pretend you are 5 years old and your parents/grandparents/relatives are anxiously waiting to see the masterpiece they’ll be able to hang on the fridge.

And then do just that: tape it on the wall, hang it on the fridge, or frame it as a reminder to be you, be happy, be bright.

Being and loving yourself is the key here. Often, we compare ourselves way too much with others. Your painting or drawing doesn’t compare to Picasso or Monét? Really? They were masters of their trade. And took YEARS to become such.

Even if you just draw or paint stick figures, it’s YOURS. Be proud and hang it up!

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 23 of the 30-Day Self ChallengeRekindle, Start or Learn a (new) Hobby

Have you always wanted to learn to watercolor, paint, knit, sew, turn wood, make jewelry, learn a new language? Or are you always sighing about the hobby you’d like to rekindle but feel like there’s never enough time in the day/week/month/year?

Now is the perfect time.

Start today.

Take small steps to start your new dream hobby or revitalize the old one. Go buy the watercolors, paints, yarn and needles, find a place where someone can teach you (ahem, YouTube!), and research the best app to learn the language of your ancestors or one you just fancy.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

 

Day 22 of the 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Write a Letter and Mail It! To an Old Friend, Grandma or Grandpa, Mom or Dad, Former Colleague

The lost art of handwriting a letter can be an excellent way to connect with old friends (or new, for that matter), relatives who aren’t on social media, and as an added bonus, you get to say what you want without stumbling for words! 🙂

Sometimes, when we talk on the phone, we are at a loss for words and when we end the call, we realize all the things we should have, could have, and would have said if we had just thought about them in the moment.

Writing those thoughts down and sending the heartfelt letter or card on its way will feel like you’ve accomplished something big! And the person receiving it…well, you just wait!

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 21 of the 30-Day Self Challenge Enjoy a Glass of Wine/Cocktail/Chocolate Bar Mindfully

Sometimes, we just gulp down that glass of wine/cocktail after a hard, long work day. Been there, done that. Thinking “that’s exactly what I needed!” Whew! “Now I can relax.” Without even tasting the drink.

If chocolate is your preferred vice, when did you take more than 5 minutes to scarf down a Snickers, Milky Way, or a Hershey bar…? Destroying one in less than a minute? Definitely can relate.

I have friend, whose brother took 2 days to eat a candy bar! He enjoyed every bite, every different taste, every little morsel. You don’t have to go that far, just take time to enjoy.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 20 of the 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Meditate/Try Yoga/Mindfulness

Taking just a few moments to breathe can make all the difference. Meditation doesn’t mean you have to contort yourself into a pretzel nor does it mean you have to breathe deeply for hours. You really can meditate in just 10 minutes. Even 5 will do. As a matter of fact, when you first start, you may want to set a timer for just 2-5 minutes. It may seem like forever if you’ve never meditated! Here’s a link to an article with 10 different 10-minute guided meditations. Why guided? It takes the guesswork out of what you need to do. Just listen and breathe. 🙂

Are you an overwhelmed teacher? Try my guided meditation free for 5 days.

Mindfulness means just that: be mindful of what is going on, what you’re eating, what you’re doing. Take a few seconds/minutes to take it all in, being grateful for everything you do have. And let go of what is not serving you.

Yoga has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, may reduce inflammation, and improves flexibility and balance. It has many other benefits as well, all depending on the individual; how long one has practiced, your starting point, and overall, what you think of yoga, perhaps your prejudices. For example, practicing yoga does not mean you have to subscribe to Buddhism, Hinduism, or anything of the like. Think of it as stretching if you need to quiet your mind about the “religious” aspect of it.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 19 of the 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Get or Give a Manicure and/or a Pedicure

Get a manicure or a pedicure or give one to yourself.

When we think of either, we often think of polishing nails, scraping off dead skin, etc. You can of course do all that, but just taking care of your hands and nails can already be all you need. For example, you don’t have to use polish –

– you can just use a salt scrub, then massage your hands, lotion them up and treat your cuticles to a nice cream, shape and buff the nails to a shine.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen