Stacy

We made it through the 10 health challenges and moving on the relationship challenges. Buckle up cause here we go!!

This week is going to challenge you to think about what you say in your relationships. Are you telling the honest truth or maybe telling white lies to make someone feel better or make yourself look better, or telling huge big fat lies because you don’t want someone to know the truth?

True authentic friendships are built on the truth. Those white lies add up and you get your story mixed up only to have someone call you out. We all know at least one person who does that. People are smart and can see those lies even if you don’t realize it.

Here’s your 3 levels of challenge this week:

Easy: Recognize when you are starting to tell a lie (big or small.). What are the circumstances? Where does this impulse come from? Does this fib help or hurt your relationship? Take a moment to acknowledge these questions and then be as truthful as possible.

Medium: Think about your relationships. Who can you be completely honest and vulnerable with? Who are your “fake friends” that you constantly tell white lies back and forth to make yourselves or each other look/feel better? Start to nuture those authentic relationships and pull away from those toxic relationships.

Hard: Tell the truth even when it hurts. It hurts sometimes to tell the truth especially when you completely screwed up. You maybe want to tell them most of what you screwed up and leave out the really screwed up parts. Being completely honest will not only help get that stuff off your chest, but also not be caught in a lie in the future.

Self care is a total buzzword, but take time this week to really think about what it means to you. What fills you up and makes you happy. Most people say they don’t have time for self care. If you are running on empty you CANNOT pour your true potential into other people and activities you love. Each person is different when it comes to what self care means to them and it can even change with each season of our lives. This is what this week’s challenge is all about. Finding what self care serves you right now in this season of life and actually doing it.

Easy: Pause and think about what puts the calm in the storm, fills you up, and makes you ready to take on the day? It can be different things for different purposes. Write down the activity AND why it helps you.

Medium: Take that list you just made and pick one thing and do it this week. Pick the one that brings you the most joy.

Hard: Make a plan to do those things on your list on a regular basis. Write it in your calendar like a doctors appointment because it is just as important.

This week’s challenge is stopping the “fat talk!” That cycle of negative thoughts you tell yourself when you look in the mirror. Let’s challenge ourselves this week with compliments about our body and who we are inside.

Easy: Look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment. You can find something you love about yourself.

Medium: Tell someone else the compliment you just gave yourself. It may feel like bragging. If you feel uncomfortable, tell them that you are working on accepting yourself and want to say something nice out loud in front of someone.

Hard: Write a compliment on a small post it note and put in on your bathroom mirror. Do this everyday for a month. At the end of the month, take a picture and use it for your gratitude.

Knowing your family’s health history is important, but most of us do not have a clue. Your immediate family history includes your parents, grandparents, great grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles, niece/nephews, your kids. Taking the time (it’s worth the few awkward moments) to write it down, ask your family members, and then share it so your family has it too.

So here’s your challenge this week:
Easy: Write down everything you know of your family’s health history. This includes cancer (what type), high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, any major medical issue. When were they diagnosed and if they are on medication. If you don’t know, ask!

Medium: Do the easy challenge and take it one step further to reinforce the importance. Spend time with someone older than you. Learn from their life experiences and “should have” moments.

Hard: Do both above challenges, but now do the preventative care. See your doctor to get screened for those concerns in your family history. More than likely it will be nothing, but what about that chance you can find something early.

Who’s ready to brown bag it this week? This week is about packing your lunch instead of going out to eat. This will not only save you money, but you will probably eat a little healthier too!
Whether you don’t have the time to prepare it, don’t like leftovers, or just get bored with what you make, it’s time to rethink lunch. Prepare your lunch before you go to bed if you won’t have time in the morning. Make extras each night and put leftovers in a container that you can grab & go. Prep for the week on Sunday making salad jars (that last all week!) or your favorite recipe that you can divvy up into lunch containers. This will seriously save you $50+ a week. Go through your account and track how much you spent last week going out to eat. It will shock you!

Here’s your challenge this week:
Easy: Find a recipe or use your favorite recipe and make it for lunch.

Medium: Bring your lunch everyday for one week. Then reflect on why you don’t do it more often or what could you do next week to make it even better.

Hard: Use the 80/20 rule for life. 80% of the time bring your lunch & 20% go out to eat. For example, bring you lunch Mon- Thurs and then reward yourself on Friday.

Who is tired most of the time? We go through seasons in our life where sleep is out of our control (babies, toddlers), but most of us can control the amount of sleep we get. This challenge is for those that second group.

We are supposed to get at least 6-8 hours a night, but everyone is different. Finding your sweet spot is what this challenge is all about. You need to experiment to figure out what works for you.

Easy: Start getting ready for bed 15 minutes earlier.

Medium: Create a bedtime routine that works for you. What activities help you sleep better? How long does it take?

Hard: Turn off electronics and put your phone where you can’t reach it from bed. You can still use it for an alarm clock. You have to get out of bed to turn it off and then it will be harder to hit snooze.

This week is another “we know it, but do we do it” week challenge. How much water do you drink a day? We are to drink a minimum of 8 glasses (64 oz) a day. It doesn’t matter whether you have a fancy bottle or just a plain glass, although a fancy bottle does help the mindset.
I can’t think of 1 person that said they didn’t feel better by drinking water rather than that soda. It makes you feel full, clears your skin, lowers blood pressure and yes the downfall of multiple bathroom trips.
Honestly lately I have been drinking a can of soda during the day and I can tell the difference. My normally clear skin has blemishes, I find myself snacking with unhealthy foods, and just have no energy which makes me want to grab another caffeinated beverage.
So let’s challenge ourselves this week!

Easy: Drink an extra glass of water today

Medium: Swap out a caffeinated beverage for water. How many times can you switch it per day?

Hard: Drink a glass of water when you first wake up and right before you go to bed. This will start and end your day giving your body the fluids it needs to thrive.

This week is about being intentional with the amount of sugar we are eating. Most of us know what’s good for us and not. Sometimes we just don’t care and that’s okay! It should never be an all or nothing when it comes to food because that is not sustainable. It’s about moderation and making that ”not so healthy but tastes soooo good” food a treat instead of a daily habit.
Here’s your challenge for the week:

Easy: Reduce or eliminate sugar from one food or drink for 1 meal. For example, only use half the amount of flavored creamer in your coffee or skip the dessert.

Medium: Do the easy but instead of 1 meal do it for an entire day.

Hard: Write down or use an app like MyFitnessPal or Loseit! to track what you eat for this week. Don’t change what you would normally eat and see how much sugar you are consuming on a daily basis. At the end of the week, reflect on what you can do to reduce your sugar intake everyday and implement. Continue to track to hold yourself accountable and see your progress.

This week’s challenge is about getting rid of the excuse that you don’t have time to workout. Everybody has the same 24 hours in a day. It’s how you prioritize those hours to what is important to you. Working out doesn’t have to take hours. It could be a 10 minute walk around your block.
Working out on a consistent basis will put you in a good mood. Let’s state the obvious too that it will improve your health and your mindset.
There are so many different ways to get your body moving. Find one that works for you and be consistent with the time and day. Consistency makes the habit happen.

On to the challenge:
Easy: Go for a walk. Have someone walk with you. Take the dog for a walk. Walking is like the gateway exercise. It’s free and you can do it anywhere.

Medium: Try 3 different types of workouts this week to find one you like or at least don’t hate. Most gyms have a free pass or free class for 1st timers. Go on utube and you can find a ton of different workouts.

Hard: Start your habit. Pick at least 3 days a week and a specific time that you will have open. My recommendation is 1st thing in the morning before the craziness of the day. If you are a night person maybe try immediately after work or before bed.

This week isn’t about sitting cross legged on the floor for a long period of time. It’s about spending a few minutes focused on your breathing. There are so many proven health benefits to doing this that makes it worth it.

Easy: When you get overwhelmed or stressed, try this intentional count breathing exercise. Count 1 on inhale, and 1 on exhale, count for 2 on inhale and 2 on exhale. Continue until you get to 5. Close your eyes to avoid distractions. Focusing on the numbers also helps stop your mind from wandering. Breathe slowly.

Medium: Do a breathing exercise 2-5 minutes everyday this week. Set a timer and start with 2 minutes and work your way up. Do the counting method in the easy challenge or I like to inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, and then exhale for 4. You can change up the counting on what works best for you.

Hard: Consistency is key so let’s up the game to 60 days to make it a habit in your life. Doing it at the same time everyday will help establish the habit – right before you go to bed to clear your mind or 1st thing in the morning to start your day off. Another way is to repeat a mantra with your breathing. Breathe in – I am, Breathe out – (insert your word). Repeat this over and over for at least 2 minutes.

There are also apps that you can use if you want something guided. Try different methods to see what works for you.