7 Day Self-Care Challenge – 5 Steps To Your Best Self

Are you ready to take the Self-Care Challenge?

But first. Self-care. What is your relationship with it?

We have all heard the phrase, Self-care is anything but selfish. We see messages like this everywhere.

You cannot provide for others on an empty tank. Love yourself first.

They flow so well when we read them while scrolling on social media. You may even feel an opening in your heart as you think to yourself, Heck yeah, I love myself!

And yet. Do we really? How many times do our thoughts, actions, and daily choices fail to support this professed self-love?

Self-Care Starts With Self-Study

Ask yourself the following questions and see how many of them apply.

• Do you love and care for yourself by feeding yourself unhealthy food, drinking and smoking, running yourself to exhaustion as you run after somebody else’s idea of success?
• Do you love and care for yourself when you try to keep up apearances at the expense of your well-being?
• Do you love and care for yourself when you spend hours seated in chaotic, artificially conditioned environments, fail to move and stretch your body in the way it was meant to be moved and stretched?
• Do you love and care for yourself when you over and under stimulate your mind with too much of the bad stuff and not enough of the good stuff?
• Do you love and care for yourself when you stay up late and do not set yourself up for rest, really needed deep and cleanisng rest?

The reality is that way too often it does not come easy to simply love and care for ourselves. We do not offer ourselves as much affection and attention as we give to others on a regular basis. On the contrary, we care for others at our own expense. By doing this, we neglect our need to be cared for.

May this end here. Seize the moment. Generate self-love. Make the promise.

Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.

George Benson

Make The Self-Care Promise

Here is another question for you. How good are you at keeping promises? Uusally we are much better at keeping them for someone else than we are for ourselves.

• I PROMISE not to eat the enitire container of ice cream.
• I PROMISE to take a walk every day.
• I PROMISE to go to sleep early.
• I PROMISE to wake up early.
• I PROMISE to check my cellphone less. I PROMISE to scroll with more awareness.
• I PROMISE to finish this book.
• I PROMISE to take that trip that I have been dreaming of for forever.
• I PROMISE to say No.
• I PROMISE to say Yes.

Our days are full of promises to ourselves. Then something comes up. Lots of things come up. We get distracted. We feel so overwhelmed about how the day, the week, and entire years pass us, that we are left with lots of empty containers of Ben & Jerry’s and a lot of unfulfilled promises.

Treat Your Self-Care As If You Were Caring For A Child

This does not happen when you promise something to your child, your best friend, a neighbor, or your colleague. I always find the time and energy for somebody else.

Sound familiar?

Living as if we do not have time to care for ourselves is an AFFIRMATION. We are saying that we are NOT A PRIORITY. And indirectly, we are sending this message out to the world about how we should be treated.

And to us parents, we are also giving a very clear example to our children about how they should be treated and how they should care for themselves.

I love the expression, Love and peace start in our home.

Well, when it comes to self-care our home is our body, mind, and heart. This is where we reside.

Today I am offering you an oportunity to send out a beautifully, important message: I TRULY MATTER.

Make the Self-Care Promise to Yourself. Accept this 7 Day Self-Care Challenge.

You have to break your vow to mediocrity.

Michael Beckwith

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is about taking care of the basics – our basic needs. Physical, mental, and emotional. This is 360 degree health-care, self-care.

In this 7 Day Self-Care Challenge we return to the basics:

• Nutrition and cleansing away the toxins
• Rest and deep sleep
• Fitness – movement, flexibility
• Stillness and presence
• Emotional Connection and Release

The Time for Self-Care is Every Day

Self-care is a priority every day. Our health is not something to repair or fix when something goes wrong. It isn’t somebody else’s responsibility. It is something we need to maintain always.

This said, there is no better time to take the time for extra self-care than at the end or beginning of a new season. Change of season is an adjustment for our body, mind, and heart. We are asked to let things go as we embrace the new.

TIP: REPEAT this 7 Day Self-Care Challenge 4 times a year between the seasons.

Transition can provoke mental exhuation and mood swings, and it affects our motivation. Often it shoots us straight into overwhem state. – 10 DAILY REMINDERS YOU NEED TO USE TO LOVE YOURSELF, BE GRATEFUL AND FEEL EMPOWERED

When you don’t dedicate time to your wellness, you will be forced to dedicate time to illness. Read this again.

The 7 Day Self-Care Challenge – Start Here

We do not have to spend lots of money to care for ourselves. Self-care should never be expensive, complicated, or super time consuming.

It should never feel like more stress.

You do not have to take time off from work. You just have to make healthy, extremely doable adjustments to your routine.

This 7 Day Self-Care Challenge is like a mini retreat that you can do on your own (or with a loved one) in the comfort of your own home.

Modifying The Self-Care Challenge

Modifying the program may be necessary, but never use I can’t do this as an excuse to do nothing at all. So feel free to modify, but try to stick to the suggestions as closely as possible, and always do a version that is appropriate for you.

Mindset: I CAN ALWAYS DO SOMETHING.

Reminders & Guidelines

• You are always worth the time you devote to yourself. So put aside the excuse that you do not have the time and schedule yourself in. Gosh, it is only 7 days! You got this.
• Plan for the week ahead of time. Write a physical schedule of when and where you will do the various steps, prepare environments, clothing and equipment, and prepare a shopping list. Communicate the challenge to family and friends, asking them if they want to join you. And most of all, to encourage your efforts. Being prepared removes excuses.
• This 7 Day Self-Care Challenge will be as effective as your level of commitment. You gotta do the work to reap the rewards. No exceptions.
• Adapt an inclusive mindset. Again, you have time. Focus on what you are adding to your day and not what you must give up. This type of mindset prioritizes what is healthy and beneficial for our well-being. Remember: You want to give yourself this type of love and attention because you deserve it. This will keep you on the plan and promote pleasure over pain.
• Forgive yourself if you fall off and get right back on. No looking back. Use the personal mantra: I can’t go back, I go better.
• You can double the bliss by following this plan for two weeks instead of one.
• Keep an open mind. Curiosity over closure.
• CHOOSE A WEEK TO START AND ENJOY the time you are devoting to your well-being.

Personal Note

I often choose to use my days off to fast. Friends have found this to be weird.

Why would I waste free time to stay at home and rest without food or choose a detox retreat in an isolated location instead of an all inclusive vacay?

Well, self-care brings me joy. I don’t experience it as a sacrifice.

I know that by taking this time to restore and recharge, I will return to my regular routine as a stronger, more present me. Better for everyone.

Every choice we make either is a choice to grow or not to grow.

Having fun with family and friends is super important. However, loving and caring for ourselves is no less important. We can not take care of others if we do not take care of ourselves first.

So find the balance. If you have two weeks. Use the first to party and the second to purify. You can love them both.

The 7 Day Self-Care Challenge and 5 Steps To Your Best Self

This 7 Day Self-Care Challenge is giving you the opportunity to care for your whole self. When we care for our full being we feel happy, grateful, and fulfilled.

The beautiful thing about this is that it is accessible to everyone. You just need to decide to care enough to take the time.

Here we go…

Step #1 – Nutritional Detox

To function best the body needs to be cleansed regularly. It is like a sponge and it absorbs what exists in its environment.

And unfortunately, our environments (including the food we consume and products we use) are filled with pollutants. We want to expel the toxic stuff so we can be as healthy as possible.

This is the goal of our detox. So even though you may lose weight, this is not the goal. The goal is to improve health, energy, and vitality.

Not only will we be releasing toxins, we will be breaking addictions and bad habits and improving our mental flexibility and inner strength as well.

7 Day Self-Care Challenge: Fruit Detox Program

This detox plan is super simple and easy.

This week you will be eating fruit. No weighing, measuring, or counting. You eat as much as you want.

MASTER DETOX: Eat fruit for every meal, including snacks.

MINI DETOX: Eat fruit for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Eat a big salad, with raw vegetables for dinner (optional: add avocado and raw nuts/seeds). Dress with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon with just a pinch of sea salt if necessary.

NOTE: It is impossible to eat too much fruit. When you eat fruit, it is as if your body has a natural brake system that is not available with other types of food.

Also, fruit is amazing because unlike other types of food, it does not promote extra cravings. Have you ever noticed how after eating a big meal you crave sweets?

Tips

TIP #1: If this is your first experience it may be mentally challenging to eat only fruit.

Remind yourself that we are only speaking about a week in your life and that every great change requires great comittment and effort.

If you feel like you are going to fall off, eat a handful of raw nuts or half an avocado. It will satisfy your psychological need to eat something more substantial.

It could also be physically challenging. Keep in mind that sometimes we have to feel worse before we feel better. For example, if you have a headache, there is a reason. This is a sign that your body is releasing lots of the bad stuff. Be patient. Rest. Listen to your body.

TIP #2: It is essential to consume high quality, delicious tasting fruit. Otherwise, you will not feel satisfied.

TIP #3: Journal your journey. Write down what you eat and when, and most importantly, how you feel afterwards.

• Do you notice more or less energy than usual?
• Or do you have a headache?
• Are you feeling bloated?
• Are you going to the bathroom more or less regularly?

Observe your body’s response. Remember: curiosity, never closure.

Your Fruit Detox Choices

• Choose one type of seasonal fruit and eat only this. I am currently doing a watermelon detox. In the Fall I do a grape detox.
• Eat whatever fruit you like, preferibly seasonal (and if possible local, organic) respecting the fruit combinations indicated here. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS. I am here to support you.
• Reminder: Cantaulope/Honeydew/Watermelon are not to be combined with other types of fruit. Again see diagram below for Fruit Combining.

Fruit truly is the perfect food. It’s the easiest for our bodies to digest, You feel more energetic because your bodily system is not busy using all your energy to break down extremely processed food or all the types of food we are accustomed to combining in a single meal. From the post, How To Stop Waking Up Tired – 7 Ways To Energize Your Morning Routine.

The genesis of most of man’s health problems is that we’ve forgotten what our food is. Fruit.

We started in the tropics, that’s what we ate. That’s what we were designed to eat. Man and primates have the most energetic system of all animals which in turn needs the most energy to run.

Fruit has the highest amount of electromagnetic energy of any food.

Now we’re eating things we shouldn’t be. Acidic, dead and dormant food in the form of animal products and grains.

That is where the problem starts.

Dr. Robert Morse – CLICK TO VISIT YOUTUBE CHANNEL

EXTRA RESOURCE SUGGESTION: HOW TO RESET YOUR MIND AND LOVE YOURSELF – 7 DETOX SECRETS FOR YOUR BEST SELF

Step #2 – Sleep & Rest

Most of us are literally sleep deprived. The following things do not promote getting the rest we require to stay healthy:

• Never ending thoughts
• Our overachiever mindset
• Constant external stimulation
• The excessive use of cellphones and other devices
• Our diets and eating habits
• Irregular sleep patterns

Our lifestyles cause us to treat rest as a luxury instead of the basic need that it is.

Deep rest and sleep is one of the most important elements for physical strength, mental and emotional well-being and overall health.

7 Day Self-Care Challenge: The Restore Yourself Practice

This week you will actually plan your sleep, going to bed and waking up every day at the same time.

Plan your sleep schedule to get at least 7 hours of rest each night.

You can also add in 1-3 moments of rest throughout the day. Even a 5 minute break to breathe, meditate, read, or simply sit/lay in silence is extremely beneficial.

The Simple Rules of Sleep

• Avoid caffeine in the afternoon (you should be avoiding caffeine as best as possible this week)
• Stop eating about an hour before bedtime. Since you are eating fruit your digestion will not disturb your rest.
• Avoid using all tecnological devices at least an hour before bed.
• Avoid stressful or thought-provoking conversations, news or reading material in the evening.
• Ask your family or housemates to respect your sleep by being as quiet as possible.
• Sleep with an eye mask or in a completely dark room if possible.
• Take a moment to think about what you are grateful for. Ask yourself: Who and what made me feel blessed today?
• Practice The HELP ME SLEEP Guided Meditation (remember not to scroll or text, and to turn off your phone afterwards)
• If you should have trouble falling back to sleep in the middle of the night, do the meditation above or try this calming, 4-7-8 Breathing Practice – Breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds. Hold for 7 seconds. Breathe out through the nose for 8 seconds. Repeat 4 or more times.
• In the morning, avoid grabbing for your phone. Take time to transition into the day. See the post, HOW TO STOP WAKING UP TIRED – 7 Ways To Energize Your Morning Routine.

Bonus Suggestion

During the day or before going to bed sit in this Resting Pose for 5-20 minutes.

LEGS UP WALL (VIPARITA KARANI)

HOW TO DO:

1. Sit with your right side against the wall, with bent knees and your feet drawn in toward your hips.
2. Swing your legs up against the wall as you turn to lie flat on your back. It is ok if your knees remain slightly bent. Make it comfortable.
3. Place your hips against the wall or slightly away.
4. Place your arms in any comfortable position (alongside your body (palms up or down), one or both hands placed on your belly, one hand on your heart, one hand on your heart and the other hand on your belly, GOAL POST ARMS with your arms bent, elbows at shoulder height and palms of hands facing up (also referred to as cactus arms).
5. Stay in this position for up to 20 minutes. Keep your attention as much as possible on your breath moving in and out of your nose and in and out of your body.
6. To release the pose, gently push yourself away from the wall.
7. Relax on your back for a few moments. Continue to breathe naturally in and out through your nose.
8. Draw your knees into your chest and roll onto your right side.
9. Rest for a few moments before slowly moving into an upright position.

Step #3 – Complete Fitness

Movement is essential for self-care. This week is about moving your body with awareness and with the intention of keeping it slow. It is about quality and not quantity. Whatever you do, it should be relaxing and not draining.

7 Day Self-Care Challenge: Fitness Program

This week you will –

• MOVE: Take a 15-30 minute walk, slow run, or bike ride every day.

Walk around the block with a friend, your dog, or listening to relaxing music. Another option can be dancing. In your backyard or in your home, put on some music and move. It is a natural high.

BONUS TIP: TAKE IT OURDOORS – preferibly during the daylight hours and in the most natural environment available. If not possible, just get outdoors anyway. Nature, natural light, and air are essential to our well-being.

• LENGTHEN: Stretch your body. There are tons of Gentle Stretch and Yin Yoga videos on YouTube. Try a 5-10 minute video like this 10 Minute Full Body Stretch with Tim Senesi (love him!)

EXTRA RESOURCE SUGGESTION: HOW TO REDUCE STRESS IN YOUR MIND & BODY – 6 Yoga Poses Even Non Yogis Need To Know

• OPTIONAL: STRENGHTEN: SEE THE POST – STOP WAKING UP TIRED – 7 Ways To Energize Your Morning Routine FOR SUGGESTIONS

Step #4 – Meditation – Stillness & Presence

Meditation and stillness brings us to the present moment which by far is the most healthy place to hang out.

A regular meditation practice allows us to:

• find tranquility in the chaos,
• appreciate the little things, and
• cultivate a deep sense of connection with ourselves and the world around us.

Ask yourself: Why am I so resitant to stillness? What scares me about being alone with my breath, body, and mind?

7 Day Self-Care Challenge: Meditation Practice Schedule

This week you will take the time to meditate every day.

Suggestions

• Choose the time of day that works best for you.
• Make sure you find a comfortable seat.
• Use props such as a yoga block, a bolster or a cushion to increase comfort. Also, have a blanket available.
• Lay down when instructed or anytime this position supports you best.
• USE THE SCHEDULE BELOW or feel free to choose other meditation practices.
• CHECK OUT my YOUTUBE CHANNEL for more otions.

Your 7-Day Meditation Schedule

First Day: Ready For The Day 8-Minute Guided Meditation

Second Day: Natural Stress Relief 10-Minute Guided Meditation

Third Day: Feel Joy Again 7-Minute Guided Meditation

Fourth Day: Build Patience 18-Minute Guided Meditation

Fifth Day: Devoted To Self 14-Minute Guided Meditation

Sixth Day: I Choose To Fell Grateful Today 10-Minute Guided Meditation

Seventh Day: Body Scan For Loving Attention 20-Minute Guided Meditation

When we first wake up every morning, there’s a calm in our minds. This is our fully rested self.

Unfortunately, we can lose this feeling quickly.

The challenge is to keep it with us throughout the day.

Meditating every day is a powerful resource for maintaing balance, clarity and calm.

Step #5- Deep Connection

A huge part of our self-care is making sure that we feel connected with ourselves, the people in our lives, and the world.

Connection is everything! I want to shout it out, write it on colorful post-its, and attach them around the world.

This can be super challenging because almost everything about our lifestyles pulls us away from this sense of deep connection. Our lifestyles promote:

• A feeling of never having enough time
• States of distractedness and over-stimulation
• Constant confrontation and separation
• Forgetting our purpose and what matters most
• An inability to be honest with ourselves or understand truth from stories.
• Imposter syndrome

7 Day Self-Care Challenge: Deep Connection Plan

This week you will devote time (even as little as 5 minutes) to cultivating time and full presence, feeling grateful, and developing a sense of connection with yourself and in your relationships.

Self-Care Challenge – Culivate Time & Full Presence

First repeat: I HAVE TIME.

Feeling like you do not have time is often just that – a feeling, a perception.

We are so accustomed to rushing around that we rush even when we do not have to. We are unable to switch ourselves off.

Every day, whether it is a brief pause to breathe, a moment in stillness or during your meditation practice, you will take time.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CULTIVATING TIME & FULL PRESENCE

• Set an alarm for every hour to take a break from what you are doing. Take 1-5 minutes to breathe, observe your environment, stand up, go outside, hug someone, drink water. Often when we are concentrated on our work, we forget to visit the world outside of our project.
• Remind yourself to breathe. Did you know that most of us use only 1/3 of our breathing capacity? This is crazy considering that our breath fuels everything we do. We literally do not (know how to) breathe. Choose a trigger word or action. EXAMPLE: Every time you say or think, I am hungry or you go to the bathroom, remember to take a few deep breaths in and a few deep breaths out.
• When someone speaks to you, look up. Look into the person’s eyes. This simple way to connect is extremely healing.
• Notice the details. The sunlight on the trees, the bees buzzing around the flowers, your child’s laughter, the smell of fresh bread, the feeling of the breeze on your face, a simple act of kindness, the color of a perfect mango, when someone is truly listening. This is full presence. This is where the magic happens.
• Every once in a while during the course of the day, remember to relax your jaw and maybe the rest of your face too. Just this.

Self-Care Challenge – Gratitude

PAUSE. SAY THANK YOU. REPEAT.

Life is precious. Life is fragile. We don’t need to be kissed by great fortune to feel blessed. Why do we make everything so complicated?

Studies, research, and extensive writings to figure out the means to peace, joy, and connection when a simple Thank You is enough. Expressed to someone, yourself, and the Universe. This is enough.

Say Thank You and mean it every day.

This is our gratitude practice. It is really this simple.

Dedicate time to feeling blessed throughout the day this week.

Without gratitude everything can feel like nothing. With gratitude nothing can feel like everything.

Self-Care Challenge – More Self-Study

This week you will take time every day to reflect upon how you have been showing up. This is how we become more intentional and more connected with ourselves.

You can sit with these questions, journal them, or use them during your meditation practice.

A great time to self-study is directly in bed at the beginning or end of a day.

The goal is to observe and sit with the answers without any particular thought whether the answer is good or bad, right or wrong. Just like when we meditate: No expectations. Without judgment always.

SELF-STUDY PROMPTS

• Where do you feel in balance?
• Where you did too little and where did you perhaps exaggerate a bit?
• What do you feel proud of and what can you learn from and improve?
• Are your thoughts elevating you or draining you?
• What is the quality of your speech towards yourself and others? Is it kind, truthful, and necessary or is it judgmental, hurtful, dishonest, and superficial? How does how you speak make you feel?
• How are you sleeping?
• What activities, people, and enrivonments are energizing you? Which ones are draining you?
• What can you add to your day to feel more restored and energized?
• How do you feel about this committment you are making to improve your health? Does it require effort? Are you focusing on your why? Do you feel grateful for this time?
• What do you want to let go of? Emotions, habits, relationships.
• What do you need forgive? How can you practice this?

Self-Care Challenge – Care For Relationships

This week you make time to cultivate relationships. Even though you feel as if you don’t have time, make time.

• Notice who you feel best with.
• Make a phone call.
• Meet for a walk or a fresh squeezed juice (avoid the coffee this week!😉).
• Take a yoga class with a friend or family member.
• Plan a day trip or a weekend.
• INVITE SOMEONE to do this 7 Day Self-Care Challenge with you!

Spending time with people who care and support you – who make you feel understood and seen – will improve your mood and your health.

Final Note: 7 Day Self-Care Challenge

Be here in what needs to be done today. That’s how you honor tomorrow.

Rupi Kaur

I can’t think of anything more important to honor today, tomorrow, and every day after that than our self-care. Because, as I see it, self-care is the ultimate act of love towards ourselves and everyone in our life.

I dare to take it up a level. It is a personal responsibility to the world.

I know much more than I would like to about how unhealthy the world is today. Our lifestyles are a non-stop risk to our health and well-being. Most of us know this and yet…

WE RISK. EVERY DAY.

We expose ourselves to unhealthy food, environments, people, and daily activities.

It is incredible that we are more afraid to go into Nature than keep our mind and body attached to a cellphone all day. And we let our children do this as well.

We are more afraid of hugging someone with the sniffles than filling our body with food that is processed and poisoned.

We’re more afraid of germs around our homes than all the toxic products we use to clean them.

We are afraid of the sun, but will stay in a dark room that is freezing cold, while damaging our eyes and ears and overstimularing our minds just to watch a “must see” movie full of violence that imitates what is actually going on in the world.

Ok. I will stop here.

People who aren’t afraid to truly take care of themselves are the greatest teachers for the next generation and a more loving and peaceful humanity.

From them we learn how to feel good about ourselves. And from this place, we make other people feel good as well. Butterly effect, darling friend.

Never Giving Up On Self-Care

Some days I truly doubt my effort to care for myself and my family. What is the use. I fall into many of the incredibly bad habits just like you.

And yet, I do not abandon self-care because I know that it is the one thing that I can do. So I continue to prioritize self-care EVERY DAY.

What does this mean?

Well, self-care is so much more than a healthier diet and bit of cardio 3 times a week.

It requires a daily, lifetime committment. This is a lifetyle choice which requires you to make a promise to yourself with courage and acceptance.

Forget. Remember. Begin again. Like in any other part of our journey.

It starts and ends with self-love and the desire for a more loving, mindful world. What a world it would be if we all devoted ourselves to self-care!

Are you ready to become part of this Self-Care Revolution? Write me HERE and let me know if you are making the promise. I would love to be a part of it.

My heart reaching out to yours,

Resources

Further Reading

• HOW TO RESET YOUR MIND AND LOVE YOURSELF – 6 DETOX SECRETS FOR THE BEST YOU
• STOP WAKING UP TIRED – 7 WAYS TO ENERGIZE YOUR MORNING ROUTINE
• HOW TO REDUCE STRESS IN YOUR MIND AND BODY – 6 YOGA POSES EVEN NON YOGIS NEED TO KNOW
• PERSONAL GROWTH READING + 6 OF THE BEST BOOKS TO LOVE BETTER, FEEL MORE AND LIVE FULLY
• 10 DAILY REMINDERS YOU NEED TO USE TO LOVE YOURSELF, BE GRATEFUL AND FEEL EMPOWERED

YOUTUBE CHANNELS

• INSPIRED WITH DANNI
• YOGA WITH TIM
• DR. ROBERT MORSE

Bonus Meditation – Heart Opening

• DAILY RECHARGE Guided Meditation for Love & Energy, 16 Minutes

Disclosure About This Post

I AM SHARING MY PERSONAL LIVING PRACTICE WITH YOU. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS POST IS STRICTLY FOR INSPIRATIONAL PURPOSES AND NOT INTENDED TO SUBSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE FROM YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL.