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Break a Bad Habit Recap
Last month’s wellness challenge was a tough one for me. The challenge was to break a bad habit, and my habit was biting my hangnails, something I hate that I’ve never been able to beat. I found that setting the intention to really focus on it for a month helped a lot. Just putting the commitment behind it and having support from this community made it finally feel doable for the first time ever.
Whenever I caught myself going for it, I would stop, take a deep breath, and try to redirect my stress or thoughts to something else. Overall, I’d give myself a B+ on the hangnail project. I definitely cut down on biting, and now feel much more aware of it, but I wasn’t able to completely kick it.
That said, it is an ongoing process, and I plan to keep using the tools I learned about breaking habits to stop for good. Hopefully sooner than later!
How did you guys do with the last challenge?
March Wellness Challenge: Daily Meditation
This month’s challenge is about adding something into your routine instead of taking something out. I don’t have to tell you the benefits of meditation at this point, but until you’ve tried it, it’s hard to believe how life changing it can really be.
I’ve always wanted to try a full month of daily meditation, but have never once actually completed it. This time, with your support, I’m committing to making it happen! I’ve watched friends make incredible transformations in their life with meditation (example here), yet I can never seem to get it together to make it happen for myself.
When to Meditate
There is no right or wrong time to meditate each day. I’ve talked about it with my therapist in the past, and she said that many of her patients get more anxious if they meditate at night, but find that it’s an effective stress management tool during the day. Personally, I like to do it first thing in the morning, before our usual morning chaos ensues. It sets a good tone for the day ahead.
If your timing changes every day, that’s ok too! I am more likely to stick with it if I have it scheduled for the same time each day, but you do you. Whatever works to get the job done.
Meditation Apps
Headspace: This is my personal favorite meditation app because I love Andy’s voice and I love how many different options they have. If you haven’t used Headspace before, I recommend starting with the 10-day basics challenge to get started. It will walk you through everything you need to know.
Journey LIVE Group Meditation: My friend (and old boss!) works for a company called Journey that is different from other apps because it has live meditations taught by experienced meditation teachers, similar to a Peleton model. You can also do a group class with friends which is super cool. Today they’re launching some mom-focused classes that I’m going to be trying out! Use code JEN when you sign up and it’s free for a limited time during pre-launch.
Breathe (Apple Watch only): I don’t have an Apple Watch but Anel swears by the Breathe app on his. It just vibrates on your wrist for inhales and exhales. You can set it to go for 1-5 minutes. Anel is doing this challenge with me and is starting with 1 minute each day for the first two weeks.
Calm: I haven’t personally tried this app but I know a lot of people who swear by it. You can use it for meditation, sleep, mindful stretching, and music. I’m definitely going to give it a try during this challenge.
If I missed a meditation app that you love, let me know!
Read More About Meditation
If you want to read up more on meditation, here are a few articles that I have found to be interesting.
How a Month of Zen Meditation Changed My Life (Fast Company)
7 Ways Meditation Changes Your Brain and Body (Business Insider)
12 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation (Healthline)
Previous Wellness Challenges
January: Dry January
February: Break a Bad Habit
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