I recently completed Mar’s #14DaysofSelf Challenge and really enjoyed it. While intuitively we all know we should carve out time for ourselves, how many of us make a conscious choice to do so…especially on a daily basis?

So I thought I’d share suggestions for your own challenge…. (and seriously I do encourage everyone to do their own challenge!)

Scheduled it – I literally put “Self care” on the to do list in my planner every day for the 14 days. I know that may sound crazy, but reviewing my to do list every morning meant that among other priorities, I was reminded to put myself on the list.

Mixed it up — While not necessary, I made a point to try to do something different for myself every day during the challenge. Some days were planned in advance, but other times it was just in response to the day.

Big money/time not required — When I mention this challenge to a friend, her response was “How are you going to fit in daily spa treatments?” It was interesting to me that in her mind, self care = big, time consuming (and expensive) activity. While I certainly wouldn’t turn down a daily massage, the truth is neither the time nor monetary commitment had to be big for it to be meaningful.

Feed the mind, body and soul — While I’m the first one to advocate for getting your sweat on, this challenge was also a great reminder to feed your needs on many levels.

Getting still and asking myself what I needed each day was a great way to find some balance and peace in what has been a very hectic couple of weeks.

Did you participate in Mar’s Challenge? How do you practice self care?

Joining Amanda for Thinking Out Loud Thursday  and

with Jill for Fitness, Health & Happiness