How to Slow Down With a February Self-Care Challenge

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January is coming to an end, and you might already feel the need to slow down and recenter on yourself.

And there is no better way to do so than with a February self-care challenge.

Whether you want to take care of yourself after working hard in January or need to refocus because you were unable to make a fresh start yet, a February self-care challenge is a great opportunity to put yourself first.

The list below will provide you with 28 fun and productive activities to try in February to slow down and take care of yourself.

Let’s dive in!

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1. Meditate

Starting the day with a quick meditation is an amazing way to reflect on yourself and increase your mindfulness.

One of the worst habits many of us follow is checking our phones first thing in the morning.

If you want to live a more mindful life and reduce stress, you must ditch this habit.

Instead, starting the day with a 10-minute meditation will help you clear your mind and unwind.

After waking up, sit on your bed, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing for 10 minutes.

This simple exercise will set you up for a super productive day.

2. Declutter For One Hour

Physical clutter = mental chaos.

Staying focused and being productive is hard when evolving in a cluttered environment.

There is nothing worse for productivity than having to go through your mess to find the things you need.

And this is definitely not a good way to start your day.

If you want to improve your mental health, living in a clean and organized space is important.

Take 1 hour to declutter the room you spend the most time in, clean it, and open the blinds and windows to let the natural light and fresh air in.

Our environment has a huge impact on our behavior and actions.

Taking care of your home is taking care of yourself.

3. Create a Vision Board

Creating a vision board is a great way to stay motivated to achieve your goals this year.

You can either create an old-fashioned vision board with a piece of cardboard, pictures, and glue.

Or, you can do it digitally using free tools such as Canva.

I love to create digital vision boards and mood boards to use as wallpapers on my phone and laptop.

Seeing my vision board a trillion times a day definitely helps me keep my goals in mind and take action to achieve them.

4. Start Reading a Personal Growth Book

Personal growth and self-help books are amazing to inspire us to change our lives.

This is actually how my life transformation journey started.

I saw an idea pin on Pinterest recommending a few books, got some of them, and one of them, The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest, hit me like a truck.

Reading a personal growth book will help you rewire your brain and sometimes even reshape your vision of your environment.

This is just how powerful books are.

They can and will transform your life if you take the time to read them and apply the lessons their authors share.

If you want to change your life by recentering on yourself and designing a life you will love, here are 4 other books I highly recommend:

1. You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
2. Atomic Habits by James Clear
3. The 4-hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
4. When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest

5. Listen To a New Podcast

Just as books, podcasts are great to help us find inspiration and stay motivated to make changes.

Listening to a podcast can be just as effective as reading a book to improve your emotional well-being and mood.

What I love the most about podcasts is that you can listen to them while being productive.

You can listen to podcasts while doing housework, taking a warm bath, or working out.

Don’t know any inspiring podcasts?

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Ten percent happier with Dan Harris
• Happier with Gretchen Rubin
• The Lavendaire Lifestyle by Lavendaire
• Design your dream life with Natalie Bacon
• The Tony Robbins Podcast by Tony Robbins

6. Do a Digital Detox

Doing a social media detox will help you slow down and get things done.

Following inspiring social media accounts can be a great help in staying motivated to achieve your goals and actually make things happen.

But let’s be honest…

Most of us do not use social media that way.

Mindlessly scrolling on your Instagram feed will certainly not improve your life or mental health.

If you want to improve your life this year, you need to look at your social media consumption and how it impacts your life.

And a great way to achieve this is to do a digital detox.

Ideally, for longer than a day, but 1 day is already a great place to start.

Do not check your social media accounts for 24 hours and see how it goes and how it makes you feel.

This simple action is likely to improve your emotional well-being and free up some time for more productive activities.

7. Express Gratitude

We often take things for granted and don’t realize how lucky we are to be healthy and alive.

Even when going through the toughest moments in life, we should acknowledge that we have plenty of things to be grateful for.

Expressing gratitude is a great way to shift our perspective and stay grounded.

If you are not used to expressing gratitude, starting a gratitude journal is a great habit to try this year.

If you regularly feel bad, have low energy, and feel unmotivated, starting the day with 3 things you are grateful for might be what you need to give your life a new direction.

8. Try a New Healthy Recipe

Trying a new healthy recipe is another way to take care of yourself and improve your diet.

Eating healthily doesn’t have to be hard, time-consuming, or expensive. You can cook plenty of healthy recipes in less than 30 minutes.

And if you don’t know what to cook, Pinterest will definitely become your best friend!

You will also realize how good you feel after eating a nutritious meal, and I am sure this will quickly become a habit you want to follow daily!

9. Drink More Water

Just as eating healthier, drinking enough water is important to improve your physical health.

Staying hydrated will help you increase your energy, improve your focus, and make you feel better.

If you struggle to drink enough water, a few things can help you make this habit stick:

• Use a glass water bottle to stay hydrated
• Add fruit such as cucumber and lime slices to your water
• Set a reminder on your phone to drink more water if needed

10. Get a Manicure and Pedicure

Taking care of yourself also means taking care of your physical appearance.

Doing a manicure and pedicure is a simple way to improve your mood.

No matter how busy you are, taking care of yourself will help you feel better and relieve stress.

Go get that mani/pedi and enjoy your cute nails!

11. Start a New Skincare/Haircare Routine

Name one thing more relaxing than a night skincare routine and scalp massage; I’ll wait…

I had to include skincare and haircare in this self-love challenge because taking care of ourselves can instantly help us feel so much better.

This is especially important in winter since cold temperatures are tough on our skin and hair.

And having fewer daylight hours might cause winter blues as well.

So, following a good skincare routine and relaxing self-care rituals is a great way to overcome the winter month blues and improve your mood.

12. Go to Bed Early

Going to bed early and getting enough sleep will help you feel well-rested, which is key when it comes to staying motivated and getting things done.

If you are regularly sleep-deprived, going to bed earlier will help you get a good night’s sleep.

Here are a few tips to improve your sleep quality:

• Open windows during the day to let fresh air in
• Keep the room temperature at 16-18°C (60-65°F)
• Invest in blackout curtains to keep the room dark
• Avoid screens 1 hour before bed
• Sleep in a clean and tidy room
• Make your decoration cozy with scented candles, fluffy pillows, and blankets.

Focusing on sleep quality will help you recharge, which is crucial to staying productive and healthy.

13. Try a New Workout

Exercising is key to maintaining good mental and physical health.

If you want to move more this year, finding workouts you enjoy will help you stay consistent even when having a hard day.

If you don’t feel comfortable going to the gym yet, you might want to start working out at home.

If that’s the case, I definitely recommend the FitOn app. It offers a wide range of workouts, from yoga to HIIT, and many programs to follow, and it is free to use!

14. Spend Some Time in Nature

Spending more time in nature will help you relieve stress, overcome depression, and move more as well.

Research says that spending 2 hours per week in nature is enough to improve our mental health.

This is especially important if you work an office job and spend most of your time inside.

If that’s your case, reconnecting with nature is a self-care habit you must start.

15. Stretch

Another habit you should follow if you work at a desk is to take a short break from time to time, stand up and stretch.

Humans were not made to sit all day while looking at a screen.

Our bodies need to move to stay healthy.

Taking a 5-minute break every 2 hours to drink water and stretch will help you increase your focus and avoid back pain and headaches.

16. Get a New Haircut

Getting a new haircut is another way to boost our moods and increase self-confidence.

And since most of us are looking for a fresh start at the beginning of the year, this is definitely an activity to consider if you want to slow down and take care of yourself in February.

17. Do a Random Act of Kindness

Take a few minutes to show love to your friends and family or be kind to someone you don’t know.

Did you know that the 17th of February is actually Random Acts of Kindness Day?!

Yes, that’s a thing!

Being kind to others is a simple way to make someone’s day.

Here are a few ideas for simple acts of kindness:

• Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line
• Compliment the first four people you talk to today
• Post inspirational sticky notes around the office
• Donate old blankets and pet food to an animal shelter
• Say “hi” and smile at people you come across today

Being kind to others will also cheer us up and make us enjoy the little things that make life so special.

18. Watch a Sunrise or Sunset

Speaking about the little things that make life so worth it…

When was the last time you took 15 minutes actually to watch a sunrise or sunset?

Choose one day in February and go outside to either watch the sun rise or set.

Realize how lucky we are to be given another day on Earth and make the most of it!

19. Do a Life Audit

Doing a life audit is key to evaluating your current life, reflecting on your dream life, and identifying your areas of improvement.

To live a more mindful life, you need to ensure you set life goals and work on them. This is the only way to add meaning to your life and create a life you will love.

Do you need help with your first life audit?

If so, this blog post on How to do a Life audit with the Wheel of Life will give you all the tips you need to do your first life audit!

20. Take a Look at Your Finances

Now, you might be surprised to find this activity in a winter self-care challenge.

Budgeting, a self-care idea? Really?

Yes!

Because having your finances in check will help you stress less and live a more balanced life.

Having enough money in the bank will allow you to take money out of the equation when it comes to making life-changing decisions.

• Don’t want to work until you die?
• Want to go on nice vacations several times a year?
• Want to launch your own business?
• Want to take care of your loved ones?

All these activities require you to have money.

And the only way to get there is to budget and save money.

So, if you want to give your life a new direction and create a life you will love, budgeting is a step you can’t skip.

Don’t know where to start?

No worries; the budget sheets below will help you!

21. Declutter Your Wardrobe

Decluttering your wardrobe is another great self-care idea for the New Year.

Seeing a lot of clothes that no longer fit can be depressing.

That’s clearly not the best way to start off the day.

Going through each item of your wardrobe, throwing away worn-out items, and giving away those you don’t like anymore will help you make room for new pieces and create new looks with what you already have.

What better way to create a new you and make a fresh start than rethinking your style?

22. Give Meal Plan a Try

Meal planning is a simple habit that can save you a lot of money and time.

How many times have you ordered takeout last year just because you didn’t know what to cook?

This used to happen to me at least once a week until I decided to meal plan.

Meal planning will also help you eat healthier, which is just another form of self-care.

23. Listen to a Sleepcast

Listening to a sleepcast will help you drastically improve your sleep quality and reduce stress.

If you struggle with anxiety at night, I definitely recommend listening to a sleepcast while in bed.

My favorite sleepcasts are from Headspace and are available on Netflix.

24. Do a Sugar Detox

A sugar detox will help you improve your mood in the long term and your general health.

A simple way to decrease your sugar consumption is to replace soda with water and eat fruit whenever you crave something sugary.

Yes, fruit contains sugars, but these natural sugars are way healthier than the refined sugars found in chocolate and other snacks.

25. Start Journaling

Journaling is great for getting things out of your head and getting clear on your feelings.

Journaling will also help you overcome negative emotions and past failures. If you are not used to journaling, start by writing down the ups and downs of your day and see where it takes you.

This will quickly become a habit you will be addicted to!

26. Increase Your Mindfulness

Being more present and aware of the world around you can drastically change your life.

It can be really hard to slow down with a hectic schedule, but doing so is key to your long-term success and work-life balance.

Take breaks throughout the day, focus on deep breathing, be aware of the noise around you, and observe what’s happening.

Being more present in every moment will help you relax and find little things to enjoy each and every day.

27. Organize Something Fun With Your Friends

Spending time with your loved ones is also key to living a well-balanced life.

Do not forget to organize fun events with your friends, no matter how busy you are.

These little rewards will help you stay motivated even when life gets hard.

28. Take Yourself Out on a Date

The last self-care idea on this list might be the most important one.

When was the last time you took yourself out on a date?

Spent some time alone doing something you enjoy?

Got yourself fresh flowers?

Taking time for yourself also means making peace with yourself and loving yourself first.

Treat yourself well and believe in yourself.

Because everything will always be all right in the end, and if it’s not all right, then it’s simply not the end.

Final Thoughts

February is the perfect time to slow down and reconnect with yourself and nature.

No matter what activity you decide to start your self-care challenge with, the self-care ideas on this list will help you find balance and be kind to yourself.

Whether you are already working hard on your New Year’s resolutions and need to slow down or focus on yourself before being able to make a fresh start, this February self-care challenge will help you focus your energy on your life goals this year!