We all know that change doesnโt happen overnight. It happens gradually โ day by day, week by week, month by month. And now that a new year stands before us, we are challenging you to gradually build up your life. The monthly Build Up Challenge is an effort to focus on small changes throughout each day, week and month, and building up these small actions over time will lead to significant changes in our lives.
At Orlando Mom, we started 2024 off with intentionally building up positive habits that will help our well-being and allow us to build up our families and homes too.
Each month, we are going to share and challenge you to work on five habits for the month โ one for each of these areas of life:
- Mindfulness
- Physical Wellness
- Emotional Wellness
- Family
- Home
It is our sincerest hope that you will join us and other moms throughout Central Florida by reading about these monthly habits and finding ways that work for you to implement them into your life.
We will be sharing reminders on our Facebookย andย Instagram for these habits. Weโll ask how you are doing tackling each challenge and we want to hear from you so that we can share your progress and help motivate others.
Check out each challenge for the year so far:
THE NOVEMBER CHALLENGE!
Mindfulness โ Watch the sunset
Watching the sunset can have many benefits, including:ย
The warm colors of a sunset can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and motivation.ย
The vibrant colors of a sunset can be calming and act as a visual cue to slow down and unwind.ย
Sunsets act as a natural time cue to signal the end of the day and transition to a more relaxed state, which can help regulate your circadian rhythm.ย
Watching the sunset is a way to immerse yourself in nature and expose your mind, body, and spirit to natural light.ย
Watching a sunset can be a mindfulness exercise that helps you stay present in the moment and leave the day’s stresses behind.ย
Spending time in natural environments can replenish depleted cognitive resources and improve cognitive functioning.ย
Taking in a sunset can inspire your creativity and happiness.ย
Physical Wellness โ Drink Water
Stanley Cups, Hydroflasks and Simple Modern Cups are all the rageโฆ.and for good reason! You need to drink your H20!! If you donโt have one, donโt fret! Just vow to drink 1/2 your body weight in water daily and you are good to go!
Emotional Wellness โ Gratitude Journal
You do not need a fancy journal for this. Open a note on your phone and take 5 minutes to pause and reflect on the good in your life. Jot down 3 things that you are grateful for everyday! Aย 2023 study showed that engaging in an intentional daily practice like gratitude journaling can lead to better sleep, ease anxiety, boost immunity, and even soothe physical pain. And it can lead to greater long-term happiness and more general satisfaction in life overall! That is powerful emotional wellness!
Family โ Date Your Kids
Dating your kids is a way to spend quality time with them, strengthen your relationship, and help them develop healthy social skills.
Some tips for dating your kids:ย
- Put your phone away and be present.
- Let your inner child out and have fun.
- Buy a souvenir from each date as a memento.
I love to take myย kids out to eatย for quality time togetherโฆwe get to talk and laugh with no other interruptions!ย
Home โ Declutter One Space
There is a lot we can do in managing our home to help reduce our stress. For the month of January, find a space to declutter. Maybe it is a closet or the dumping ground on the counter or your kids books. Decluttering is something that you usually know needs done but gets put on the back burner until you have time and bothers you everytime you see it. It is a proven fact that decluttering your space will help you feel less anxious. Who knows? It may feel so good that you may find yourself decluttering other things too!
This is it! this is the Building Up Challenge for November!
Let’s work on the Building Up Challenge together until November 30! Then, weโll be back with 5 new habits for November. Remember to comment on our social media posts with how you are doing, we’d love to encourage you and share with others too!
Remember, You’re Doing Great Mama!
