The COVID-19 Self-Care Challenge

Allyson Apsey and I have a goal to come out of this unexpected break better than when we entered it, and we have challenged each other to come up with a list of things we will do every day to take care of ourselves and others. We know that many other educators have the very same goal and that we are better together, so we're sharing our ideas with you.

As educators, we love the flexibility in our typically tightly-structured schedule that comes along with school holidays. But, if we were really being honest with ourselves, we usually function best with a schedule and a mountain of things on our to-do list. It will be tempting to binge-watch television series during our COVID-19 break, and there is no shame in doing that, but we will feel much better if we also feel accomplished. 

We’ve each created our own self-care challenges, personalized to our needs and goals. To help us keep some normalcy and know that we’ve accomplished some valuable things while on the break, we’ll also check in with each other on our progress. 

Here’s a list of self-care challenge ideas we generated:

1. Go for a daily walk
2. Drink a gallon of water daily
3. Learn something or create something
4. Check in on someone new
5. Exercise first thing when you get up
6. Read 30 minutes each day
7. Spend 1 hour learning - podcasts, webinars, books, online courses
8. Post a thought online - a blog post, image, quote, or new idea
9. Write a thank you note
10. Give a social shout-out to someone who has inspired you
11. Clean out & declutter a cabinet, drawer, or shelf in your home
12. Meditate
13. Keep a gratitude list
14. Make your bed every morning
15. Do something you’ve been putting off
16. Spend time with at least one family member
17. Organize something
18. Walk or run at least a mile every day
19. Unplug from the TV
20. Watch a sunset or sunrise

Right now it feels like we have this wide expanse of time ahead of us. But, increased family responsibilities, illness, rescheduling things, and so much more will eat up lots of our time. 

We decided that 20 items on a list was WAY too many, so we challenged ourselves to pick 5-10 things to add to our self-care challenge. 

What did I pick?

Jennifer's list:

• Work out each day (My post-surgery wait time is over & I’m feeling better & ready to return to working out)
• Drink a gallon of water each day
• Choose a drawer or closet to organize and/or de-clutter each day
• Walk each day
• Keep a gratitude list
• Connect with someone each day - phone, Voxer, twitter, email, etc.

Here's what made the cut on Allyson’s list:

• Workout right when I wake up
• Learn something or create something
• Check-in with someone new
• Drink a gallon of water
• Stay within my calorie goal
• Organize something
• Check 2 things off my to-do list
• Run or walk at least one mile

Allyson is going to hold herself accountable by using the DONE app.

thedoneapp.com

(She signed up for the paid version when she started the #75Hardchallenge.) The free version only allows a list of 3 things. Since I've got more than 3 things and the paid version doesn't fit in my budget, I'll be using a paper journal to keep track of how I do on the challenge. 


Allyson and I both know that taking care of ourselves helps us be our best in order to take care of others and that self-care is not selfish. 

We both included connecting with someone each day as part of our routine. Our goal in creating a self-care challenge is to inspire others to be their best as we collectively and individually try to turn a tough situation into one that is productive, supportive, and energizing. 

Please share your self-care list using the hashtag #COVID19selfcare.

Want to hear more about the challenge? Listen to our latest podcast episode!