One of the best gifts in life is Health. And I’m a firm believer that if you are healthy and feel good, those around you will be affected by your good vibes and energy. So this Christmas (and finals time in particular), I thought would be the perfect opportunity to give the gift of health to myself and to hopefully inspire someone else to do the same! For me, the beginning to middle of December is filled with final exams and projects, all of which add an incredible amount of stress and anxiety to my life. I usually handle this increased stress with poor food choices, little sleep, and a mostly sedentary lifestyle. So to make sure I keep up with my health during this extra stressful time, I thought I would do something a little different this year…
For 25 days I will do one healthy thing for myself each day. Whether it’s as big as going on a run or as small as eating an extra serving of vegetables or even simply unplugging for an hour or two from my electronics, I want to take an intentional step towards a more healthful body and mind each day. Making your health a priority doesn’t have to be a grand gesture–you can make a lot of progress by simply making small changes each day. And that is precisely my intention with this challenge. With finals, I know going into this that there will be some days that are harder to fit things in than others. But making a commitment now to do just one thing each day (be it something big or small) will set my intentions from the get-go and allow the plan to be flexible with my schedule.
To keep myself accountable and to maybe inspire one of you out there, I thought I would document the milestone I make each day. I won’t be doing daily posts, just updating the Christmas Health Challenge page right here each day. This is meant to be super casual and laid back, so if you’re interested you can check back periodically to see how I’ve been doing! Also, if I inspired you to try the 25 days of Health Challenge, let me know in the comments! And really, what are you waiting for?! There’s no time like the present to focus on your health. So here’s to a healthier, happier YOU, friends!
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Daily Log
Day 1: Today is the first day of my 25 Days of Health Challenge, so I wanted to start it off strong. I went on a ~3 mile run/walk and drank a glass of orange juice for extra vitamin C. Gotta keep those winter bugs away during finals! I also splurged after my shower and applied my favorite face mask, which not only helped with my dry skin, but also left me feeling calmed and rejuvenated after what turned out to be a stressful week.
Day 2: Today it snowed! So instead of running outside, I took a rest day and foam rolled my muscles. I also choose carrots instead of something less healthy for an afternoon snack!
Day 3: Allen treated me to breakfast at The Buff. I substituted fresh fruit instead of the normal side of homestyle potatoes. We also went to a movie in the evening (Moana–I’d highly recommend it!) and I decided not to get popcorn and a pop (my guilty pleasure at movies).
Day 4: Today was filled with lots of studying. So when I thought I just couldn’t study any longer, I went for a quick ~3 mile run/walk to clear my mind. It felt so good to get outside, feel the sunshine, and breathe in the fresh air. I also made sure to take a vitamin C to boost my immune system this week (since I’ll probably be getting little sleep).
Days 5,6: Today was filled with all the studying and literally no time for exercise (or much sleep even). #finalsweek To keep healthy on very little sleep (and to keep myself from snacking on junk food), I stocked up on lots of fresh and healthy snacks for the week–like sugar snap peas, carrots, berries, and nuts.
Day 7: Today was my first final and I also had a presentation and a research meeting earlier in the day. While I really wanted to get a run in today, it just wasn’t in the cards between the snow storm that hit Boulder overnight and the amount of things I needed to get done before the sun set. However, the one thing I could do for my health was go to bed early. And go to bed early I did! (8pm, guys…woah, I was exhausted.)
Day 8: Today was again all about the studying. So keeping healthy snacks around and taking mental breaks was key.
Day 9: Today was my second final. (It was an oral final, so the pressure was really on.) I was only working off of a couple hours of sleep, so when I got home in the evening, I made sure to take an hour long nap before eating a nice dinner where I could mentally and physically unwind from the week’s stress.
Day 10: I slept in for the first time in a long time, trying to catch up on all the sleep I missed last week. It’s amazing what a good night’s rest can do for you! I also fixed a salad for dinner to get in some extra nutrition before a holiday party later that evening. Everything in balance.
Day 11: While I got some work in earlier in the day, I made sure to take some time to myself and relax before the week starts tomorrow.
Day 12: I spent the whole day at the office working today (pre-sunrise to post-sunset), so for exercise (and fresh air) I decided to walk home from work. It was the perfect way to clear my mind from the day’s work.
Day 13, 14: Spent (quite literally) both of these days working on a final project but made sure to bring lots of healthy snacks to the office for fuel–carrots, apples, and tea to keep me awake ;).
Day 15: Today was a project presentation (poster session). And while I still have so much to do before the semester officially ends for me, I made sure to get a good nights rest so that I would be ready for lots of productivity the next day.
Day 16: Picked up my mom from the Denver airport and we all went out for breakfast. I still spent all day at the office working, but I’m so glad I made time for a healthy meal (and great conversation) to start the day!
Day 17: Running on only a few hours of sleep, but made sure to eat a good dinner to keep my body running smoothly.
Day 18: Turned in my FINAL project of the semester this evening…and what a relief! I can finally (truly) unwind and just enjoy the holiday season now. As a healthy alternative to going out to eat, Allen made homemade pasta and I made sure to take an extra helping of salad.
Day 19: My mom left for Tulsa tonight, so I was on my own for dinner. I ran to the store for some quick ideas and ended up making an extra large salad with homemade pasta and chicken for a healthy dinner-for-one.
Day 20: Woke up early this morning and went to work at Wonder Press. It’s one of my most favorite (and most relaxing) things to do and was definitely the perfect activity post-stressful finals.
Day 21: Instead of stressing out about getting everything done before flying home for the holidays, I took one task at a time today and got as much done as I could. Sometimes the stress of getting everything done can be more than the stress of actually doing the things themselves. And while I didn’t finish everything in time and had to change my plans around, it ended up working out even better than planned. Don’t you just love when that happens?
Day 22: Heading home bright and early this morning. Instead of splurging on what I really wanted (coffee and a pastry) at the airport, I opted for a fresh smoothie with peanut butter crackers for breakfast. We’ve got a family Christmas party tonight, so I wanted to make sure to have a healthy start and keep everything in balance (and moderation).
Day 23, 24, 25: Got plenty of rest, spent quality time with family, and unplugged from the normal pressures of schools, work, and social media.
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