Glow up in 2025: The 5-day self-care challenge.
Making time for yourself when you’re already at a low point (whether that’s having a hectic work schedule, feeling depressed, or not having resources) can be so difficult. Some days it even feels downright impossible — there’s simply not enough time! Even harder is maintaining the consistency that is required when prioritizing taking care of yourself.
But it’s time to show up.
I’ve been there. I neglected self-care and didn’t go above the absolute bare minimum for years until I decided enough was enough. After gaining weight, feeling uncomfortable in my body, and being unhappy with my mental health, I decided not only was change heavily desired, but it was necessary for where I wanted to be in the future.
In this blog post, I’m sharing the 5 practices I learned and implemented that allowed me to re-introduce self-care into my life, which did wonders for my physical health AND mental health.
I’ll be covering your next 5 days:
Day 1: Blast From the Past
Day 2: Touch Grass
Day 3: Treat Yourself
Day 4: Dig Deep
Day 5: The Power of Your Pen
So if you’re tired of being displeased and making excuses (no matter how valid), you’re in the right place! All of that is about to change for good!
How I Went From Defeated to Delighted
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How I Went From Defeated to Delighted . ݁˖
Upon going out of state for college, in a new place where I knew no one, I experienced loneliness that made me a shell of my usual self. I started feeling what I now know was feelings of depression, I got addicted to being on my phone, and I found myself somehow having zero energy — despite being holed up in my dorm room constantly. It made me resent my life situation, my decisions, and it fueled my anxiety. Not to mention the embarrassment because I happened to be sharing my dorm with five other people who got to bear a front-row seat to this. Out of fear of that being my permanent college experience, I quickly latched onto the wrong crowd, which led to partying and drinking multiple times a week. Some may think this is the epitome of the perfect college experience, but again…
I found myself in a situation I didn’t want to be in that had no correlation with where I wanted to end up.
I was desperate for change but I was afraid of being lonely again. On top of that, I couldn’t stick to anything. I was starting off too big, pressuring myself to take tons of daily supplements, do 5 workouts a week, and eat strict diets. It was all too much for beginner-me to handle, which eventually caused burnout, which eventually caused me to seek comfort in my old habits and routines that weren’t good for me. I would be able to maintain the strict expectations I set for myself for a week or two, and then I’d land right back into previous patterns of doom scrolling, sleeping at every moment possible, or going on a bender.
Until one day, I was absolutely fed up. I needed a moment, or five, to myself. How ironic, it seemed. Because loneliness was what I was trying to avoid all along. But suddenly I needed it? What?! It was important to gather and process my thoughts without outside forces. It was a turning point for me to figure out where I wanted to be in life so I could take the necessary steps to get there. Once I realized that the life I was currently living did not align with what I wanted for my future, it became way easier to shed those old habits, patterns, and routines.
I started doing tons of research and paired it with grounding self-reflection. This allowed me to silence the chaos and for the first time in years, experiencing true peace. Suddenly I was unafraid of taking on the rest of my college experience alone. I knew that the right people would find me eventually. I knew that the more I frequented in circles with people who had similar interests, views, and thought processes, the better I was setting myself up for my future community.
So I did the work. I did it scared, I did it uncertain, and I did it alone.
And wow, what I was missing out on! You mean to tell me I’ve been depriving myself of this the whole time? The kick of it all was that it was so easy, it didn’t require anything material, just effort and surrender. Though that can be a battle within itself for some (especially if you have a history of being headstrong like me). And I want to make clear that I, unfortunately, am not someone with an insane amount of self-discipline. In case that wasn’t extremely obvious. It took a lot for me to start, but I was backed into a corner. The path my life was going down, I could see how it would unfold, and it didn’t excite me in the slightest. Sometimes that reality check is all that it takes. My point being, if young and insecure, lacking self-discipline me can do this, you can definitely do this.
From there, I knew I had to create a plan that worked for me.
Yes, it got to that point. I was past the point where I could mentally rely on my memory and self-will to make the consistency happen. I need a self-trackable list that could hold me accountable for my slacking. (If you can relate, stay tuned to the end because girly do I have a treat for you! And spoiler alert, it’s free).
After a month of solid implementation, I found that I was far less burnt out, I felt empowered because I was revisiting my passions, and I felt taken care of and comfortable with myself.
Flash forward to the current day – I feel incredible, so healthy, so energized, and so confident! I finally love the way I feel and I have seen that directly benefit my environment and loved ones. My life has completely changed for the better and I’m eager to share this with others so you can experience this drastic change as well.
Now that you know what I’ve learned, I’m going to run through the plan so you can know how to implement it and put yourself up for the challenge. I don’t want you to be intimidated by the word “challenge” because as you read on, you’ll see there’s nothing actually challenging about it. Everything within the plan can be completed for free with low (but monumental) effort from you. I simply feel that making it a challenge makes it more fun, encouraging, and action-oriented! I sincerely hope you enjoy and have a huge takeaway from this like I have.
Day #1:
Blast from the Past | Hobby
Day 1 is all about starting, and so we want to take it slow and begin somewhere we’re familiar with. This might sound counterintuitive, but stick with me. Throughout this process, I’ve learned that there is power in taking time to do an activity that you really enjoy but have been neglecting making time for. Please do not confuse this with an unhealthy or toxic habit of the past. The intention here is to more so lean into something that ignites your inner child.
Think of an old hobby you used to have that fueled your fire. It could be painting, writing, reading, coloring, or baking. If those aren’t your speed, perhaps catching up with a friend, or watching your favorite movie.
Day #2:
Touch Grass | Sun Time
This can be taken literally, but more specifically, sun time. This was crucial for me, because I spent and spend a lot of time behind blue-light screens. Introducing at least 15-minutes a day of just soaking in the skin was a game changer. I found that it boosted my mood immensely and gave me the opportunity to ground, experience silence, and self-reflect. I place an emphasis on silence because it is so difficult to focus and make sound decisions when you have a bunch of distractions nearby. Reconnect with nature how you were meant to! I personally enjoy pairing my daily dose of sun intake with another activity, such as a long walk, or reading a book in the sunshine, or sitting while listening to music or a podcast.
Day #3:
Treat Yourself | Treat
Your day to indulge! This can range from hygiene maintenance to a sweet treat. Be intentional, and use your discernment. Some of my favorites include: anything that ends in -mask. Face mask, hair mask, foot mask, lip mask. All the masks are great really. Sometimes for me this includes putting off extras that I like to do but can put off, such as at-home teeth whitening, shaving, dry-brushing, self-tanning etc. I used to dread doing these things, until I repositioned my perspective, that these things are means of taking care of myself and self-improvement. Extras include, treating yourself to a matcha, getting a lash lift, scheduling a haircut, etc.
Day #4:
Dig Deep | Meditate
Now that you’re feeling comfortable and made some progress, it’s time to dig in. On Day 4 I want you to commit to mediating, however that looks for you and however you are most comfortable. I like to start doing some deep breath work, and then allowing my thoughts to flow in how they’re meant to. I listen and observe where they lead, and then I address, feeling completely unrushed and soothed. I focus on connecting with myself, my mind, and all of my inner workings. One thing I will say is that it took me many attempts to be fully comfortable and unraveled, so don’t fret if it takes you a little to get immersed.
Day #5:
The Power of Your Pen | Journal
You might’ve guessed it. It’s time to journal, let it all out on paper! Go wherever your hand and heart steers you. Write about how your week has been, how the aspects of this challenge have made you feel, what you’re looking forward to, what hasn’t gone your way, what you’re grateful for. Nothing is off limits!
If you want a trackable sheet that keeps you in check and holds you accountable for your self-care, I’m happy to provide it! And this week, you can get it with goal-setting pages for free just by entering your email! Click here to get it!
Once I learned and implemented these practices into my everyday life, I felt a shift in me for the better. This shift caused a chain reaction that positively affected the environments I surround myself in, as well as the way I treat others. Because I was taking proper care of myself, I was able to nurture my relationships with others better than I ever have. In all my self-reflection and attempting to understand myself more, I understood others more. The impact of this alone has been life-changing, I’ve mended familial relationships that have been on the outs for years and my friendships are more fruitful than ever.
The small changes I made in introducing good habits influenced the other areas of my life, where I continued to take my mental and physical health seriously.
With these practices, self-care became easy, and the fact that I felt amazing only made me want to prioritize it even more!
I want this for you, too! Let’s all commit to feeling GOOD. You don’t have to stop after the 5-day challenge, in fact I encourage you to keep performing these practices so that you can reap the benefits that come with introducing and repeating these habits.
You’re one click away from receiving the self-care tracker, WITH bonus goal-setting pages, to your email within seconds! Let’s get started, click here to sign up!
