Lovely Gratitude – June 2019 Gratitude Challenge

Welcome back to my gratitude challenge. It’s that time of the month again where I issue a gratitude challenge for myself and hopefully a few others of you to complete too. So far the challenges have included writing 100 things that you’re grateful for, going 24 hours without complaining and four weeks of photos of things you are grateful for in your life, promoting self love and self care.

If you’re new to the challenge, but still want to join in there’s still still, please come and join in and embrace the gratitude! To take part, just join in it’s a simple as that. You can start from the beginning if you would like or start from this month. If you want to share with me how it’s going I have a hashtag to use on social media #LovelyGratitude2019.

May’s Gratitude Challenge

May’s gratitude challenge was one focussed on self care, which is something very easy to fall to the bottom of the pile when you’re a parent, or just busy as most of us in the modern world are.

The challenge was to do something you have been putting off, something you haven’t been brave enough to do, something you have wanted to do but just haven’t made the time for it. If you couldn’t fit it in in May, at least be booked into doing something so that you are committed.

The challenge wasn’t about a bath with candles, or a pedicure – as nice as they are. But, something that will help you grow or refresh. A course, a spa day, a catch up or day out with an old friend you have been meaning to organise for over a year, something in your heart you would love to do but have been putting off.

This was inspired because in April I went on a photography course that I had been meaning to do for a year, and it was brilliant and I wished that I had done it sooner.

In May, I also decided to challenge myself to do something else, something else I have been wanting to do for a while. Which was something to make myself fitter and stronger. I have a lot of lower back and hip problems, exacerbated by three pregnancies. I have had people suggest pilates to me before, but never really done anything about it. So this month, I bit the bullet and went to my first ever pilates class.

Do you know what? I am so glad that I did! My back felt more stretched and less achy even after the first class, yes I was sore for a couple of days afterwards, but it was a good sore. There was no class this week due to half term and do you know what I can feel it in my back it’s like that stretched feeling has gone. So I am very much to go back this week and getting myself into a fitter and stronger place.

June’s Gratitude Challenge

Continuing with my theme of self love and self improvement. June’s gratitude challenge is going to be about meditation. Now, hold on, don’t switch off straight away! This is something that has never, ever appealed to me before. But, I have been trying it for the past week and I’m a complete convert.

It all started with hypnobirthing when I was pregnant and while it didn’t help me have the natural birth that I so wanted, years later when I had an awful gallbladder attack, it helped me to cope with the pain massively.

Since Bo was born and the trauma that I experienced after, I have been suffering from a lot of anxiety. My husband suggested that I try meditation as a way to help manage it. So last week I downloaded the Headspace app and gave their basics course which is free a try, and do you know what? It has really helped. We’ve now decided to pay for a family account, but you don’t have to pay for something to take part in this challenge, there are lots of free guided meditations that you can use on Youtube. My husband has also written a blog post on how trying meditation for the last two weeks has helped him. 

So, June’s challenge is simply to try meditation. You don’t have to do it everyday, although it would be amazing if you do. But try it and see if it makes a difference to you and your mental health and stress levels. If you’re still on the fence, here’s a great article on why meditation is so good for you. But meditation has been proven to help depression, anxiety, stress, improve gratitude and kindness, as well as improve memory and improve sleep. So what have you got to loose?

This month I am also going to be repeating April’s self love challenge which I failed at, as I would really like to complete it. 

As always, I would love to hear how you are getting on. Also please do check my Instagram stories as I do keep you updated as to how I’m doing on there. Please do let me know on my Facebook page, or Twitter or Instagram, whichever works for you.

The next challenge goes live on the 1st July, hopefully see you there!