Re-fill your cup

With the end of the year drawing closer, it can be hard to keep motivated as energy levels dwindle and that creative spark feels like it is running out! With mental, physical and emotional tiredness peaking, there is no better time to take action to refill your cup and boost your energy and mood.

As many of us seem to be able to look after our pets, kids, cars and even our lawns better than we do ourselves, this month’s challenge is to find super simple ways to fit self-care strategies into even the busiest of days.

YOUR CHALLENGE: Try our simple ideas to prioritise yourself and refill your cup this month.

This is a two-part challenge. Download our tracking sheet to help commit to simple daily and monthly activities that will refill your cup over the next month.

Part 1 – Fill your cup by doing these 3 simple things every day:

1. When you first go into the bathroom in the morning, look in the mirror and say one nice thing about yourself. It doesn’t have to be about how you look, just one good thing about you as a person. We subconsciously focus on our flaws, which is unhelpful, so we need to reprogramme our brains to look for the good in us and the world around us.
2. Play music in the morning that helps you feel happy and calm while you are getting ready for your day or on your way to work.
3. Eat at least one of your meals each day without checking your phone or other distractions. Just enjoy being there and see how it feels.

Part 2 – Do one activity that will fill your cup this month

This month, commit to at least one action or activity that will refill your cup and make you feel like yourself again. Make a plan today! Set a date, time and location for the action or activity you choose. Tell someone else you are doing it and write it down on your tracking sheet to make it real.

Below are some suggestions and examples:

• Book a date and  time for a catch up with a friend or family member you haven’t seen for a while or who really lifts your mood when you are with them.
• Book a date during the month for a trip, hike, game of bowling, round of golf, sea swim, pottery class or another activity you really enjoy but haven’t made time for lately.
• Get yourself a journal or planner to help you get into a good routine again! Don’t wait until the new year to make the change to look after yourself. This is a great planner to check out.
• If you love alone time, schedule in an hour one day (or whatever you can fit in) to be by yourself. You might need to ask for help to make that happen but try to let that be ok. If someone can help you, you can repay the favour one day.
• Order a food delivery bag for a week to give yourself a break from thinking about and planning meals!
• Say no to something you would normally go to but really don’t want to! Part of looking after yourself is having personal boundaries and accepting the discomfort that can come from saying ‘thanks, but no’ sometimes.
• Do something kind to help someone else. Perhaps pop in to see a neighbour who lives alone, offer to look after your friends’ kids, or help someone in your community paint their fence. If you have the time, research shows helping others boosts your mood and fills your cup.

Good luck! We look forward to hearing how you get on.