Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Self-Care Challenge :D

So, this is inspired by Peri's Kind to Yourself threads and Blackfooted Bobcat's... um... idk, Bobcat in general?? And inspired by my... uh, not very self-care-y habits? Yeahh :P  aNyWaYs. As you lizards know, self care is really important, but not enough people practice it (according to the very reliable Internet -- although I think in this case, it is actually very reliable :/), so that's what this thread is for. I listed a bunch of self-care challenges below, because I personally find it easier to do things if I have a challenge (for example, NaNoWriMo). Uh. Yeah. Feel free to reply if you did anything, or to put up some challenges of your own (for yourself/for others). Spread the word! Family members, friends, neighbors... self care is important! @Admins, this goes for you too! Maybe try to meet these goals starting with every day for a week, every day for a month, etc., but don't feel bad if you miss a day or two. So, um... enjoy? ... yes this is how awkward I am irl. When I say I'm awkward, I mean I'm awkward. Um. Ok yeah bye-

Disclaimer: I am not at all a professional health expert. If you're not sure about something, do your own research and please don't just randomly trust me. Blind obedience is not the way (I just blended TOH and The Mandalorian into one sentence YESS :D).

Challenge: make sure you're taking in about the recommended amount of liquid for yourself every day 

It's getting hotter and hotter, so make sure to stay hydrated!! As anyone who's read The School for Whatnots knows (and if you haven't read it, you should also know this, so uhh that sentence was really unnecessary... but epic book reference :D), dehydration is a real thing! Some fast (edit: no not really cuz duh I'm writing this they're not gonna be fast :P I actually thought I would be able to make them fast though. I was so wrong. :D) facts:

-  according to classified sources (not really classified, I just can't say their names bc CB guidelines :) (tangent: WAIT I just realized, bc is cb backwards :0 bc cb <-- palindrome!! Tacocat! Kayak! Radar! Hannah! Is it crazy how saying sentences backwards creates backwards sentences saying how crazy it is?!??). Classified just sounds cool. Well, sorta? Eh), the general rule of thumb is that you should drink (in ounces) half your weight (in pounds)

- juice and tea and stuff can count as water intake, but water is always gonna probably be the superior option :D

- you can stay hydrated by eating fruits and veggies also!! Ofc, definitely don't replace drinking water with like gorging on watermelon all day, but :DD

- it's a good idea to drink water when you're exercising. This one seems obvious, but I'm horrible at like actually doing it... even when it's 100 degrees... so don't be like me and you should drink your water! (I got headaches when I did this, so please please please drink water, even the signs on the side of the road tell you to do this)

Challenge: get the recommended amount of sleep each night

Sleep is really important. It's your body's way of recharging and resting, and helps like every aspect of your health, including your mental health, your physical health, your immune system (is that part of your physical health?), etc. Sleep also helps you grow, as my mom likes to say (this is very important to her, so I thought I'd include it here. Listen to my mom, ya lizards!). Some probably-not-fast facts:

- for ages 3-5 years old, it is recommended that you get 10-13 hours of sleep each night

- for ages 6-12 years old, it is recommended that you get 9-12 hours of sleep each night

- for ages 13-18 years old, it is recommended that you get 8-10 hours of sleep each night

- for ages 18 up, it is recommended that you get 7 or more hours of sleep each night

summer is your opportunity to sleep early and sleep in; take it!

Challenge: eat healthier!

This is another one my mom is really adamant about. It's really hard to eat healthy in today's world (I mean, I think it is? With all the processed food we have and stuff), and sometimes we don't even want to eat healthy because chips and cookies and cake and sUgAr!!!!!!! ...um but eating healthier is really good for you, actually (I should know, I'm giving a presentation to some kids about this later this week o_O)! Eating healthier makes you less likely to get sick, lowers your risk of heart disease and some cancers and stuff, and really just makes you happier and healthier in general!

So... what really is eating healthy anyway? Uhh that's a good question. Which I totally know the answer to. *frantic Internet search spree ensues*

"A healthy diet is a diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequate fibre and food energy."

Some fast (maybe??) facts:

- you should eat reduced-fat dairy foods and lean meats (cut the fat off your meat if it's fatty)

- you should limit the consumption of baked and fried foods and pre-packaged snacks and foods that contain industrially-produced trans fats

- try not to eat fast food if you can. "(Fast food) tends to be high in calories, sugar, and fat and low in nutrients. Eating fast food frequently may negatively affect multiple areas of your body, possibly increasing your risk of conditions including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure." Once per week is the general recommendation for how often you should eat fast food, assuming you're eating "a balanced diet rich in whole foods besides that one time." Also yes all this information is coming from sources, I'm just putting that out there just in case it's like illegal or something to not say that 'cuz I can't mention sources here :)

- eating organic doesn't necessarily mean eating healthier 

- you should eat until you're no longer hungry. If you're still hungry, keep eating!

does eating healthier mean you have to stop eating your favorite foods like chips and frozen microwaveable mac and cheese goodness (*coughcough*)? Uh. Well. The answer's probably yes. But since I'm not at all a professional health expert and love my mac and cheese, I'm just gonna... uh... step aside and let you lizards make your own decision on that one. o_O

Challenge: what's one (or more) things you like about yourself?

This one's from Blackfooted Bobcat, and @BB, uh I hope you're okay that I'm stealing it?? But it's great. And you put it amazingly (as always), so I'm going to paraphrase what you said: even if you don't want to post the answer to this question, if you're here, reading this, please at least answer in your head. But if you really can't say anything that doesn't feel forced or bad, just something you don't hate about yourself? (ok that was mostly not paraphrased, but yeah). But seriously, I can say with absolute certainty that no matter what, you lizards are all AMAZING!!! Even if you can't see it, you are so, so worth it. *a thousand bear hugs if if you want them and your favorite things* try to do something for yourself!, every day!, even if you don't think you deserve it. You do. You absolutely do. You all are the absolute best. </3 <3