submitted by Bowling Green Athletic Club
This month at BAC our slogan is to “Love Yourself.” What do we mean by that? Well, our goal is to challenge everyone to take at least five minutes to invest in their own well-being in some form or fashion. This may sound easy, but you’d be surprised how many forget to set aside a little time for themselves.
During the winter months it’s typical to feel down or to lose your momentum, but this challenge is something you can do anywhere. Below are a few of our favorite ways to complete this challenge.
- Focus on your breathing: This sounds like an easy one, but it can be challenging to drown out the background noise and thoughts rambling around in your head. Try to focus on taking deep breaths and matching your exhale with the same length of time. After five minutes of this you should be able
to handle anything! - Stretch: The cold weather can affect your muscles and flexibility. Take five minutes each morning to stretch before beginning your normal routine. Start by gently making circles with your core to warm up your spine and then move your focus out to your extremities by doing circles with your shoulders, arms, legs and then finish with your ankles. Don’t forget to do a couple circles with your head, too. Most people tend to carry stress in their shoulders or neck.
- Sip a warm glass of tea or coffee: This one is more about being in the moment. While you’re enjoying your beverage, put away all distractions. This means no phones or tablets. Focus on how the drink smells, how the heat from the cup warms your hands, and all the flavors you detect in each sip. Be present.
- Read: Pick something uplifting like an inspirational quote or poem and read over it a few times. Think about what the author intended it to mean and then think about what it means to you. How did reading that effect you?
- Dance: This is definitely our staff’s favorite. Pick an upbeat tune and let loose. Don’t worry about how you look; just let your body move to the music.
If you participate in this challenge be sure to tag BAC in your post on social media. We’d love to share how each of you took on this challenge.
