168 - #365daysofselfcare (February 2017)

It's February, time to start a post for this month's 365 days of self-care challenge, which I started on January 17th, but hadn't followed it for a few days towards the end of January, for various reasons into which I won't go. 

Feb 1st is therefore day 12.

Today has been productive personally as well as self-care. I went to the health department to sort out some paperwork - to be discussed in post 169.

This morning I paid even more attention to my cleansing routine than during January, also applying perfume as I always before I go out (always : since I started doing it, that is). 

Now (4+PM) shaved and applied after-shave cream to sooth my skin and had planned to a face mask, only to notice that it hasn't been a full month since the last one - I'll have to wait a couple weeks. 

meals : for lunch, I made couscous, carrots cooked in water, and stir-fried veggies.

dinner:  potato+carrot+turnip purée, to which I added a few olives, a couple pickles, a couple pickled onions and raw mung sprouts. 

Usual cleaning before bed.

2: Day 13. Usual cleaning routines. 16 minutes of workout. Reuniting with some meals and ingredients that I love. 

3 : Day 14. Very stiff, still cannot exercise as much as I wish - I managed 14 minutes of groaning at my lower back. 

4: Day 15 : No workout today as my pain has grown with added humidity. Slept in, got up at 10 AM. 

Green clay facial mask for an half an hour before a shower. 

5: Day 16. I managed 10 minutes of workout ; 1h20 of apartment cleaning and catching up on laundry. Blog updates as well as CBT log update.

Also, as I'm having troubles breathing today, I'm diffusing 2 kinds of eucalyptus essential oils (which you can see in the photo bellow, next to my CBT log). 

6 : Day 17. Once more, I couldn't workout this morning, both from lumbar pains, and from nausea. As a result, my breakfast was limited to half a banana and peppermint tea. 

Rest of the day has been mellow, as my CBT has been postponed to tomorrow, and lunch was easy on the stomach. 

As I show early signs of a cold my body's fighting, I'm having (4 PM) my freshly pressed citrus juice (1/4 lemon, 1 orange this time, and 1/2 pomelo) cut with water, and sweetened with a new agave syrup I found recently : it has hibiscus & blueberry. 

7,8,9,10  = Days 18, 19, 20,21 Rather monotonous self-care with the usual blogging, chatting, cleansing, cleaning the apartment, and no workout 

11= Day 22 I'v finally had a 22 minute workout this morning, breaking my Jan-Feb max of 16 minutes. (funny thing, I didn't know it was day 22 till I blogged about it). 

12 though 17th = Days 23-28. Still monotonous self-care. One morning with 15 minutes workout, another with 10 minutes stretches (but I hadn't taken notes to know which). 

12= Day 23, addendum : received 8 friends to celebrate my 5000 vegan days. Much snacking, playing video games, talking ; and eating dinner with 5 of these friends. 

17= Day 28, addendum : grocery shopping, as part of a new exposure challenge that I created this morning. 

I took longer breaks between each of my tasks. 

Drank another freshly pressed citrus juice. 

18= Day 29. Did 10 minutes workout (very painful lumbar). Used fidelity points in a beauty store to get a new perfume that I never could afford (got it for free! instead of 46 €)

19= Day 30. Continuing my cleaning routines. Relaxation day, slept in, took more times in breaks. 

As spring's on its way and linden trees are bound to bloom then, I started my anti-allergy daily tea preventive treatment (separate blog entry about tat soon)

20-21 = Days 31 & 32. Usual routines. Small 14 minutes workout on Day 31. Researched some workouts to specifically target my scoliosis (upcoming post). 

Chats on both days, and even a skype session with a friend on day 32. 

22= Day 33. Self care was geared towards preparing the apartment and food, for a friend's visit. With usual routines, off course. 

*** 23= Day 34. Started new workout, for my scoliosis. The 12 minutes video took me half an hour to apply, slowly, and with my wife's help because I couldn't understand some of the movements. I count it as 12 minutes workout. 

Usual routines. 

Talkmh on twitter, discussing an important issue of self esteem, that I'll have to re-read and grab ideas to help my case, as I was a bit brain frazzled during the chat. 

23&24= days 34 (addendum) & 35 : been using new eucalyptus essential oils (E. Radiata & E. Globolus) in the diffuser, to help my poor sinus. 

Pursuing my allergy tea prevention to prepare for the actual treatment that I'll need once the linden trees blossom. 

>> I won't make repetitive entries about these. I will only discuss when I find new oils, or break from the routine of using my allergy tea, which I shouldn't do. 

24= day 34, still. I'm also trying to pursue daily workout, with some exceptions, such as tomorrow, Saturday, as I won't have time for it. However today I did a 10 minutes workout and stretching, before the 12 minutes scoliosis one mentioned above. > thus far, it's been tough, especially the last 3 minutes. I hope to improve as I become more regular and improve my physical shape. 

>> let me take the time to mention how happy I am that I'v taken this challenge, because I'v never been so regular in self-care, especially the daily routines that I was quite fickle with ; forgetting them on my lowest self-esteem days, and this challenge has helped stop for over a month. 

25= Day 35 will be difficult to do much more than routine cleansing, as we'll visit friends. 

However, I managed to do a 12 minutes workout this morning. I took a nap in our friends' garden (while my wife cut one of the friend's hair, and the other was busy, and I was tired). 

26-28= Days 36-38. Routine. Had almost forgotten one of them but was reminded. 

Day 36 : also skype with a friend, and day 37, only 3 minutes warm-up before the 12 minutes scoliosis pilates, during which I had a cramp and prevented me from any workout on day 38.

But, on day 38, to finish the month, I had my 16th CBT session.