31 Days of Lucky Self-Care in March

Time to take care of yourself! Working toward your goals requires energy and a positive mindset. You can replenish your physical and mental well being through self-care. The spring renewal month of March is just the time to do it. Here’s a printable March self-care tracker. Do the activities in any order you choose and color in  a shamrock for each one you complete. The simple act of coloring them in is really motivating! I find the more I do, the better I feel.  March self-care tracker (pdf link) Activity descriptions below…

1. Happy March! The theme of the month is luck, success, prosperity, abundance and wealth. The crystal of the month is green aventurine. It is a lustrous green with little sparkles. You can find them for a dollar or less in crystal shops or online. For this creative energy meditation, you will need a piece of paper, a green aventurine stone or bracelet, and a green pen, marker or crayon (optional, a silver or white candle). Place your aventurine outdoors to “charge” in the moonlight. Light a silver or white candle and draw a lucky four-leaf clover with a green marker, pen or crayon on paper. Label the leaves luck, success, abundance and prosperity. Look at your drawing and meditate on what those four words mean to you. Make notes on your drawing, if you wish. When you are ready, place your green aventurine on the drawing. Imagine you are charging the stone with your positive energy, attracting good luck, success, abundance and prosperity into your life right now. When you feel ready, do one of the following: burn your drawing, sending your intentions into the universe OR tape your drawing someplace where you will see it frequently this month OR carry it as a good luck charm (and burn it on the last day of March). Put your energy-charged green aventurine in your wallet, coin purse or purse to attract wealth this month.

2 Have you tried green smoothies? Blend 1 cup of spinach, a banana, 1 cup of water and 1 cup frozen pineapple (or if using canned or fresh, add some ice) to make a simple green smoothie for breakfast or for a snack.

3 Take a walk outside for Workout Wednesday. Did you know that the ancient Greeks called the female spirits who lived in oak trees dryads? Ancient Celts and Druids also believed in tree spirits. Touch the trees as you pass. What do the trees seem to tell you today?

4 Do you think four leaf clovers are lucky? On this Gratitude Thursday, list four reasons why you are lucky. Good luck finding one!

5 Creativity is a form of self-care! Our crystal of the month, green aventurine, is a beautiful green stone that makes a lovely bracelet and is associated with good luck. A strand of aventurine beads or chips is inexepensive (you can buy them at Michael’s). All you need is some Stretch Magic (.5 mm) and jewelry glue (Wal-Mart) to craft a stretchy bracelet. Make a bracelet for yourself and for a friend or relative.

6 Today is the National Day of Unplugging. From sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the challenge is to try to manage going 24 hours without cellphones, computers, TVs, gaming systems — basically, all technology! Can you handle a digital detox for a whole day? Make a note in the comments, if you did!

7 Ready to try some green aromatherapy? Try spearmint! The fresh mint sold in grocery stores is pearmint. Chop some fresh mint into a salad; it is rich in antioxidants. Spearmint tea may reduce stress, alleviate the pain and stiffness of arthritis, improve polycystic ovarian syndrom, clear up acne (related to testosterone, which spearmint tea can lower in women), and lower blood sugar. Mix mint tea with green tea and sugar to make Moroccan tea. Dab a spearmint lip balm or essential oil roller on your wrist to relieve tension and lift your mood.

8 For Mindfulness Monday, relax while coloring a beautiful Celtic knot. Today is also, International Women’s Day, by the way!

9 For Tasty Tuesday, make a pitcher of cucumber spa water to sip all day.  Just slice some cucumbers into water, add a little lemon juice and refrigerate. 

10 For Workout Wednesday, here is a beginner’s level kickboxing workout that is low-impact. Do you know where the term “Fighting Irish” came from? Newly arrived immigrants in New York were pressed into service for the Civil War. They were known for their valor, which is the origin of the saying. 

11 Mail St. Patrick’s Day greeting cards to connect with your loved ones. Not a holiday you celebrate? Send cheerful cards to just say hello.

12 As we approach spring, spring break and the spring holidays, take some time to get organized.  Round up items and clothing you no longer need and donate them to GoodWill. Bonus: you will have cleared space in your home and made a jump-start on your spring cleaning. If you need some inspiration, read this article on the Kon-Mari method.  Today is also National Plant a Flower Day.

13 Today is the New Moon. An excellent intention for March would be saving money. Today, make a list of 13 ways you can practice financial self care by spending less and saving more. Can you get by without a new spring wardrobe, takeout meals, and subscriptions you don’t use often? Can you think of ten more ways to save money in March?

14 Daylight Savings Time means you set your clocks one hour ahead. This truly is a time to ramp up your self-care because this adjustment has shown to have several negative health effects, as well as increase the likelihood of car accidents. You can help your inner clock adjust by increasing the sunlight you get and gradually changing the time you get up and go to sleep before the 14th. It is also “Pi Day.”

15 Today is Napping Day! You might feel tired after the time change yesterday. Taking a ten to twenty- minute nap in the afternoon can help you be more productive, improve your memory and relieve stress. Don’t like napping? Take a quiet rest break.

16 Since it is almost St. Patrick’s Day, you are sure to find some Irish soda bread in grocery stores. Why not enjoy some Irish Breakfast tea and soda bread this afternoon? And also: Happy Birthday to me!

17 Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Since it is also Workout Wednesday, here is a St. Patrick’s Day Yoga class that is gentle and easy for beginners. Be sure to wear green today so you don’t get pinched!

18 Let’s state our affirmation of the month, and focus on success, luck and prosperity.

19 Pamper your skin this evening with a moisturizing avocado face mask. Here’s an easy to make recipe that also includes honey, oatmeal, lemon and yogurt.

20 Happy First Day of Spring! Today is also Ostara, the Vernal Equinox AND the International Day of Happiness. That works out well, because our bodies produce more serotonin in the spring and summer, causing us to be happier! Today, come up with a spring bucket list you’ll do to be happy. Maybe plan a spring break staycation?

21 For Flower Day, why not treat yourself to a bouquet or pretty plant? Studies have shown (yes, there is a study for everything) that flowers have long-term positive impacts on moods, making them little self-care boosters!

22 Since it’s Mindfulness Monday, here is a brief guided meditation with a spring cleaning theme to center you. Today is also the beginning of the World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, running through the 29th.

23 For Tasty Tuesday, enjoy an easy-to-make green lunch: Caesar salad and ready-made, grilled chicken strips. Low-carb but yummy and filling. Need something sweet? Have green grapes for dessert!

24 Don’t feel like a full workout today? Do a “lazy girl” workout (only 7 minutes, no jumping) on Workout Wednesday.

25 Today, pack away most of your winter clothes and bring out your spring wardrobe to be ironed and put away. That way, when spring break and the spring holidays roll around, you’ll be ready! Give away anything you know you won’t wear anymore. Oh, and today is Waffle Day!

26 Today is Self-Confidence Day! Here are some easy ways to quickly boost your self-confidence:

• Make an effort to look your best (sit up straight, wear your favorite colors, put on a fragrance you love).
• Accomplish a small task you can begin and finish in less than an hour (a whole crossword puzzle, one load of laundry only, cleaning off your desk).
• Do something that is good for you or helps you reach your goal (walk or exercise for 20 minutes, meditate, take deep breaths, eat some vegetables, move a little money into your savings account).
• Fake it until you make it (carry a tiger eye stone for confidence, smile at yourself in the mirror and say “I’m ready!” out loud, imagine yourself as a great success).
• Increase your competency (use a checklist for a day, learn or practice a skill, watch a webinar or online class, learn the meaning of new words, or work on a hobby, for example).
• Give yourself credit for your achievements. (Make a list of ten things you are great at, write down 3 positive things you each day in your daily planner or journal, keep a binder of thank you letters you receive at work, take pictures of your projects).

27  The spring holidays are beginning soon. Take some time today to spring clean your home. When you’re through, display a spray of flowers or spring buds, like forsythia or pussy willow.

28 Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Learn how to perform lymphatic massage on yourself to help relieve symptoms. Tonight is the full Storm Moon and the beginning of Passover.

29 It’s Mindfulness Monday, again. Relax with green ASMR. ASMR Darling presents a variety of sounds to give you tingles. Best enjoyed with headphones or earbuds. Some say this puts them to sleep at night. Today is also Palm Sunday.

30 Have you tried roasted brussel sprouts? Roasting them on a sheet pan gives them a delicious, slightly sweet flavor. Sprinkle on sea salt and try these the next time you are craving french fries! Parchment paper ($1 at Dollar Tree) makes clean up easy. Here’s a recipe to try on Tasty Tuesday!

31 For workout Wednesday, here is a standing abs workout, using weights. This looks fun; please do it with me today! (or any day this month). Today is the last day of March, so you can tally up how many shamrocks you got on your self-care tracker. How did you do? Please come back in April and we’ll complete another 30 days of self-care!