Recently I did a 21-Day Self-Care Challenge which taught me a lot about discipline, focus, compassion and plenty more!

Below is the final recap of all of the tips I learned from personal experience living the life of a creative. Stay encouraged!

Day 1: A couple of days ago a friend asked me to speak to a group about self-care. And I realized that I’m actually really passionate about it. So I’m gonna do 21 Days of self-care tips to share with y’all. Starting with today’s nugget: wear something that makes you feel confident and in control. I chose the head scarf (created by @thewraplife ) and it makes me feel like a Boss every time! | Day 1: Self-care #wisdomfromjo

Day 2: Today’s self-care tip is brought to you by the inspiration from the book #sparkjoy by @mariekondo (a book I mentioned in a previous post) – It talks about making spaces that create joy for you every time you enter them. So when I bought a kitchen table the other day, it was time to put it together. Every room in your home should literally SPARK JOY. | Self-care Tip #2: create spaces of Joy #wisdomfromjo

Day 3: Self-care Tip #3: Designate a journal for a passion project and keep progress of your goals on it. I’ve been doing this for 5 years now and I can’t lie that I’m so much better for it! Currently I’m using the #Hustle journal by @myleik | Go get you a passion focused journal this week! #wisdomfromjo #getittogether

Day 4: Self-care Tip #4 is all about being FOCUSED. In your planner, I challenge you to try the productivity method of only focusing on 5 MITs “Most Important Things,” a lesson I learned from #leobabauta of the blog zenhabits.net. It gives clarity and eliminates clutter in our fast paced lives, leading to better mental health! | #wisdomfromjo #selfcarewins

Day 5: I’m no gourmet chef but I do enjoy a home cooked meal! Self-care Tip #5 is all about getting creative in the kitchen. I devoured the grub no lie. #selfcarewins #wisdomfromjo

Day 6: Because sweating is self-care. #wisdomfromjo Tip #6 is a challenge to get out into nature and sweat some and then sweat some more 😁 #selfcarewins | Shout out to #thelovemovement for this hoodie

Day 7: Self-care Tip #7 is about Making space on your calendar weekly to plan & build on something important to you. I try to do this once a week and have been consistent for at least 1.5 years (75 weeks and counting). Despite my busy schedule I manage to take myself out on a coffee date and reflect, plan & research. This is a little different than the specific journaling method I mentioned a few posts back because this is about going to a public place and putting myself in a different environment. I buy something sweet and zone out or sometimes I meet with a friend!

Day 8: A moment alone with you and the sun is all you need sometimes. Nudging you to go outside and spend time with nature for today’s self-care challenge. Tip #8 is all about being outside and getting yourself into in a peaceful state of mind. Just a minimum of 10 minutes, go ahead and try it! #wisdomfromjo | Location: the memorial birth site of #Malcolmx

Day 9: Challenging us all to try a #digitaldetox for today’s self-care. Turn off your electronic devices (including cell phones & TVs) for at least 3 HOURS and do something else. This is a chance to gain mental clarity and listen to your heart. Is something else requiring your attention? Are you neglecting that project you said you would start since the first of the year? Self-care tip #9: Find the time to detach from the electronic world for at least 3 hrs. and get centered or be productive. #wisdomfromjo

Day 10: Today I dare you to pick up a read on your favorite topic and zone out! Books are a nice getaway from the every day hustle and you won’t feel guilty learning about something you love if the time happens to pass by. Self-care Tip #10: Guilt-free book cuddling or researching |#fouragreements #leanin #audacityofhope #frankmagazine  #interiordesign  #wisdomfromjo

Day 11: What I’m learning about most from this 21-day#selfcarechallenge is how to maximize my energy. So when I visited @ijuice4life I picked this blood circulation mix to get me right. Self-care Tip #11 is geared towards eating and drinking foods that give you energy and Life! Don’t be skurd. Your body will thank you for it later I promise! | #wisdomfromjo

Day 12: We are 12 days into the 21-day #selfcarechallenge and I want to remind you to find the time to laugh today. Laughter is the quickest cure for a stressful moment. Don’t deprive yourself of joy! Self-care Tip #12: Laugh a little. #wisdomfromjo

Day 13: As busy as I Have Become and trying to keep my head above water, I realize that self-care also looks like counting the wins with your closest friends. Today I want you to give yourself a break and pat yourself on the back for those small things. Self-care tip #13: Count the wins and the blessings. | #wisdomfromjo #selfcarechallenge #nlcomaha #gratitudewins

Day 14: Occasionally you have to #treatyoself so today I chose to add some color to my life with flowers. But even if you don’t like flowers, choose something affordable to do that involves bringing joy and peace into your life. Don’t think too hard on this one. Just trust your gut. Self-care Tip #14: Treat Yo Self | #selfcarewins #dozenroses

Day 15: Making time today to rethink my vision statement with a few friends through #visualization methods. If you are able to steal away today, find time to write down your vision statement, meet with some friends for feedback and visually express what you truly want for your life. Self-care Tip #15: Get creative, get feedback and get clarity on what you want out of your life! #wisdomfromJo #selfcarewins #nlcomaha | Special Tag: to #KimHowe for leading this creative workshop!

Day 16: Spending time with family is always worth it. With new generations poppin up, we try to get together once every few months to eat, play games and laugh at each other. Self-care Tip #16: Make time for family! #wisdomfromjo

Day 17: In this pile lies a few dresses and jackets that I will not cry about if I don’t ever wear again. So it’s going to the donation pile. One of them is this really cute formal dress I wore about 6 years ago and haven’t worn since. The rest just don’t even get me excited when I put them on. But I’ll feel even better knowing that these will make someone else feel amazing! Whi should I give them to? Self-care Tip #17: Get rid of wardrobe clutter. | #wisdomfromJo #givingcreatesgratitude

Day 18: Day 18 of self-care reminds you to welcome peace of mind into your life with #budgeting – I’ve been using this app called @everydollar For almost 6 months now and it honestly helped me get my life together. There is a free option so you should just try it! | Self-care Tip #18: Practice financial balance for mental peace | #wisdomfromjo

Day 19: Learning about Collaborative leadership right now, a topic that requires a lot of authenticity and empathy which are two areas I’m constantly striving to better understand. So today’s self-care is focused on self-education! In the realms of advocacy that I work in, it’s important for me to become an expert so that I do a better job at helping others. Self-care tip #19: Learn something new, then challenge yourself to apply it. | #wisdomfromJo

Day 20: Here’s to the 20th day of the 21-day self-care challenge: I’m constantly making an intention to prioritize “Me time” once a month. So when I saw the invitation to this retreat on April 8 in my inbox I said, yes! So today’s challenge to you is to find a space or event where you can literally Retreat for a few hours. This particular event is co-hosted by @stefaniemongeceo @stefmonge and I only spent 49 bucks. Self-care Tip #20: Find your alone time and literally RETREAT. | #wisdomfromJo #selfcarewins

Day 21: It’s the final day of the 21-Day Self-care Challenge! With this busy day I’ve had meeting clients, editing content and hosting an event later this evening, I realize that the only way I’m going to make it thru this day is to #getcentered and what greater way to do it than with a cup of #yogi tea? It’s only right that I allow myself to slow down and just for a moment, reflect on what got me to where I’m at. It all leads to Gratitude.

Self-care Tip #21: Make room in your daily schedule to get centered. Take a moment and just breathe. | #inhale #exhale #wisdomfromJo