__When:__ Originally took place from dec 17 - 24th, from midnight to midnight local
__What:__ Drink 1 glass (8 oz.) of water the first two days. Drink 2 glasses (16 oz.) of water the next two days. Drink 3 glasses (24 oz.) of water the final three days.
__Where:__ Check in here every day
__**To Rechallenge:**__ - On a day of your choosing, start the challenge. The deadline is at midnight your time, every night. - Complete the daily check in requirements. - To finish you must make the requirements in order, each day. You cannot skip a day. - Once you have completed the week, @ me so I know and can go back and check and then drop off your prize accordingly.
__**Notes:**__ - You may finish the challenge up to 4 times total. - After the initial completion, you may request a **recolor** of the prize familiar for rechallenges.
__When:__ Originally took place from dec 24th - 30th, from midnight to midnight local
__What:__ Take 500 steps (about 1/4th a mile) every day
__Where:__ Check in here every day
__**To Rechallenge:**__ - On a day of your choosing, start the challenge. The deadline is at midnight your time, every night. - Complete the daily check in requirements. - To finish you must make the requirements in order, each day. You cannot skip a day. - Once you have completed the week, @ me so I know and can go back and check and then drop off your prize accordingly.
__**Notes:**__ - You may finish the challenge up to 4 times total. - After the initial completion, you may request a **recolor** of the prize familiar for rechallenges.
__When:__ Originally took place from dec 24th - 30th, from midnight to midnight local
__What:__ Stretch or try out a yoga pose for 5 min every day
__Where:__ Check in here every day
__**To Rechallenge:**__ - On a day of your choosing, start the challenge. The deadline is at midnight your time, every night. - Complete the daily check in requirements. - To finish you must make the requirements in order, each day. You cannot skip a day. - Once you have completed the week, @ me so I know and can go back and check and then drop off your prize accordingly.
__**Notes:**__ - You may finish the challenge up to 4 times total. - After the initial completion, you may request a **recolor** of the prize familiar for rechallenges.
Completion Prize
Rua Kiv Myn Pin Moony
Rechallenge Prizes Rua
Kiv **Max'd
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 7:58 pm
Mindfulness Challenge 1
Info
__When:__ Originally took place from dec 31 - Jan 7th, from midnight to midnight local
__What:__ 3 mindfulness exercises a day, for 2-3 minutes per session
__Where:__ Check in here every day
__**To Rechallenge:**__ - On a day of your choosing, start the challenge. The deadline is at midnight your time, every night. - Complete the daily check in requirements. - To finish you must make the requirements in order, each day. You cannot skip a day. - Once you have completed the week, @ me so I know and can go back and check and then drop off your prize accordingly.
__**Notes:**__ - You may finish the challenge up to 4 times total. - After the initial completion, you may request a **recolor** of the prize familiar for rechallenges.
__What is mindfulness?__
Basically it is the ability to be aware and present in the moment. That sounds easy, but it's not. Meditation is a mindfulness skill, as an example. Often times anxiety or stress get in the way of mindfulness, since our brains can't be 'quiet'.
This is one of the key areas my therapist keeps bringing up, as learning to be more mindful can help with anxiety, fear, stress, and acceptance. It also gives you some breathing space and a chance for your thoughts to get reorganized.
For this challenge, we'll be using an exercise my therapist gave to me when I first started learning how to control my symptoms of anxiety and to introduce me to mindfulness. This was also a tool she gave me for dealing with panic attacks. She said while in the state of panic try fixating on a singular sensation or object you can hold.
__What are we doing?__
The exercise is simple. For a few minutes each day we will be focusing on a tangible object and using our senses to describe the thing objectively. That means no 'this makes me feel' or 'this reminds me of'. You don't want to put anything of yourself into these thoughts, you're simply describing truths about what you're holding or looking at.
The goal of this is to focus your entire brain on a single task. No intruding thoughts, memories, or anything else. This is the first step towards learning to clear your mind, and later we'll move onto meditation.
So for now, as an example, I would pick up this pen on my desk. It's mostly clear, with black ink. The spring inside is silver, etc. You're not trying to recall where you got the pen, or anything. just observable facts.
When I started my therapist recommended trying this exercise for about 2-3 minutes, about 3 times a day. So that's what we're going to do.
If you find this exercise overly easy limit yourself to one sense. What you can see, or smell, or touch. For me I found touch to be the most helpful. I would hold whatever it was and close my eyes while leaning back in a chair and just fixate on the object. Focusing on what every piece and part feels like.
Completion Prize OR
Nasai Kiv Rua Aria Moony
Rechallenge Prizes
Aria
Rua
Nasai
Kiv **Max'd
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:01 pm
Declutter Challenge 1
Info
__When:__ Originally took place from dec 31 - Jan 7th, from midnight to midnight local
__What:__ Purge 2 items every day. Remove for donation, garbage, etc.
__Where:__ Check in here every day
__**To Rechallenge:**__ - On a day of your choosing, start the challenge. The deadline is at midnight your time, every night. - Complete the daily check in requirements. - To finish you must make the requirements in order, each day. You cannot skip a day. - Once you have completed the week, @ me so I know and can go back and check and then drop off your prize accordingly.
__**Notes:**__ - You may finish the challenge up to 4 times total. - After the initial completion, you may request a **recolor** of the prize familiar for rechallenges.
Completion Prize
Kiv Kae Moony Nasai Aria Pin Wolfie
Rechallenge Prizes
Aria **Max'd
Moony
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:02 pm
Breakfast Challenge
Info
__When:__ Originally took place from Jan 7th - 14th, from midnight to midnight local
__What:__ Keep track of the calories and nutrients of your breakfast every day for a week. (Which means also having breakfast!)
__Where:__ Check in here every day
__**To Rechallenge:**__ - On a day of your choosing, start the challenge. The deadline is at midnight your time, every night. - Complete the daily check in requirements. - To finish you must make the requirements in order, each day. You cannot skip a day. - Once you have completed the week, @ me so I know and can go back and check and then drop off your prize accordingly.
__**Notes:**__ - You may finish the challenge up to 4 times total. - After the initial completion, you may request a **recolor** of the prize familiar for rechallenges.
Completion Prize
Kiv Moony Rua Wolfie Pin Mouse Yaru
Rechallenge Prizes
Rua
Wolfie
Kiv
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:05 pm
Water Challenge 2
Info
__When?__ Originally Mon, Jan 7th to Mon, Jan 14th, midnight local __What?__ Drink 3 glasses of water, every day! __Where?__ Check in here!
Completion Prize
Kiv Rua Wolfie Aria Pin Moony Mouse Yaru
Rechallenge Prizes
Rua
Aria
Wolfie
Kiv
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:11 pm
Fear Challenge
Info
__When:__ Originally Jan 14th to Jan 21st, midnight local
__What:__ (More about this Challenge below) This challenge will also be a bit of writing. After picking out your chosen fear, I want you to to do some research on the topic of that fear. Read an article. Write about why it really scares you. What you'd gain by getting through your fear. Is there a history for you with this fear. I want you to look objectively at the situation/thing that you're afraid of, to learn about it, and what it is about it that sets you off.
So I'm not asking you to confront the thing. I'm not asking you to go do the fear, but I am asking you to really look at it.
__Where:__ Check in is here
You do not have to share your fear, but you can if you'd like. Please, do not share images unless they're under links in case others fear the same thing. If you want you can do something like "Today I read this article about this fear" or "today I wrote about the memory of the first time this fear happened, and why it was so terrifying".
But you absolutely don't have to. No pressure. You can simply emote or write 'I did this today'.
__Why Fear?:__ This week, as I'm going through my surgery (which is a phobia for me) I figured we'd try to take a look at fears.
There's some good Ted Talks on Fear:
I like this one in particular:
I suggest going through a few, they're good inspiration <3
Or this motivational, hilarious, and a little cheesy vid:
__But what are we doing exactly?:__
I want you to analyze your fears. Big and small. Poetic, mundane, realistic or not. Write them down. I don't care where, but write them, so you can see them on paper. On computer screen.
I want you to write down what you're actually afraid of losing from these fears.
And then I want you to find out more about your fears. Or maybe one of them. Pick one you want to demystify. Understand better. Pick something that you know you have to do maybe (such as my surgery), and I want you to write what you have to gain by pushing through your fear. (Not getting over, but what's on the other side of your fear.)
Fear is something we experience for a reason. It's a way we keep our bodies safe from harm, visualize things that could go wrong. But it stops us from trying, or taking risks, or confronting problems.
And this week I want you to take one of those fears, and write about it. Why it scares you, what it's done to alter your life. What you'd do if you weren't afraid.
And then, if you can, I want you to look up more about that fear, a little bit every day. Read an article about others with that fear, or statistics on how many people get hurt by that fear. What actually happens to someone that goes through that terrifying situation. What actually scares you about that fear, and maybe what it would take to work through it. What you would gain on the other side.
If (and once again no pressure), if you feel inclined to try and confront it, to whatever level you can, that's at your discretion. I'll be writing about my surgery, an phobia of hospitals and loss of control. So I'm right there with you, and hate this believe me.
__Prize:__ Every week those that completed the challenge will be entered in a raffle. The winner gets to design the prize familiar for that week that is then earned by *everyone* that completed that week. Your winning simply allows you to design the familiar. All winners will be able to pick their own colors for their version of the familiar.
ALSO YES! You are free to move between fears as you will. This is for *you* and your growth. I'm not gonna curtail you. These challenges are just supposed to nudge you along to help heart
Completion Prize Week 1: Wolfie's Choice
Wolfie Rua Kiv Pin Nasai Aria
Rechallenge Prizes
Wolfie
Rua
Kiv
Aria
Nasai
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 8:14 pm
Rumination Challenge
Info
__When:__ Originally Jan 14th to Jan 21st, midnight local
__What:__ Day 1: Set up for this challenge. -- First, you'll need a journal. Physical or something on your comp is fine. Whatever works for you. -- On the first page, I want you to write these down on their own lines. "I'm doing my best." "I'm a better person now." "I've learned from this." "This isn't in my control." "This isn't my fault." "This is a habit/thought I want to change." "I have support, and I will get through this." "This is something I need help with."
-- Then, if you'd like or are willing, on the second page you can write topics you already know you ruminate on. Embarrassing moments from your past, problems you're facing now, topics that you constantly worry about. I'll write more on rumination below, so you understand what I'm looking for.
Day 2 and on: You'll be working on catching yourself in the act of rumination. If you find yourself thinking on a problem to the point of rumination, write it down in your journal with as much or as little detail as you like. If you want to sum it up in one word, or if it helps to write the whole situation out, that's up to you. After you've written that, choose a response from the first page to answer this rumination with, such as "I'm trying my best". Write it down on a new line under that rumination, draw a line afterwards, and close the journal. Tell your brain that this topic is closed for now, give yourself permission to move your thoughts elsewhere, pick up another thought.
If you find yourself circling back to the rumination, write it again, respond to it again with one of the phrases from page 1. Repeat as needed.
__Where:__ Check in here every day to say you're taking part.
You may share what your ruminations or responses are if you like, or just a number, or just a generic 'I'm working on this challenge'.
Due to the personal nature, I am not requiring people to share details if they don't want to. Honor system. __What is Rumination?:__
Rumination means to chew over or again, and comes from the latin word for a cow's first stomach. (Cows chew, swallow, and then spit the food back up into what's called cud, and chew it again as part of their digestive process.)
To ruminate for us means to think in circles on a subject, but not actually get anywhere on it. This isn't always easy to distinguish, because sometimes we do need to contemplate things that have occurred to work through them, but often times people have memories or habits of thought that pop up that they ruminate on with no progress or change of thought/behavior. We get stuck in these thoughts that cause us anxiety or stress because we don't have a way of dealing with them, so we keep bringing them up to chew on again. Sometimes they're memories of bad experiences, or situations outside of our control, something we feel we failed on, or something we're having a hard time letting go of. Oftentimes these thoughts become habitual, you feel almost defined by your thoughts about them, and you're stuck in the same thought pattern without any changes and without a way to break the habit.
The sucky thing is humans are designed to be creatures of pattern. The more we do something, the better we get at it, practice right? This also happens for habits both good and bad. The more often you do something, the more your brain makes a path of thought on it. The more you go down that path, the more well worn. The more worn, the easier it is for your brain to leap to that path and just do what it's always done.
Helpful in some situations when you need muscle memory, not helpful when you're going over problems with no answer for the 100th time.
This challenge is the first stepping stone out of those habits of thought. __What does this Challenge do?:__
There's a couple of mini-goals with this challenge.
One, it's supposed to help you identify what thoughts you ruminate on in general, or even to just start identifying what rumination is and how your brain gets sucked into it. (For example, if you're already having a low day, it might be easier to start ruminating. Or if you don't sleep enough, or perhaps you ruminate more at night, etc. Hopefully you'll start seeing patterns, so you can prepare yourself before a situation where you know you're likely to ruminate.)
Two, it gets you in the habit of calling out your thoughts. This is an important tool in a lot of skills about changing behavior and thoughts, because first you have to identify what's happening and tell your brain 'ah, I see we're doing this again.' It disrupts the flow, if just a bit, and puts you back in control instead of your brain taking your thoughts on that walk down the path without your permission.
3, it helps sort out some of the issues you're ruminating on. Sometimes we have past memories that there's only one answer to. Something happened, maybe we did or said something embarrassing, something awkward, and there's nothing left for us to do but go 'that sucked, but all I can do is be better next time and let this go.' Keep interrupting those memories with that idea over and over again. Yea, that sucked, but hey we all do stupid s**t. I'm better now, that's out of my control, I did what I could.
And it might point out some real problems of thought. The issues that maybe we need help with, thoughts that are really hurtful, or situations we're in now. Identifying where bad hang ups that we need an extra hand on is important, and can give us a good starting ground on problems that really do need solving that you don't have answers for. __Prize:__ The prize for this week is gonna be different! At the end of the week, those that completed the challenge will help me design an article of clothing that can be put on one of your NM's or DD's. Think a scarf, a backpack, basically an accessory. Instead of a full alt outfit, it'll be the lines for something that can be added on (or adjusted to be added on) to someone's kiddo. This item will then be added to one NM/DD of your choice, recolored to fit your kid.
Completion Prize
Week 1 - Kitty Purse
Wolfie Kiv Nasai Moony Aria Rua Pin
Rechallenge Prizes
Wolfie
Aria
Kitty Purse for Niamh when she grows!
Kiv
Moony
Rua
Waiting on CYO to drop!
Nasai
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Roserain
Crew
Much Wolf
Offline
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:40 pm
Steps Challenge 2
Info
__When?__ Mon, Jan 21st to Mon, Jan 28th, midnight local __What?__ 1k steps a day! (That's about half a mile!) __Where?__ Check in here!
Completion Prize
Aria Moony Pin Rua Nasai Kiv
Rechallenge Prizes
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:45 pm
Plank Challenge
Info
((You're going to hate me))
:exclamation: THIS IS A HARDER CHALLENGE :exclamation:
__When?__ Mon, Jan 21st to Mon, Jan 28th, midnight local
__What?__ Attempt to plank, in whatever position you're most able. 1 set. (10 reps of 10 seconds, so plank for ten seconds, relax, and do it again, ten times.) If you cannot complete the set in one go, that's fine! Take as much of the day and split it up as much as you need.
__What is Planking?:__
__Where?__ Check in here!
__Prize:__ At the end of the week those that completed the challenge will be entered in a raffle. The winner will get a slot for a redo on a kid! That means I will remake one of your NMs or DDs originally done by me or a retired colorist.
If this Prize doesn't suit I will alternatively offer an alt outfit or a semi custom.
