365WISE
RITUAL: 356WISE
It’s not surprising that during back to back mental energy years, a new Internet challenge would come on the scene and be promoted as a “transformative mental toughness program”. 75Hard is the perfect challenge for Soft Metal and Hard Metal years in which the mental energy required to pull off mind over matter manifestations is a prominent focus. Your headspace – mental health, mindset and strengthening the powers of the mind are all important aspects of having wellbeing.
Completing this challenge can be very beneficial for your mind, body and spirit. You can learn a lot about yourself along the way. You can become a better YOU! You can experience what it’s like to make and keep a commitment to yourself. You can feel a sense of accomplishment in your ability to set a goal and meet a challenge. You can choose to allow this personal achievement of success to set you on a new path of health and vitality, consistency and self-confidence.
The only problem is: it’s another one size fits all program that doesn’t take YOU into consideration. And of course, any modifications to the program are discouraged. In keeping with the marketing slogan KISS (keep it simple stupid), the transformative program is only 6 simple steps. And honestly, most of them are healthy daily habits everyone should be practicing anyway. And if you’re not, now is a good day to start!
The only other problem is: it’s a marketing gimmick. 75Hard is the ultimate freebie disguised as a trending Internet challenge. It’s free! Just provide your email so the founder can enter you into his sales funnel and fill your inbox with a series of email marketing campaigns, promoting what he’s really selling. And built into the challenge itself is shameless self-promotion. #6: taking selfies and posting progress pics on social media with the hashtag 75Hard. Brilliant business strategy!
Also, 75Hard is “bro science” biohacking based on a man’s 24 hour biological clock. As women, our bodies operate on a 28 day cycle in which our hormones and energy levels fluctuate weekly, even daily. The no compromise, substitutes or modifications rule means that you have to start your 75 days again if you miss a single ounce of water, 45 minute workout or outdoors jog. Raining outside? Go for your run anyway…or suffer the consequences of restarting the 75 day challenge.
There are absolutely ways to create a challenge for yourself and still honor yourself as a woman. Building trust with yourself is not just about commitment and consistency. You can’t have a relationship with yourself based on trust if you ignore your intuitive wisdom or your body’s changing needs. Our higher self and body send us messages about what we need to have the most vibrant health and personal wellbeing. It’s our responsibility to listen to and honor ourselves.
Instead of setting big career or monetary goals, shift the emphasis of annual resolutions from acquiring more material things to having more wellness and wellbeing. Listen to your intuition, honor your womb wisdom and take your wellbeing into consideration as you set intentions. Prioritize who you are being, instead of just what you are achieving. Be more intentional about how you are doing things, instead of focusing only on what what you are doing to produce desired results.
365WISE
365Wise are life enhancing guidelines for daily self-care rituals you can choose to practice for more personal wellbeing – body, mind and soul. And they are customizable to YOU!
#1 EAT REAL FOOD
Some people focus on what to eat, while others focus on when to eat. The purpose of eating is to nourish your body. Shift your focus from counting calories and tracking macros to eating foods that are nutrient dense. Shop local. Grow some of your own food, even it’s just herbs. Buy organic fruit and vegetables. Avoid highly processed foods or preparations of foods you know aren’t good for you. Make meals yourself from whole foods and natural ingredients. Supplement with high quality vitamins and minerals. Practice weekly, alternate day or intermittent fasting.
What I do: Practice ADF, IF and OMAD. Make all of my meals myself from organic, whole foods and real ingredients. Take high quality supplements daily.
#2 DRINK PURE WATER
Staying hydrated is essential to good health. You’ll want to drink spring or purified water. Invest in a high quality water filter. Drink out of glass or stainless steel water bottles. Add electrolytes to your water. Ask your body how much water it needs instead of chugging a gallon a day for a challenge.
What I do: Drink when I’m thirsty. Drink out of glass mason jars before and between meals. Drink 20 oz of water with the juice of half a lemon in the morning. Add essential oils, citrus juice, chlorophyll, pink Himalayan salt, Indian clay, exogenous ketones, electrolytes or green juice powder to my water.
#3 MOVE MY BODY
While I like the twice daily 45 minute workouts, incorporating movement throughout your day is the most ideal. Rebounding, qigong, yoga and gentle stretching can be done in the morning and for a few minutes every hour or so. More intense workouts like HIIT or weight lifting are also good exercise. Walking or jogging in the late afternoon or evening is a good habit. If your work requires a lot of time in front of a computer, try a standing or walking desk, at least for part of the day. Also, try putting some music on for a fun dance break.
What I do: Qigong, yoga, stretching, rebounding, posture exercises, face and body gua sha in the morning and walking in the evening.
#4 EXERCISE MY MIND
A wise woman reads everyday. Reading is an important part of learning, bettering ourselves, expanding our world view, gaining knowledge and accessing wisdom.
Reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book everyday is my favorite part of the challenge. After reading solely educational and personal development books for years I’ve started re-reading the classics and my favorite genre, historical fiction.
What I do: I like to read a book from my physical or digital library in the morning and listen to an audiobook or podcast on my evening walk.
#5 MAKE SOUL CONNECTIONS
What’s absent from the 75Hard challenge is connection with our True Self and others. Having a morning routine that includes a few minutes of meditation or deep breathing, silence and stillness, mantras or journaling, prayer or a conversation with Source (God/The Universe) or our Higher Self is vital for spiritual alignment, mental health and personal wellbeing. Having friendships with people who love and genuinely care about you, conversing and connecting with them for emotional support is also essential.
What I do: I read an entry from the book, Know the Truth, journal at least one page, read at least one chapter of a book about spiritual wisdom and meditate for at least 10 minutes daily. I reach out to friends for talk time. And I write to know what I think and share what I know.
#6 PRACTICE SLOW LIVING
Even though it’s a new trend, slow living is not new. People have been practicing slow, intentional living since the beginning of time. With the stay at home orders, it’s just made a comeback in a big way and on a collective level.
And there are many iterations from minimalism, low/zero waste and the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing to the comfort and coziness of hygee (the Danish art of living) and the cottagecore aesthetics of a simple, wholesome, country lifestyle. Thrifting and handcrafted clothing instead of fast fashion. Stepping away from technology and connecting more with nature. Slow food instead of fast food. Moving to a homestead, growing a backyard garden and starting a small farm. Cooking from scratch and baking your own sourdough loafs. Creating instead of just consuming. Developing the skills required to make things instead of just buying them. Sewing and crafting. Taking the time to learn and create and enjoying that process from beginning to end. Reading just for fun, not because it’s required or was assigned, and creative writing as a form of self-expression and self-actualization. Entertaining yourself instead of paying to be entertained. Creating art and playing your own music.
What I do: Live a simple life that is slow and intentional. Regular decluttering. Daily cleaning and tidying. Feng shui. Space cleansing and energy clearing. Thrifting. Home cooking. Working from home. Reading. Writing. Content creation. Evening walks in nature.
These daily rituals are called 365Wise because they’re all things wise women can do every day.
To create your own challenge or resolution, make a list of the specific things you intend to do and then choose a start and end date. To be accountable, keep a journal, invite a friend to do the challenge with you or post on your social media accounts about what you are doing and how it’s going. Consider starting with one thing and then add something new each week until you feel good about your new morning routine, healthy lifestyle, eating habits, exercise schedule and slow living practices.
Be a wise women every day, 365 days a year! Or, start with 30, 60 or 90 days and then, keep going! Make adjustments to your daily ritual and practices monthly or quarterly.
Leave a comment below. Share one thing you will be doing in each of the six areas to embody your wisdom today or this week and continue into the new year!
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Dara Eden is the author of HER Rituals for the Divine Feminine, a periodical guide created in December of 2021. The 8 Elements, her life’s work, provides guidance about how to honor the essential needs and highest values of your personal feng shui element. Inspired by an Internet challenge designed for men, she created 365WISE, a daily self-care practice that supports women in honoring their needs and listening to their inner wisdom.
In HER Rituals, she offers insights, ideas and intuitive guidance about ways to honor your needs, values and unique expression of the divine feminine.
HER Rituals is a Womb Wisdom KeepHER’s guide to cyclical rituals for sovereign women. It provides insightful information, inspirational ideas and intuitive guidance on daily and seasonal rituals you can practice as a form of self-care. Read about ancient wisdom and philosophical principles, holistic approaches and traditional skills, slow work and intentional living, embodiment practices and immersive experiences.
