The Pathway That Helps You Understand Yourself — So You Can Move Forward with Strength
Most women don’t struggle because they lack discipline. Or motivation. Or willpower.
They struggle because whenever they try to improve their self-care, something inside them quietly pulls back:
A doubt. A fear. A pattern they’ve carried for years. A familiar “I’ll start again tomorrow.” A sense of overwhelm before they even begin.
Mindcraft is the pathway that gently meets you in those moments — and helps you move through them with more clarity, compassion, and inner strength.
What Mindcraft Is
Mindcraft is the supportive mindset layer that helps you understand where you get in your own way — and where your greatest strengths are hiding.
It’s not about forcing positivity, pushing harder, or changing who you are. It’s about noticing your patterns, reframing your beliefs, and learning how your mind naturally responds when you try to care for yourself.
Mindcraft gives you the tools and insights you need to:
feel less overwhelmed
reduce self-sabotage
stay consistent in small, gentle ways
pause instead of quit
shift perspective when you feel stuck
It’s mindset — but grounded, practical, and deeply human.
A small mindset shift can change how you nourish your body. A new perspective can bring back your energy. A moment of clarity can help you choose a practical habit that supports you. A gentle reframe can lift your mood or steady your emotions.
Mindcraft is the pathway that quietly unlocks progress in the others.
It’s the moment you think:
“Oh… now I understand why I do that.” “This is what my body needs.” “I can begin again — gently.”
This depth of self-awareness becomes the foundation of sustainable self-care.
The Strengths Mindcraft Helps You Discover
Mindcraft turns your hurdles into places of inner growth — not flaws.
As you explore this pathway, you begin developing:
✨ Self-awareness — understanding your own patterns with kindness ✨ Clearer insight — knowing what your mind is doing and why ✨ Resilience — the ability to restart without shame or pressure ✨ Confidence — trusting yourself to take the next small step
Mindcraft is where you learn that setbacks aren’t evidence of failure — they’re messages. Clues. Opportunities to understand yourself more deeply.
Because real self-care isn’t only about what you do. It’s also about how you think, respond, adjust, and support yourself along the way.
The Mindcraft pathway gives you the tools to:
create sustainable change
move gently through resistance
stay connected to your deeper intentions
keep going even when life gets messy
When your mind feels supported, your habits become easier — and your self-care becomes something you grow into, not something you struggle with.
Your First Step Into Mindcraft
If you’d like support choosing your first gentle challenge — and discovering which pathway your body needs most — the Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit will guide you through your first steps.
It helps you:
understand where to begin
choose a simple, doable challenge
track what’s working
build your self-awareness
grow your Menu of Self-Care with confidence
It’s a practical starting point — with plenty of encouragement built in.
If you feel drawn to explore the deeper mindset work behind your patterns — things like self-sabotage, resistance, and listening to the language of your body — I share more of that inside the community. There’s no rush. You’re welcome to begin with the free tools and explore at your own pace.
See why self-care challenges work and how gentle, focused practices help you listen to your body, build confidence, and create steady, meaningful change.
Let’s be honest… On paper, self-care sounds ridiculously simple:
Just drink more water. Eat more vegetables. Move a little more.
On Day 1, it feels almost too easy. You might even think: “Honestly, I could add more.”
By Day 3… Life happens. You’re busy. You forget.
By Day 5… Your energy dips, your motivation evaporates, and suddenly you’re saying:
“I’m not sure I can do this forever… is it even worth it?”
If you’ve lived anywhere inside that cycle — welcome, you’re not broken, you’re human.
And this is exactly why self-care challenges work so beautifully.
Not the hardcore, all-or-nothing challenges that demand perfection.
But the kind I teach here at Make Self-Care Simple:
Gentle, curiosity-based experiments
that help you discover what actually supports your body.
After 25 years as a natural health practitioner, I noticed something surprising:
Women who tried ONE small self-care practice consistently for a few weeks always saw better results than those trying to overhaul their whole life in one go.
When I said to clients, “Try this one practice until your next appointment, just long enough to see if it works for you,” — most of them finally made progress.
Here’s why.
1. They’re long enough for your body to show you what’s working
Most self-care advice promises quick results. But real change needs time.
Your nervous system needs time. Your digestion needs time. Your hormones need time. Your habits need time.
And above all, your body needs to feel safe before it can change anything.
Here’s the nuance:
Practical and Nourish challenges have a sweet spot of around 28 days — long enough for your body to respond, but not so long that it feels overwhelming.
Align & Uplift and Mindcraft practices are different — they can work in minutes or hours, and the challenge simply helps you learn when and how they help you.
This makes every challenge the right size for the type of support your body needs.
2. They Turn Self-care into a Simple Experiment
Most women feel overwhelmed because they think they must:
choose the perfect routine
get it right immediately
stick to it flawlessly
But a self-care challenge reframes the entire process:
“Let’s just try this. Let’s see what happens.”
You’re not committing for life. You’re just gathering feedback.
It removes pressure and builds confidence.
3. They stop the spiral of overthinking
If you’re intuitive, thoughtful, or sensitive (many of my readers are), you might recognise this:
You want to feel better → You research → You get overwhelmed → You freeze → Nothing changes.
A challenge cuts through the noise:
Choose one thing Try it long enough to learn something Reassess at the end
Even on low-energy days, this is doable.
4. They help you build your personalised Menu of Self-Care
Every challenge teaches you something:
what your body loves
what helps a little
what makes the biggest difference
what does nothing
what’s worth keeping
Over time, these little experiments become:
your personal Menu of Self-Care A living list of practices that genuinely support your body — with no guilt, guessing, or copying other people’s routines
This is what I know works for my body
5. They create momentum — without overwhelm
They create momentum — without overwhelm One of the biggest reasons women don’t see results? Trying to change everything at once.
Self-care challenges keep things simple:
✓ One Practical and/or one Nourish challenge for 28 days ✓ Optional: add one Align & Uplift or Mindcraft practice when needed
This structure matters.
Your four pathways work together — but focusing on just one at a time helps you clearly see which practice is making the difference.
That’s what builds confidence.
And once a practice earns its place, you can gently layer in the next.
They Help you see Patterns in your Body
When you focus on just one practice, you can clearly see what difference it makes.
You might notice:
that recurring headache appears less often
your mood lifts in the afternoon
the after-dinner bloat you’d accepted as “normal” softens
your energy lasts a little longer
These tiny shifts are valuable clues.
And you can only spot them when you’re not juggling ten changes at once.
7. They work with your body — not against it
Women over 40 often tell me:
“My body just doesn’t respond like it used to.”
And that’s true — because your body now needs a gentler, kinder, more consistent approach.
Self-care challenges honour that.
They give you space to:
rebuild trust
restore balance
reconnect with your natural rhythm
This isn’t self-improvement. It’s self-connection.
1. If you’d like to understand the approach first…
START your Challenge!
Before you begin, you might want a clearer sense of why this works — and how to make sure your first challenge actually leads to results. My Start Here page walks you through the missing pieces of self-care, why listening to your body matters, and how the Start-Up Toolkit supports you step by step.
I’ve created a free resource to help you start simply and confidently.
Download the Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit
Inside, you’ll find: • how to begin • how to assess what your body needs • how to track the right things • how to personalise your care • how to know if something is working
If you’re still learning — or you’ve downloaded the toolkit and want to understand the bigger picture — the next step is discovering your Menu of Self-Care. It’s the simple method I use (and teach) to understand which practices genuinely support your body.
A gentle practice to lift your mood and bring you back to the present when the day feels flat.
When to Use It
You wake up and know you’re almost in a funk. This isn’t a day to sparkle — but it’s not quite an “I hate Mondays” either. It’s more of an “Is it only Wednesday?” kind of mood.
You can feel the slide into meh coming on, and if you do nothing, the day will probably keep drifting that way.
But this isn’t a day for journaling, goals, or trying to summon positivity. It’s a day to come back to your senses — literally — and find one small thing that feels okay.
That’s where a Simple Glimmer comes in.
What Is a Simple Glimmer?
A Simple Glimmer is a tiny, sensory moment that offers comfort or reassurance — that quiet “oh, this feels not so bad” feeling.
It’s not about chasing joy or pretending everything’s fine.
It’s about finding something that reminds you what pleasant feels like and that those sensations still exist in your day.
Each Glimmer softens resistance and brings a small shift from heaviness to ease — the kind of shift that helps you take the next gentle step forward.
How to Do It
1. Notice the “meh.”
Catch the feeling early. Don’t judge it — just name it:
“Okay, this is a low-sparkle kind of morning.”
That small moment of honesty is the first step out of autopilot.
2.Come back to your senses.
Turn your attention outward and look for one Glimmer — something your body quietly enjoys.
See: light through the window, your favourite colour, or something in nature. Smell: coffee brewing, fresh air, a candle, or your hand cream. Hear: music, birds, or the hush of a calm room. Touch: warmth, softness, texture, or the feel of your mug in your hands. Taste: a sip, a bite, or a simple flavour that feels satisfying.
You don’t have to find all five — but noticing a few helps lift the weight of that meh feeling. As you do, the heaviness begins to soften, and your body remembers what comfort feels like. That gentle shift — from dullness to a small sense of ease — is where the reset begins.
3. Anchor it.
When something feels even a little bit good, pause for a breath or two. Say quietly to yourself:
“That felt good.”
Notice your shoulders or breath soften — that’s your Glimmer landing.
This is the turning point. In this small pause, you’ve changed the direction of your day. Instead of collecting proof that it’s a bad or meh day, your mind starts scanning for what feels steady or comforting.
Each Glimmer you notice strengthens that new pattern — and your day begins to follow a gentler track. More importantly, you’re learning to guide which track your day follows — one small Glimmer at a time.
Repeat as Needed
Use a Simple Glimmer any time your mood dips or your energy feels resistant. Each time you do, you remind your body that comfort and steadiness are still available — and that you can find them.
The Simple Glimmer Practice Challenge
This week’s Align & Uplift Challenge is to practice your Simple Glimmer Reset before you need it. Try it once while you feel okay — just to explore the sensations.
You’ll notice a subtle shift: perhaps a small lift, a sigh, or a feeling of ease in your body. That’s your nervous system learning what a Glimmer feels like — so when a meh morning arrives, the Reset will feel familiar and easier to use.
Your Mini Test: Before: Pause for a moment and notice how your body feels right now (without changing anything). After: Try one Simple Glimmer and notice what’s different — even slightly. Maybe your shoulders drop, your breathing slows, or your mood feels just a shade lighter. That’s the Reset in action.
You’ve just trained your body in a new response to “meh.”
Closing Thought
You don’t have to fix the whole day. Just find one Simple Glimmer — a small, real moment that feels okay — and let it remind you that a lighter, steadier day is still within reach.
Don’t Forget!
The aim of this challenge is to decide if you will add the Simple Glimmer Reset to your personal Menu of Selfcare?
Well-done! You have completed another step towards making selfcare simple
Let’s Begin Your Challenge Today
You know those days when you’re just not in the mood — too tired, too flat, or just not feeling it? That’s exactly when small, ready-to-go self-care tools make the biggest difference.
The truth is, you won’t always feel like changing your mood — that’s why it helps to have a few easy practices waiting for you.
The Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit helps you explore those now — while you are in the mood — so that when life feels heavy, you already know what lifts you.
Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit
Turn inspiration into lasting results — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care challenge for your needs — and actually complete it. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
This is my own Menu of Self-Care in action. I decided to share this toward the end of October — so it’s more of a snapshot than a perfectly tracked challenge. A good place to start, I think.
It was also my 60th birthday month, and I began a new medication and treatment, which made this a bit of a messy month for self-care focus. Chances are, you’ll have messy months too.
Even so, I’m proud of my progress. My scores aren’t the highest, but they’re real. I used my simple tracking system (and I’m sharing it below). For 28 days, my goal was to score 2 points per self-care action each day, making a total of 56.
2 = completed fully
1 = did something
0 = didn’t do it
Including a “1” for partial effort keeps me motivated — it reminds me that simply starting matters.
Try it yourself. You might be surprised how small consistency builds real momentum.
My Menu in October 2025
My core Menu of Self-Care includes practices I’ve followed for many months, with a few new challenges added in.
The main challenge to explore this month was the ‘Ease Constipation Challenge’ from the Practical Self-care Pathway. Although at first glance I thought I was already doing most of this already, once I started the challenge I realised:
I was not as consistent with these on a daily basis as I had assumed – being more consistent made a difference.
Increasing the intensity of each practice just a little bit also made a difference to my results.
These were reflections from my body – wonder what your body will tell you?
My October Self-Care Tracking Snapshot
This month, I started using my new Living Menu Tracker — a colour-coded system that turns daily habits into a visual story. Each self-care practice is scored out of 56 (2 = completed, 1 = partial, 0 = skipped). As I enter my scores, the chart changes in real time — and seeing those shifts in colour has been incredibly motivating.
At a glance, I can see which practices are thriving (deeper greens) and which need a little more love. My Monthly Average for October was 75%, which feels like solid progress for a month that included new medication, treatment, and my 60th birthday!
This new tracker has become an ‘in real-time’ accountability partner — visual proof that small actions make a difference to the end result.
Stay in touch to see how I get on with my tracking system over the coming months
Insights & Awareness
This month taught me that doing something even on ‘messy’ months can still move me forward and make a difference.
There was a time when I would have given up completely and waited until next month to start again. Experience (lots of messy days) has taught me I can always ‘start again’ and ‘get back up’ as soon as I choose.
While Flaxseed was a game-changer for easing constipation — I was surprised how effective combining regular water, movement and salad greens were.
More proof that often the body just needs basic self-care consistently and at the right amounts.
And what makes it fascinating is that each of us has to find, through experimenting through the challenges’ what works best for our own body
Looking Ahead
In November, I won’t add a new Practical challenge. Instead, I’ll focus on maintaining my existing routines while exploring some of the new Nourish and Align & Uplift practices.
If you’d like to explore alongside me, I’ll share more details in the regular newsletter and in the community. Join Here.
Until Next Month
Thank you for walking alongside me — self-care really is easier when we share the journey.
Until next month, stay curious and kind to yourself. 💛
When your energy is low, even a small mess can feel impossible to face. That’s why I love helping people declutter with the Moon — a gentle, monthly routine that guides you to release clutter one small step at a time, without feeling overwhelmed. Over the year, these little steps add up, turning even the most cluttered corners into calm, manageable spaces.
My Sparkly Sandal Moment
All I needed was my sparkly sandals from last summer. I was already running late, so I grabbed at the bottom of my wardrobe—only to end up surrounded by shoes, bags, and impulse buys. One sandal in my hand, five minutes late, and a familiar wave of frustration rising.
This wasn’t the first time clutter had tripped me up. Sound familiar?
When you experience a ‘bad’ day, energy, health or mood is low, the thought of decluttering can feel impossible. You know the clutter is there — the messy corner, the overstuffed drawer, the wardrobe you avoid opening — but even thinking about sorting it feels overwhelming.
You tell yourself you’ll tackle it “one day,” but life, health, and mood get in the way. And the longer it waits, the heavier it feels.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to fix everything at once. Small steps, taken regularly, make the difference.
That’s why I love using the Last Quarter Moon as a monthly reminder. This lunar phase is all about release and letting go — the perfect energy to clear just one small space at a time. Over a year, those little steps add up to a calmer home and a lighter mind.
This isn’t about perfection. Which is the last thing you need when you are in the middle of a low health, energy or mood phase.
It’s about reclaiming peace, little by little, with the moon as your guide.
What is Clutter, Really?
At its simplest, clutter is:
Stuff that hasn’t been put away.
Items you haven’t decided about yet.
But clutter is personal:
Some see a messy desk, others see a creative workspace.
Impulse buys, retail therapy, and “just in case” purchases quickly pile up.
Why Clutter Builds Up
Turns out that there are reasons why we have clutter!
It’s not laziness. Clutter often happens because of:
Low energy or time.
Decision fatigue.
Emotional ties or guilt.
Not knowing where to store things.
Buying too much without clearing space first.
Something I found helpful is to ask yourself:
Do I use it, need it, or love it?
Am I keeping it for the past, future, or guilt?
Does it actually have a place in my home?
The Emotional Side of Clutter
Human emotion mind map, positive and negative emotions, flowchart concept for presentations and reports
Clutter isn’t just untidy—it impacts how you feel.
It sparks guilt, stress, or shame.
Negative self-talk (“I should have done this already”) makes it worse.
Decluttering, even a small win, brings calm and control.
As my (tidy) mum says: “When my space is tidy, it feels like everything in my world is alright.”
Benefits of Decluttering
If you still need some convincing or want to have some handy areas to assess your ‘before’ and ‘after’ results with your declutter challenge, I’ve listed some common benefits you can score for yourself.
Physical
Find what you need quickly.
Feel at ease with surprise visitors.
Boost energy and sleep better.
Emotional
Reduce guilt and overwhelm.
Increase confidence and self-worth.
Enjoy the satisfaction of completion.
Deeper
Release the past and make space for new.
Break cycles of procrastination.
Feel lighter, clearer energy in your space.
Short on Time?
You can jump straight to the ‘Recipe’ below.
These quick mood boosters come from the Align & Uplift Challenges, a collection of 5-minute self-care practices you can use anytime to raise your vibration, release stress, and reconnect with your best self.
Decluttering works best as a rhythm, not a one-off.
The Last Quarter Moon (half-moon with the right side dark) is linked to:
Releasing and letting go.
Emotional cleansing.
Reflection and reassessment.
It’s the perfect time to declutter. Each month, this moon phase gives you:
A natural reminder.
Supportive “letting go” energy.
A chance to focus on just one small step.
Last Quarter Moon Dates (UK, 2025–2026)
How to Join the Monthly Declutter Challenge
Step 1: Prepare
Note the dates in your diary.
Pick one small area (drawer, shelf, bag).
Choose a realistic time (30–60 minutes is enough).
Gather bags/boxes: Keep / Donate / Bin.
Set up with a drink, timer, and music.
Step 2: On the Day
Set an intention: “I release what no longer serves me.”
Declutter your chosen area.
Put items straight into their new home, donation bag, or bin.
Stop when your time is up.
Step 3: Celebrate
Notice how the space feels.
Breathe and enjoy the calm.
Remember: one drawer today = more peace tomorrow.
Quick Decluttering Tips
Struggling to get started? These tips can help!
Start small — one drawer, shelf, or type of item.
Ask: Do I use it, need it, or love it?
Hesitating? Decide: Keep, Donate, Bin.
Be kind to yourself — you’ve already had value from items, even if you let them go now.
What to Declutter (Ideas List)
I try to focus on the areas that cause me the most frustration, or stress. Here are some areas to consider.
Cupboards or drawers
Desk or table
Wardrobe, shoes, bags, makeup
Toys, books, coats
Paperwork or digital clutter (emails, photos)
Car
Final Thoughts
Decluttering doesn’t have to mean tackling your whole house in one exhausting go. Using the moon as your guide, you can release a little at a time — without the overwhelm.
Each Last Quarter Moon is a fresh chance. Small steps really do add up.
Well-done! You have completed another step towards making selfcare simple
Let’s Begin Your Challenge Today
You know those days when you’re just not in the mood — too tired, too flat, or just not feeling it? That’s exactly when small, ready-to-go self-care tools make the biggest difference.
The truth is, you won’t always feel like changing your mood — that’s why it helps to have a few easy practices waiting for you.
The Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit helps you explore those now — while you are in the mood — so that when life feels heavy, you already know what lifts you.
Turn inspiration into lasting results — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results. 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care challenge for your needs — and actually complete it. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
(Part of the Align & Uplift Pathway — reconnect with calm, joy, and emotional balance .)
Real self-care is about listening to yourself. Because being healthy isn’t always easy — but it can be made simple.
Only takes a few minutes to get started.
Make Self Care Simple shares general self-care education for inspiration only. I’m not providing medical advice — always check what’s right for you with a qualified health professional.
Constipation can creep in when life, stress, or medication slow your natural rhythm. If you can’t rely on usual remedies, this gentle 28-day challenge helps you find relief through simple self-care — no harsh laxatives, just small, body-kind actions that work. Over four weeks, you’ll layer five natural practices that reawaken your digestion and support colon health: hydrate more deeply, move with ease, strengthen your core with mindful breathing, nourish with the right foods, and learn to relax your body so your bowel can do its job.
A few months ago, I found myself in a familiar but frustrating place — sitting with that heavy, uncomfortable feeling of a sluggish bowel and knowing that my usual remedies weren’t an option.
(If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “natural constipation remedies” at midnight with a hot water bottle, you’re in good company.)
After years of managing post-COVID health issues, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), and histamine sensitivities, even gentle herbal or over-the-counter aids became impossible for me to tolerate.
So there I was, staring at my herbal cupboard — full of things I used to rely on — and realising I’d have to start again, from scratch.
What do you do when you can’t take the usual things that keep your digestion moving?
That question became the seed for this challenge. I needed a way to support my body naturally — no harsh remedies, no quick fixes. Just practical self-care.
The result was a 28-day experiment that helped me reconnect with my body’s natural rhythm. And it might just help you, too.
Because let’s be honest — when your digestion’s off, everything feels off
Why the Colon Deserves Your Care
In my natural healing training, one lesson was repeated often: ‘Every healing journey begins with the colon.’ Your colon is like your kitchen bin — when it’s emptied regularly, everything else runs smoothly.
It’s not just about comfort. The colon is your body’s waste-removal system — clearing out toxins, dead cells, old hormones, and indigestible food matter. When waste sits too long, it can affect energy, skin, mood, and overall wellbeing.
Constipation means struggling to pass stool, while a sluggish bowel simply means everything is moving slower than it should.
What a healthy Bowel looks Like
According to continence.org, a healthy bowel movement:
Is soft but well-formed and easy to pass
Happens anywhere from three times a day to three times a week
Takes less than a minute to pass, without pain or straining
Leaves you feeling completely emptied
Healers have always aimed for at least once a day, twice is great, but everyone’s rhythm is unique.
Before you begin: Notice your current pattern. How often do you go? How easy is it? Use this as your ‘before’ snapshot — we’ll revisit it after 28 days.
This is a gentle, body-kind challenge for anyone who needs relief but can’t rely on strong remedies or medications.
You’ll be building five foundational self-care habits that support natural bowel movement. Each practice is simple, safe, and nourishing — no drastic changes, just steady consistency.
How it works:
Begin with Practice One and follow it for 3–5 days.
Then add the next practice, keeping both going.
Continue until all five are part of your daily rhythm.
If you’re currently using prescribed medication or constipation aids, continue as needed while layering these practices in slowly.
Medical Patient Drug Care Concept
Ready to Start?
Here are the 5 self-care practices that used together, consistently, can help to Ease Constipation, naturally.
1. Drink more Water – the simplest shift that changes everything
Your colon can’t do its job without moisture — it’s like trying to wash dishes without water in the sink.
If you already drink about two litres a day, wonderful. For everyone else, begin increasing your plain water intake gradually over a few days. Even one extra glass can make a noticeable difference.
Tip: Keep a glass by your bed and drink it before your morning coffee or tea.
Reflection: Notice if your stool softens or if your morning routine feels smoother after a week.
Struggle to drink water? Follow this simple drink more water challenge and increase the amount throughout the 28-day challenge.
I found increasing the amount of plain water I drink through the day makes a surprising improvement – try it for 5 days!
Move More
2. Move More to activate the Bowel
Your colon loves movement — it’s stimulated by walking, stretching, twisting, and even gentle bending. You don’t have to ‘work out’; you just need to move.
Try a 10-minute walk after meals or a few gentle yoga or Qi Gong poses. Movement encourages peristalsis — those wave-like muscle contractions that keep things flowing through your intestines.
If you’re managing fatigue or low-energy days, try my non-exercise movement challenge — even two minutes of swaying or stretching counts.
Reflection: Which small daily movement leaves your belly feeling calmer or lighter?
I took for granted the many benefits of having always been active, until my life changed and the daily 8000+ steps I’d walked for the previous 25 years stopped
3. Abdominal ‘Zip-Up’ Breathing — Strengthen Your Core, Stimulate Your Bowel
This gentle exercise strengthens your deep core muscles and activates your bowel’s natural movement. It’s simple, subtle, and surprisingly powerful.
How to practice: 1. Sit or lie comfortably. Place one hand on your lower belly. 2. Breathe in slowly through your nose — let your belly fill and expand outward. 3. Breathe out through your mouth — gently draw your belly inward and zip-up from your pelvic floor all the way to your ribs, as if fastening an invisible zipper. 4. Relax and repeat for one to two minutes.
Each ‘zip-up’ strengthens your abdominal wall, tones your core, and gives your colon a natural massage — helping to ease sluggishness and support peristalsis.
Reflection: Try this after waking or before bed for a week. Notice if your belly feels lighter or more responsive.
This simple breathing exercise has been so simple and helpful, even on those ‘bad’ days when everything else is too much.
4. Foods That Help (and Hinder) a Sluggish Bowel
Foods to ease constipation
Food can be both medicine and message — it tells your gut how to behave.
Experiment with adding foods that are naturally supportive: – Ripe fruits like figs, dates, or prunes (if tolerated) – Leafy greens — kale, lettuce, or baby spinach – Flaxseed or chia soaked overnight and added to porridge or smoothies – Unheated oils like olive or MCT drizzled over salads or soups
If you’re sensitive to histamines or SIBO triggers, start small. A simple green salad with olive oil or a mint tea with wheatgrass powder can help.
Notice foods that slow you down — heavy meat, eggs, refined wheat, or too many resistant starches like potatoes and rice. Try easing off one of these groups for a few days.
Reflection: Which foods feel like they flow through you — and which ones seem to sit and stall?
At the time I created this challenge I was following a very restricted diet, which caused my digestion to struggle – soaked flax seeds became my best friend.
5. Relax the Colon – Destress to Digest
Taking a rest!
It’s easy to forget that tension in the body equals tension in the bowel. Relaxation is not a luxury here; it’s medicine.
In herbal medicine we used a group of herbs called ‘nervines’ to help relax a tense body and ease stress away and often helped a ‘tense tight colon’.
Try an Epsom salt bath, gentle stretching before bed, or sipping chamomile tea. Magnesium — whether through food, oil, or bath — can help the body (and bowel) relax, but do check if it suits your sensitivities.
Other gentle ways to tone your nervous system include slow breathing, yoga, and even soft humming — all wonderful for the vagus nerve.
Reflection: End each day with one moment of release — a sigh, a bath, or a few deep breaths. Notice what shifts when you truly let go.
Don’t forget to relax the mind as well as the body.
After 28 days — Reflect, Reset, and Continue
At the end of your challenge, return to your ‘before’ notes. Compare how you felt then with how you feel now.
Has your bowel rhythm changed? Do you feel lighter, less bloated, or more comfortable in your body?
Even small improvements matter — they show that your body is listening and responding.
If these gentle habits helped, keep them as part of your Personal Self-Care Menu. You can repeat the challenge anytime or combine it with other Make Self-Care Simple practices.
A Gentle Closing Thought
This challenge began from my own moment of frustration — and turned into a lesson in trust. My body didn’t need stronger remedies. It needed kindness, patience, and consistency.
Real self-care isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what truly matters.
Your body already knows how to find balance. These simple daily actions just give it the chance to remember.
Well-done! You have completed another step towards making selfcare simple
Take the First Step…
We’ve all done it — promised ourselves we’d start that new healthy habit “tomorrow,” and felt oddly proud of the plan… until tomorrow never comes.
The truth is, self-care doesn’t need a perfect day — just a small, curious step today. Your body learns from action, not intention.
The Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit helps you turn what you’ve learned into action — so your self-care finally becomes real, simple, and yours.
Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit
Turn inspiration into lasting results — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care challenge for your needs — and actually complete it. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
👉Send Me My Free Toolkit (Part of the Practical Self-Care Pathway — build habits that support your body’s natural balance.)
Real self-care is about listening to yourself. Because being healthy isn’t always easy — but it can be made simple.
Ease Constipation Naturally: A 28-Day Self-Care Challenge for a Happier Gut
Notes
Goal: Support a healthy, natural bowel rhythm in 28 days. Serves: One happy gut 😊Steps: 1️⃣ Drink More Water — Aim for around 2 litres daily; add gradually if you’re not there yet. Hydration softens stools and keeps things moving. 2️⃣ Move More — Take a 10-minute walk, stretch, or do gentle yoga each day to stimulate bowel motility. 3️⃣ Zip-Up Breathing — Inhale and let your belly expand; exhale and gently draw your belly in, “zipping up” from bottom to top. Repeat 1–2 minutes daily. 4️⃣ Eat to Support Flow — Include leafy greens, soaked seeds, or healthy oils; reduce foods that slow you down such as heavy meats or refined grains. 5️⃣ Relax to Digest — Create calm with deep breathing, Epsom salt baths, or quiet moments before bed; tension in the body tightens the bowel.Reminder: Build one practice every 3–5 days until all five become part of your daily rhythm. Small, consistent steps create lasting change.
Make Self Care Simple shares general self-care education for inspiration only. I’m not providing medical advice — always check what’s right for you with a qualified health professional.
Discover 20 healthy salad dressing recipes that fit every diet. From creamy to zesty, these easy, homemade dressings are perfect for the Monthly Nourish Challenge and can be adapted to your unique health needs.
Welcome to this month’s Nourish Challenge inspiration – This month, we’re diving into one of the simplest but most transformative kitchen experiments — discovering the perfect salad dressing to suit your diet. (And yes, you can start this at any time of year — salads aren’t just for summer!)
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent years trying to adapt recipes to fit my ever-changing food needs — with varying levels of success. Some worked beautifully… others, let’s just say, ended up as “learning experiences.
While shop-bought dressings are convenient, they often include ingredients we’re trying to avoid, added sugars, refined oils, artificial flavours, or preservatives. So this month, let’s explore how simple and satisfying it can be to make your own.
How This Month’s Inspiration Fits the Nourish Challenge
The Monthly Nourish Challenge is all about trying one new healthy recipe each week, and learning to adapt it to your unique health needs.
Each month, I’ll share a theme for inspiration, like this collection of homemade salad dressings, to help spark your creativity in the kitchen. You can:
Choose a recipe that already fits your dietary needs, or
Get creative! Combine the flavour ideas from one recipe with ingredients that suit your diet from another.
You can also pick any healthy recipe that inspires you this week, the aim is simply to experiment, adapt, and discover what nourishes you.
Why Salad Dressings?
Homemade dressings are one of the easiest ways to make healthy eating more enjoyable. They bring life to salads, roasted veggies, grain bowls, and wraps, and they’re a wonderful way to include more nourishing oils, herbs, and spices in your diet.
I personally found that salad dressings can transform boring repetitive salads – and often add a boost of extra nutrition!
The goal is to find combinations that make you look forward to eating more fresh veggies, while discovering what works best for your body.
Featured Recipes from Food Bloggers
I’ve put together a collection of inspiring recipes for salad dressings from talented food bloggers to help you get started.
Ingredients include almonds, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and warming spices
✨ Ready to start?
Pick one new healthy recipe to try this week — and discover how a simple recipe can make healthy eating truly delicious.
Well-done! You have completed another step towards making selfcare simple
Everything You Need to Start Today
Let’s be honest — most of us love reading about self-care more than we love doing it. (Don’t worry, you’re in good company — I have a whole library of forgotten Pinterest boards too.)
But reading about self-care won’t get you results — your body only learns when you experience something new. That’s why I created the Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit — to help you turn ideas into action with simple, nourishing steps you can start today.
Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit
Turn inspiration into lasting results — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care challenge for your needs — and actually complete it. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
Real self-care is about listening to yourself. Because being healthy isn’t always easy — but it can be made simple.
Make Self Care Simple shares general self-care education for inspiration only. I’m not providing medical advice — always check what’s right for you with a qualified health professional.
As far back as I can remember, the moment I stepped inside a wood, forest, or even a small spinney, I immediately noticed a shift — both in my surroundings and within myself. The tall, cathedral-like acoustics, the soft feel underfoot, and that earthy, grounding scent all seem to whisper, slow down, you’re safe here.
My breathing naturally becomes deeper, and for me, there’s always a feeling of profound inner peace. (Proper footwear helps too — this is the UK, after all, and muddy serenity is still serenity.)
This challenge is about mindfully harnessing that experience — learning how to use your local wood or forest as a natural way to recharge, refresh, and reset.
There are so many different self-care practices that help with stress, and I’ve tried many of them. But forest bathing remains a favourite because it’s simple, deeply restorative, and reconnects you with something far bigger than stress. And if you can’t travel or have mobility challenges, don’t worry — I’ll share ways to create your own garden bathing experience too.
Join me in the woods for a few moments!
What Is Forest Bathing?
Forest Bathing, or Shinrin-yoku, began in Japan in the 1980s as a response to rising stress, anxiety, and fatigue among workers. It’s a mindful sensory practice that helps you slow down and reconnect with nature. You walk or sit quietly among trees, noticing the sounds, sights, scents, and textures that surround you.
In essence, it’s not about doing, but about being — allowing the forest to hold you while you let go of daily noise and demands.
The Science Behind Forest Bathing
Trees release natural compounds called phytoncides — aromatic chemicals that protect them from insects and disease. When we breathe them in, studies show they help lower cortisol levels, reduce inflammation, and support the immune system.
Forest bathing also activates your parasympathetic nervous system — the part that signals rest, repair, and recovery. Just 30 minutes among trees can calm the mind and body, even when life feels chaotic.
When to Try Forest Bathing
You might choose forest bathing when you feel drained, overwhelmed, restless, anxious, or low in mood. It’s equally beautiful when life feels steady — as a way to maintain your inner balance and refresh your energy.
Whether it’s the crisp quiet of winter, the soft greens of spring, the shade of summer, or the glow of autumn, each season brings its own kind of healing.
Prepare for Your Forest Bathing Experience
Choose Your Location.
You don’t need a vast forest — a local wood, park, or even a group of trees can work beautifully.
Plan Ahead: Check the weather and dress for comfort. Let someone know where you’re going if you’ll be alone. Bring water, a small snack, and something dry to sit on. Switch your phone to silent once you arrive — this is your time to disconnect.
Pause for a moment at the entrance. Notice the shift in light, sound, and energy as you step into the trees. If you’re with a friend, agree on a time to meet again, then give each other space to explore quietly.
You might begin with a simple intention, such as: Today I give myself permission to rest or I open myself to peace and renewal.
Your Forest Bathing Plan
Forest bathing usually includes two gentle parts: Slow Walking and a Sit Spot.
Slow Walking
Move slowly — far more slowly than usual. Let yourself pause often and use your senses as guides.
Sight: Notice colours, patterns, and movement.
Sound: Listen for birdsong, rustling leaves, wind through branches.
Smell: Breathe in the earthy scent of soil, bark, or moss.
Touch: Feel textures — the ground under your feet, the bark of a tree, the air on your face.
Mindful Walking: Bring your awareness into your body. Notice how your shoulders, arms, and legs move. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to what you feel underfoot or the rhythm of your steps.
Tree Connection: You can gently lean against or embrace a tree and simply breathe. It’s a lovely way to connect, release tension, and absorb the grounded calm that trees naturally offer.
Find your Sit Spot
Find a quiet place to sit for 10–30 minutes — a fallen log, a bench, or a picnic mat. Observe everything around you: light, texture, patterns, movement, and sound.
You might choose to journal or sketch what you notice, meditate or pray, enjoy a mindful snack, or simply sit and breathe. There’s no right way to do this — your only goal is to be fully present.
Gratitude Walk Back
As you slowly walk back, take a few moments to reflect. How do you feel now? What did you notice or appreciate? Which tree, plant, or sound stood out to you? End with a small inner thank you — for the forest, for yourself, and for the moment you took to rest.
Garden Bathing(Home Practice)
If you can’t get to a forest, you can still enjoy a mini version of this practice at home. Sit near a tree in your garden or balcony, or near a window with a view of greenery. You can even connect with a houseplant or recently planted tree — research shows that proximity to plants still helps calm the nervous system.
Use the same approach: slow down, breathe, notice, and appreciate.
Final Thoughts
Forest bathing is a beautiful, accessible way to reset your mind and energy — no special skills or travel needed. Try it once a week or even once a month, and notice how you feel before and after. Keep a small journal or voice note to record your reflections.
For me, forest bathing is both restorative and preventative. It helps me reconnect with peace — whether I’m walking under summer leaves or through the quiet, rain-soaked woods of winter. Will you try forest bathing? I’d love to hear what you discover.
Remember, muddy boots and messy hair still count — what matters is that you showed up.
Will you try forest bathing? I’d love to hear what you discover.
Well-done! You have completed another step towards making selfcare simple
Let’s Begin Your Challenge Today
You know those days when you’re just not in the mood — too tired, too flat, or just not feeling it? That’s exactly when small, ready-to-go self-care tools make the biggest difference.
The truth is, you won’t always feel like changing your mood — that’s why it helps to have a few easy practices waiting for you.
The Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit helps you explore those now — while you are in the mood — so that when life feels heavy, you already know what lifts you.
Turn inspiration into action — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care challenge for your needs — and actually complete it. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
(Part of the Align & Uplift Pathway — reconnect with calm, joy, and emotional balance)
Real self-care is about listening to yourself. Because being healthy isn’t always easy — but it can be made simple.
Make Self Care Simple shares general self-care education for inspiration only. I’m not providing medical advice — always check what’s right for you with a qualified health professional.
How to Plan your First Forest Bathing Experience – Ready to Recharge & Feel Refreshed.
Print or Save as PDF
Notes
Printable Summary – Forest Bathing “Recipe”
Goal: Recharge, relax, and refresh your energy through mindful time in nature.Duration: 30–60 minutes (or longer if you wish)You’ll need: Comfortable shoes, water, mat or chair, journal, weather-appropriate clothing
Choose a forest, wood, or tree-filled area
Set a simple intention
Walk slowly and use your senses
Find a sit spot to pause and reflect
End with gratitude and appreciation
Feeling inspired? Join the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter for gentle self-care ideas, new challenges, and community support.
Learn how dry brushing can support lymphatic health, reduce bloat, and refine skin texture in this simple 28-day routine for beginners. Your glow starts here.
The Skin You Forgot You Had
As the weather warms and the winter layers come off, there’s always that moment — you catch a glimpse of your arms or legs and realise you haven’t really seen them in months.
It’s not about vanity; it’s about rediscovery. For most of us, the skin on our face gets all the attention, while the rest quietly hides under jumpers and jeans, waiting its turn.
That’s why this month’s challenge is all about remembering the rest of you — your arms, legs, shoulders, and back — all the skin that’s been patiently waiting for a little care.
For me, this started as a spring ritual — part reset, part reunion — a way to literally brush off winter and wake my body up again. (And yes, dry skin brushing really does make you glow — even before the holiday tan.)
This simple 28-day practice takes just a few minutes a day, yet it leaves you feeling more alive, energised, and at home in your own skin.
Will this Dry Skin Brushing challenge support my well-being?
Is Dry Skin Brushing something that could support your wellbeing needs?
Here are some signs that dry skin brushing could benefit you.
** Dry skin brushing is not performed on the face
Your skin looks dull – has lost its glow
Your skin is dry and flaky
Skin is more oily
Poor skin texture (feel & appearance i.e. skin bumps) and tone (colour)
Visible pores and clogged pores
Ingrowing hair
Skin breakouts
Fatigue and tiredness
Bloating, puffiness & water retention
Frequent headaches
Recurring infections such as UTI or colds
Constipation
**These are good areas (symptoms) to assess and score before you start the challenge
When to avoid skin brushing
Speak to a health professional first if you are currently undergoing immune-system treatments, have ongoing skin infections, psoriasis, eczema, open wounds, burns,skin growths or take topical steroid creams.
What is Dry Skin Brushing?
Full disclosure: There are no scientific studies to back this self care practice.
Claims about reducing cellulite have not been proven…
Now that is out of the way – what do we know about dry skin brushing?
Dry Skin Brushing has been practiced for thousands of years – all around the world
In Ayurvedic medicine it is called Garshana and traditionally uses a raw–silk or linen sock.
In Japan it is called Kanpumasatsuand uses a dry towel
In Chinese Medicine it uses dried fruit fibres such as a Loofah
The Greek & Romans used copper Strigils
In Native American medicine itused corn cobs
In Polynesian cultures they used crushed seashells
And the Turks and Russians used the popular body brushing method.
Dry Skin Brushing is performed before a shower when the skin is dry. Use a dry towel, brush or loofah and brush over your skin causing a pleasant friction. You only need to do this for a couple of minutes and use a firm but not hard pressure. Then follow with your regular shower routine.
The general rule is to brush towards your heart.
** If your goal is to reduce lymph congestion (Puffy skin) see links below.
Because Dry Skin Brushing can be stimulating it is recommended to do it earlier in the day. Especially if you have sleep issues.
Honestly it is very simple to do (full instructions below) and feels great.
How Does Dry Skin Brushing Work?
When you brush your dry skin, you loosen dead skin cells, so that they can be washed off and reveal new, smooth and brighter skin cells.
Dry skin brushing is a form of exfoliation speeding up the process of shedding old skin cells. It is thought that regular exfoliation improves skin texture and tone i.e. pink bumpy skin and enhances body lotion/product absorption.
Another aspect of detoxification is your Lymphatic system. This is like a slow moving canal carrying waste out of the body – that relies on body movement to squeeze it along the body . Old time healers believed dry skin brushing encouraged movement of the Lymph.
Dry Skin brushing can be helpful as a regular practice if you are unable to be active most of the day. This might result in relief of puffiness and water retention much like massage.
Dry Skin Brushing also activates nerve endings in the skin which is what creates that pleasant tingling and invigorating sensation.
Preparing for your Challenge
Luckily this self care practice is simple to prepare.
You can use any of the following;
An existing body towel (not too soft!) long enough to do your back
A Dry Skin Brush with natural bristles (detachable handles are handy!)
A Loofah
Optionally you can dive deeper in which type of Dry Skin Brush to use HERE
You will also need to capture details about your before and after assessments and tracking sheets to help you stay consistent.
If you haven’t already, grab my FREE Self Care Starter Packwhich includes printables and walks you through the whole process.
How to do the Challenge
For the challenge you only have to do the basic routine at least 3 times a week for 4 weeks (28 days). * You can choose to skin brush every day
Assess and score your overall well-being – especially those areas mentioned at the start of this article – before you begin and again when you complete the dry skin brushing challenge.
Remember you can use either a dry towel, special dry skin brush or loofah
Basic Routine
Start from your feet and brush upwards in long sweeps along the front, back and sides of your legs. Include your buttocks. Medium pressure.
Then go from your hands to your shoulder in the same manner. Don’t forget the back of your neck!
Use a circular (anticlockwise to mimic the colon and aid the process) movement across your abdomen and then for your armpits.
When it comes to your back, I always go upwards in short strokes from the base of my back and downward strokes from my shoulders. Don’t forget your sides under your arms which I do in short strokes.
I go very gently if at all, over my chest area and avoid my face
It should take less than 5-minutes.
I have never followed a set number of times to brush each area or complete the routine – my routine is more intuitive.
Once is fine but if you intuitively feel that you want to do more – do! Remember the benefit comes from repeating the routine 3 times a week for 4 weeks.
Start with a mild pressure – this should not make the skin red and irritated.
Notice how you feel when you have completed your dry skin brush.It should feel good!
Then have your shower as normal.
Tweak the Dry Skin Brushing Challenge to Your Needs
Following the basic routine 3 times a week is enough to see results.
You can also choose to dry skin brush every day. I would not do it more than once a day.
You can also tweak the routine to your needs. If dry skin brushing makes your skin very irritated try a softer pressure or material.
There are detailed routines that work more closely with your lymphatic system which a naturopath might advise to support specific health conditions.
And of course you can leave out certain areas of your body if you need to.
Advanced Skin Brushing
What if you want to focus mainly on your lymphatic system with dry skin brushing?
I like to combine dry skin brushing with a manual lymphatic drainage routine to open up my lymph nodes first ** Simple challenge coming soon.
You might find it interesting to check out this dry skin brushing technique for lymph movement HERE
Assessing your Dry Skin Brushing Challenge Results
At the end of the 28-days you complete another assessment.
What differences did you notice? Write them down.
I just like how good dry skin brushing feels and how soft my skin feels afterwards and I also know I am helping my body detox better.
How about you? Is this self care practice something you will include in your regular self care menu?
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing your 5 Minutes to Feel Good in Your Skin: A 28-Day Dry Brushing Challenge!
I hope you’ve found this practice helpful, energising, and maybe even a little bit joyful. After all, it’s not just about smoother skin — it’s about remembering the rest of you that’s been hiding under those winter layers.
And remember, one month is only the beginning. Self-care — like glowing skin — builds with consistency. So keep brushing, keep noticing, and keep showing up for your body in these small, simple ways.
Because feeling good in your skin isn’t a quick fix — it’s a relationship that gets better the more time you spend together.
Well-done! You have completed another step towards making selfcare simple
Take the First Step…
We’ve all done it — promised ourselves we’d start that new healthy habit “tomorrow,” and felt oddly proud of the plan… until tomorrow never comes.
The truth is, self-care doesn’t need a perfect day — just a small, curious step today. Your body learns from action, not intention.
The Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit helps you turn what you’ve learned into action — so your self-care finally becomes real, simple, and yours.
Turn inspiration into action — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
(Part of the Practical Self-Care Pathway — build habits that support your body’s natural balance.)
Real self-care is about listening to yourself. Because being healthy isn’t always easy — but it can be made simple.
“Instant access—start your challenge today.”
Make Self Care Simple shares general self-care education for inspiration only. I’m not providing medical advice — always check what’s right for you with a qualified health professional.
For the challenge you only have to do the basic dry skin brushing routine at least 3 times a week for 4 weeks (28 days).Assess and score your overall well-being – especially those areas mentioned at the start of this article – before you begin and again when you complete the dry skin brushing challenge. You can use a dry towel, dry skin brush or loofah.Basic Dry Skin Brushing Routine
Start from your feet and brush upwards in long sweeps along the front, back and sides of your legs. Include your buttocks. Medium pressure.
Then go from your hands to your shoulder in the same manner. Don’t forget the back of your neck!
Use a circular (anticlockwise to mimic the colon and aid the process) movement across your abdomen and then for your armpits.
When it comes to your back, I always go upwards in short strokes from the base of my back and downward strokes from my shoulders. Don’t forget your sides under your arms which I do in short strokes.
I go very gently if at all, over my chest area and avoid my face
Assess and score at the end of 28 days.How did you get on?
A Bit of History: Being Young at 60 by Horace Fletcher
I have a soft spot for the Old Time Healers — the original self-care pioneers who practiced long before the internet. One of them was Horace Fletcher, who published Fletcherism: What It Is and How I Became Young at 60 back in 1913.
His discovery? That easy weight loss and renewed vitality came simply from chewing your food thoroughly.
Fletcher’s ideas were so popular that even American Presidents, British Prime Ministers, J.H. Kellogg, and King Edward VII reportedly took up “Fletcherism.”
And before you wonder — yes, there’s some modern research to back up this 100-year-old wisdom here, here and here
Why Chewing Matters
Chewing: The First Step in Digestion
When you chew, you signal your stomach, gallbladder, and pancreas that food is coming — “get ready!” This allows your stomach to produce the right amount of hydrochloric acid for digestion.
Chewing Produces More Saliva
Saliva is amazing. It contains enzymes that help break down carbs and fats, binds food together for easier swallowing, and even helps clean your mouth by washing away harmful bacteria.
The Problem With Not Chewing Enough
When food isn’t properly chewed, large particles reach the stomach undigested. This causes bacteria to ferment the food, leading to bloating, gas, and indigestion.
On top of that, the stomach doesn’t get the full “digest now” signal, meaning less acid is produced — and that means less nutrient absorption.
Whew! Your body truly is incredible when you let it do its job.
Eating Less (and Enjoying More)
Chewing slows you down. When you eat more slowly, your body has time to send signals to your brain saying, I’m full!
Many of us eat while scrolling, working, or watching TV (guilty as charged), and before we know it — we’re uncomfortably full.
Mindless eating also robs us of enjoyment. Chewing more brings you back into the moment. You taste your food, you feel satisfied, and your portions naturally shrink.
And when you slow down and truly taste what you’re eating, that second biscuit might not seem so tempting.
What do you think? Worth exploring?
How to Do the 28-Day Chewing Challenge
In my clinic, I found that chewing every single mouthful until liquid was too much for most people. It’s ideal — but not always realistic.
So instead, here’s a gentler, more doable approach that still delivers real results.
The 28-Day Chewing Challenge Plan
Assess your health and digestion before you begin.
Chew the first mouthful of every meal until liquid.
Pause and focus: What does it taste like? How does it feel?
Track your progress daily (it really helps!).
Invite friends to join you — self-care is better together.
Then, each week, build on your habit:
Week 1: Chew the first mouthful of every meal.
Week 2: Chew the first two mouthfuls.
Week 3: Chew the first three mouthfuls.
Week 4: Chew the first four mouthfuls.
That’s it — simple, mindful, and easy to remember.
You might want to set a reminder so you don’t forget, especially in the early days.
Chewing Challenge Tips
Start small — focus on just the first mouthful if that’s all you can manage.
Take smaller bites to make chewing easier.
Don’t take another bite or sip until you’ve swallowed.
Sit in a calm environment.
Avoid eating when stressed, angry, or sad.
After 28 days
Time to compare your before-and-after scores.
Did you eat less?
Bloat less?
Slow down and actually enjoy your meals more?
Reflect on what changed — and what made the challenge difficult.
If you didn’t notice much difference, that’s okay! You can always repeat the challenge or move on to another self-care focus.
Conclusion
Congratulations on completing your 28-Day Chewing Challenge! You’ve taken one of the simplest — and most surprisingly powerful — steps toward better digestion, more mindful eating, and improved overall wellbeing.
At first, it might have felt strange to slow down and actually notice each bite (especially if you had an audience at the dinner table), but those moments of awareness are where real change begins.
Keep going — because the longer you practice, the more natural it feels, and the greater your results will be. Many people also find that as they chew more mindfully, their portion sizes naturally adjust, appetite feels calmer, and weight begins to rebalance — all without effort or restriction.
Over time, chewing well becomes less of a challenge and more of a quiet ritual — one that helps you savour food, support your body, and enjoy every meal just a little more.
“It turns out your grandmother was right — good things really do come to those who chew.”
Take the First Step…
We’ve all done it — promised ourselves we’d start that new healthy habit “tomorrow,” and felt oddly proud of the plan… until tomorrow never comes.
The truth is, self-care doesn’t need a perfect day — just a small, curious step today. Your body learns from action, not intention.
The Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit helps you turn what you’ve learned into action — so your self-care finally becomes real, simple, and yours.
Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit
Turn inspiration into action — with a simple system that helps self-care finally work with your body, not against it.
If you’ve been reading along and thinking, “I’d love to try this myself one day…” — you don’t have to wait, or wonder where to start.
The Free Self-Care Start-Up Toolkit gives you the gentle structure to make your first challenge easy, personal, and effective. It’s the same step-by-step approach I use when following the challenges alongside you — so you’ll feel supported every step of the way.
Inside, you’ll find: 🌿 A gentle Before Assessment to pinpoint what your body truly needs — so you can stop guessing and start seeing real results 🌿 Step-by-step guidance (plus short video walkthroughs) to choose the right self-care challenge for your needs — and actually complete it. 🌿 Printable planners, reflections, and trackers to help you stay consistent 🌿 Access to our private community (coming soon!) — for gentle accountability and encouragement
You’ll also receive: 💌 Weekly self-care reminders, new challenges, and encouragement in the Make Self-Care Simple newsletter 🪴 Access to our free private community — where women share progress, celebrate wins, and remind each other we’re not alone
👉 Send Me My Free Toolkit (Part of the Practical Self-Care Pathway — build habits that support your body’s natural balance.)
Real self-care is about listening to yourself. Because being healthy isn’t always easy — but it can be made simple.
Make Self Care Simple shares general self-care education for inspiration only. I’m not providing medical advice — always check what’s right for you with a qualified health professional.
28-Day Chewing Challenge; Reduce Bloat, Taste More and Eat Less
Join this simple 28-day chewing challenge and unlock better digestion, enjoy food more, and experience easy weight loss!
Notes
Instructions
1. Assess before you start: Take note of how your digestion, energy, and appetite feel. Write down any symptoms (bloating, heartburn, cravings, fatigue).2. Week-by-week plan:
Week 1: Chew the first mouthful of every meal until liquid.
Week 2: Chew the first two mouthfuls.
Week 3: Chew the first three mouthfuls.
Week 4: Chew the first four mouthfuls.
3. Focus: As you chew, notice the flavour, texture, and how the food changes in your mouth.4. Swallow fully before taking your next bite or sip.5. Track your progress daily. Make notes about digestion, fullness, energy, or cravings.6. Invite a friend to join you — shared challenges build accountability and fun!
