Feel Good February

Feel Good February

Tune in from 1st February 2023 for your daily well-being resolution – a small commitment you can make to yourself – that will be sure to lift your mood, spark your inspiration, and help you feel good.

Daily prompts will also be shared on:

@iamkimforrester on Instagram
Instagram
Supernova
@iamkimforrester on Facebook
Facebook

Want to feel good any time of the year? Download the full Feel Good program here.


Quick Links


1 February

Welcome to Feel Good February! To kickstart the month, I invite you to bring more laughter into your life by actively seeking it out. Watch a comedy show, view funny videos on YouTube, or hang out with friends who make you giggle. Make a commitment, today, to bring a chuckle, belly laugh, or giggle into your life.

NOTE: If you are working through grief, trauma, or mental illness, a simple reason to smile will be enough to celebrate.

Resources: Feel free to begin your laughter journey here.


2 February

Today, I ask you to join me in celebrating you and all that you have learned, achieved, grown into, and accomplished recently.

Take some time, today, to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished over the past 5 years. Questions to ask yourself are:

  • What skills have I gained that I now take for granted?
  • What goals and dreams have I accomplished?
  • How many lives have I lifted through acts of kindness, forgiveness, or compassion?
  • In what ways have I grown into a greater version of myself?
  • What am I most proud of in the past 5 years?
  • How many moments have I wanted to give up, and carried on regardless?
  • How many times have I found the courage to change careers? Change relationships? Change my mind?

3 February

Today, let’s boost our well-being with some conscious compassion. Studies show that loving-kindness is not just a pleasant emotion to feel – it also increases emotional and physical health in multiple ways. So, today, I encourage you to practice a loving-kindness meditation. A quick internet search will bring up lots of versions, or choose a favourite app or practice you’ve used before. Spending just 5 to 10 minutes in a quiet space of compassion is going to lift your mood, clarify your mind, and brighten your day.

Resources: Click here for a brief 5-minute loving-kindness meditation. For a soul-lifting 30-minute meditation, click here.


4 February

Let’s make time to connect! Studies have shown that individuals with strong social bonds are happier and more resilient, and live healthier, longer lives. It seems that connecting frequently and authentically with the people around us is a vital key to our ongoing well-being. And one of the most powerful ways we connect with others is by sharing a meal with them – allowing us to feel closer and more connected. So, today, I encourage you to share a meal with a friend or loved one – however that fits into your schedule. Ready to connect? Let’s go …


5 February

Today, I invite you to inject a HUGE dose of positivity into your social media practices by signing up with the uber-uplifting, always positive, charity-boosting app called SuperNova.

I’m not affiliated with Supernova in any way, but I sign on nearly every day to get a dose of goodness, kindness, and healthy community – and I wanted to share it with you. Check out www.go-supernova.com


6 February

Feel Good February – Day 6. Whatever your usual kindness level, today I encourage you to consciously activate kindness at least 5 times and flood your body with happiness-enhancing hormones. You can be kind to others, kind to yourself, or kind to nature. Not sure where to start? Follow these simple prompts:

1. Become mindful of who is in your environment (lift your eyes; tune in to the others around you.)

2. What are they trying to achieve? Notice what their intended actions are.

3. How can you help them in a kind (and possibly surprising) way?


7 February

It can so easy to put off medical appointments, delay checkups, or prioritise other tasks over our own physical and mental health. So today (please) I ask you to follow up on any medical appointments that are outstanding or that would be of value to you – mentally, physically, emotionally. A quick call today could make the world of difference to your ongoing health and well-being.
  


8 February

Play is incredibly beneficial in adulthood – relieving stress, boosting creativity, and improving brain function. So, today, I encourage you to tap into your inner child and do something playful. (Offline, folks! Digital games simply don’t have the same effect on our well-being.) What play did you enjoy as a child? What activities bring you a sense of fun and abandon? How can you use imagination to lighten your day? C’mon … let’s inject a little childhood silly into our day!


9 February

It’s time to get some stuff done! Okay, friends, here’s the hard truth: those unfinished tasks aren’t just clogging up your to-do list; they’re also causing incredible stress in your brain and body. So, today, please gift yourself a sense of freedom, accomplishment, and well-being by completing an overdue task (or two). Getting overdue stuff done is not a chore – it’s an act of kindness and self-care! TIP: Check in with an overdue task – is it something you really ‘must’ do? Or is it something you can delegate to someone else or remove from your to-do list altogether?


10 February

Your connection to nature is inescapable, and studies show that interacting with natural spaces is incredibly beneficial for your health, your well-being, and your longevity. So, whatever your plans, please integrate a moment with nature into your schedule today. Take a walk in the forest. Sit on a beach. Eat lunch in a natural space. Weed, plant, or tidy in your garden. Your brain, body, and soul thrive in nature … so let’s take the opportunity to boost natural wellness today.


11 February

Today, I invite you to personally thank someone who has been a source of support, help, strength, or encouragement to you. None of us get through life without the support of others, so who can you reach out to today to say “I see you. Thank you”? You may choose to thank them in person, over the phone, or via a heart-felt gratitude letter.

Resources: Not sure how to find the right words? This gratitude letter template may help.


12 February

Today, I encourage you to conduct an intentional self-care ritual. Turn bath/shower time into a meaningful sequence of self-care actions; add intentional elements (soothing music, a moment of journalling) to your morning mealtime. The trick is to add intention, meaning and/or symbolism to a simple activity. The benefits to your outlook and mood may surprise you!


13 February

Research shows that we *thrive best* when we’re gently expanding our comfort zone. So, today, I encourage you to try something new or adventurous. Eat at a different cafe, come home via a different route, watch a show you’ve never seen before, chat with someone new, or sign up for a study course. You don’t need to push yourself too far – all it takes is a gentle nudge into newness to invite greater well-being into your life.


14 February

FACT 1: your brain has a negativity bias that compels you to seek out and notice ‘negative’ information more readily than positive information.

FACT 2: modern media outlets understand this bias and drum up business (clicks) by running with mostly disturbing and upsetting news stories.

FACT: despite our many challenges, the human world is generally safer, healthier, and more civilised than it has ever been.

Today, I encourage you to take a break from headline anxiety (or doomscrolling) by limiting your headline news intake to just 5 minutes, all day. The bad news can wait. Today, dear friends, we all deserve a ‘positivity recalibration’.


15 February

Today, I invite you to set aside a small amount of time in your day to be present and still – you can use the time to breathe deeply, reflect, practice self-compassion, or meditate.

IMPORTANTLY, I encourage you to *ignore* the first pangs of restlessness (that moment when your body wants to get going and/or your mind is stating “I’ve got things to do!”) Consciously choose to ride out that initial compulsion to take action, and gift yourself a few more moments of mindfulness. In this way, you will have taken a step towards prioritising your well-being over the demands of the world.


16 February

When it comes to ongoing health and well-being, there are few things as important as sleep. That’s why, tonight, I encourage you to go to bed a little earlier than usual. Set the lights low and have gentle music playing. And then, pick up a book or journal (preferably paper!) and read or write until you are sleepy. This exercise will help trigger your body’s sleep response and offer you a better chance of a good night’s rest.


17 February

The health and well-being benefits of living in the ‘here and now’ are incredible. So today, I invite you to try a practice I have been using myself to stay mindfully present.

Choose a colour at the beginning of your day (eg. blue, or yellow) Then, throughout the day, look for and acknowledge that colour wherever it presents itself in your environment. In doing so, you bring your thoughts and attention to the present moment – where you are, when you are, and what the current situation is around you. As well as being more mindful, you may be delightfully surprised at just how colourful your world is!


18 February

The research is clear – if we want to flourish, we need to get real with ourselves when we are feeling pain, discomfort, grief, anger, shame … etc. That’s why, today, I encourage you to get really vulnerable with yourself and admit any hard truths that you may be suppressing, ignoring, or trying to gloss over. It’s okay if things aren’t okay. Once you have been truthful to yourself about anything that’s not working for you, I ask you to look for solutions or support to help you move through, change, and/or rise above the situation.


19 February

Today, I invite you to increase the positivity in your information diet. The information we ingest has a huge impact on our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Though we can never expect to eliminate unpleasant or upsetting information, we can balance our lives out by *inviting in* more positivity. So, today, I encourage you to find 3 (or more) uplifting social media accounts and add them to your newsfeed.

(Bonus self-care practice: feel free to unfollow any people or accounts that regularly leave you feeling upset, angry, or inadequate.)


20 February

As you go about your day, today, make a conscious effort to count kindness. Notice the kind acts offered to you, the kind things you do for others, and the multitude of kindnesses unfolding in the world around you. Our conscious minds filter out much of the world around us and our brains are wired to notice the ‘negative’ more than the ‘positive’. This means that most of us are blind to the commonplace kindnesses in our world, each day. But by seeking out these kind acts, you will be able to notice the many, many ways kindness is unfolding in your world, and remind you of the goodness that underpins your community.


21 February

Let’s strengthen our social bonds today! Life can get a bit crazy and it’s easy for time to go by without hearing from, or connecting with, good friends. But robust social connection is vital for great well-being. So, today, I encourage you to send a message or make a quick call to a friend you haven’t heard from in a while and let them know: “Just saying hi. Thinking of you today.” It only takes a few minutes of your time to reconnect with your vital support network.


22 February

Music can be an incredible well-being booster so, today, I encourage you to consciously fill your world with inspiring, uplifting, and/or healing music. According to studies: classical and meditation music is great for reducing stress and enhancing sleep; happy music helps increase memory, good mood, and motivation; and background instrumental music will help with study and concentration. So, let’s go friends! Choose the music that’s right for you and gift yourself *at least* 15 minutes of soul-nourishing tunes.
  


23 February

Today, it’s time to highlight one of the most sacred things in our lives – our personal space. As a recovering people-pleaser, I understand that it can be difficult to set (or even identify!) important personal boundaries. If you’re like me, it can be hard to say no, speak up against unjust demands, recognise your worth, perceive your own needs, or balance giving with receiving. But if we want to thrive in life, it’s vital that we acknowledge and express the perimeters of our emotional, physical, and spiritual capabilities.

Today, I invite you to consciously review (and reset!) the boundaries of your Self. Are there ways you can say no, pull back, gently assert yourself, or walk away to protect the sanctity of your time, energy, well-being, values, or needs?


24 February

Let’s brighten our attire and lighten our souls! A recent survey found that 80% of people have wardrobes filled with black, grey, or beige clothes. These clothes may be practical, reliable, or comfortable … but are they great for the heart and soul? Today, I encourage you to lighten your mood and brighten your soul by *deliberately* wearing something that makes you feel fun, carefree, or elegant. Every day can be a day to feel special … so let’s break out our party frocks and Sunday Bests.


25 February

Today’s practice is about creating greater peace in your mind, your heart … and your phone! Most of us understand the pain and awkwardness that can come from a break-up. Whether it be the end of an intimate relationship, friendship, or business partnership, emotions can run high and wounds can cut deep. So, one thing we can do for ongoing well-being is to eliminate triggers that remind us of (and revisit) those painful endings. That’s why, today, I urge you to cleanse your contacts! Peek into your contact list and remove any names that are lingering, and that cause pangs of pain whenever you accidentally scroll past them. Let’s set those contacts free, and invite a greater sense of peacefulness and resolution into your life!


26 February

One of the biggest hurdles to everyday contentment and well-being can be our dedication to the ‘shoulds’ of our life – the obligations, expectations, and demands of the outside world. Doing what we ‘should’ so often takes priority over doing what makes us feel alive. So, just for today, I invite you to scan your diary and take out something that you are doing because you ‘should’ or ‘have to’. (There’s sure to be something that can wait a few more days!) In its place, I ask you to schedule in something that brings you joy contentment, or peace. One gift of happiness to yourself. Because you deserve it.


27 February

Today, it’s time to ignite a personal goal. The fact is, we thrive best when we are living with purpose and pursuing meaningful goals. But, of course, life can sometimes get in the way. Today, I encourage you to consider a personal goal – big or small – and take some form of action on it. If you’re not sure what to ‘do’, make a step towards finding out (conduct research, reach out to a mentor, sign up for a course). If you know the next move and have been procrastinating, gift yourself some momentum (in whatever way is available to you today). The important thing is to inject some intention and energy into the dream or goal that lights you up most. Ready? Set. Go!


28 February

Tomorrow, March 1st, is World Compliment Day. So, today, we’re going to tap into the power of the compliment for greater well-being. Whether paying a compliment or receiving one, this simple expression of kindness has a wonderful effect on our mood and well-being. So today, I invite you to compliment 3 different people throughout the day *and* compliment yourself 3 times. What a way to finish off this month of goodness!



Want to feel good any time of the year? Download the full Feel Good program here.