zen zone

sleep focus

Zen Zone 

5-day Sleep and Self-Care Challenge

Free Group

Challenge:

5-day challenge about the importance of sleep and self-care for your longevity and overall health

Tracker Points:

  • 7+ hours of sleep each night
  • Turn off your device or limit screen exposure for one hour before bed
  • Drink a calming herbal tea or warm water with lemon before bedtime
  • Write down 3 things you’re grateful for before going to sleep
  • Declutter and create a peaceful sleep environment in your bedroom
  • Spend 15 minutes before bed practicing mindfulness or meditation to ease the mind
  • Incorporate gentle stretching or yoga into your pre-sleep routine

Group Description:

Welcome to Zen Zone, our free 5-Day Sleep and Self-Care Challenge!

Do you find yourself putting your own needs at the bottom of your growing to-do list? Are you depleted at the end of the day? Exhausted from trying to take care of everyone but yourself? If you said yes to any of these questions, this group is for you!

We will cheer you on as you practice habits for getting more sleep and serenity!

You’ll learn the why and how behind these habits, including:

  • Why you need and deserve rest and self-care
  • How sleep affects the whole body
  • How mindfulness and meditation help relax your body for sleep
  • How chronic stress affects us + self-care ideas for stress relief
  • Benefits of stretching and yoga and how to use them to relax for bed 
  • How to set boundaries to reduce stress
  • How to make your home a clutter-free sanctuary
  • What light cycles are how you can use them to get more sleep

The Challenge Habits:

  • Get 7+ hours of sleep each night
  • Turn off your devices or limit exposure to screens for 1 hour before bedtime
  • Drink a calming herbal tea or warm water with lemon before bedtime
  • Write down three things you’re grateful for before going to sleep
  • Declutter and create a peaceful sleep environment in your bedroom
  • Spend 15 minutes before bed practicing mindfulness or meditation to ease the mind
  • Incorporate gentle stretching or yoga into your pre-sleep routine

Our Challenge group lasts 5 days, but we encourage you to go for a full month!

How to participate?

  1. Fill out your Habit Tracker each day. You can save the Tracker image below and check it off with an editing app, or you can print the PDF version from the Files tab and mark it by hand.
  2. Post your Tracker in the comments section of our daily Check-In post each morning.
  3. Participate in the discussion and share fun tips, insights, and inspiration.
  4. Win free prizes! Be entered into our daily raffles by posting your Tracker, commenting on our posts, and sharing your drinks with the group. The more you participate, the more chance you have of winning.
  5. Have fun and invite a friend! 

Pro tips:

The graphics listed below each post are meant to be used as a reference, so you know what graphics go with each post. Do not save the graphics from this document and post them in your Facebook group. Download the graphics from the Wellness Communities section of the Tools site.

Post the PNG Tracker and recipe graphics with the post copy in your group. The PDF file will not show as a graphic on a Facebook post. Post the PDF files to the files section of your group. PDF files are easiest to save and print for group members who prefer to print their trackers and recipe books. 

Connect with your Business Leaders and Ambassadors in the group and ask them to participate and engage daily. Have them mention Shaklee products when applicable. This will help build momentum and energy. Sharing Shaklee products in a natural way is a great way to plant the seed and introduce people to your Customer group.

Group Copy 

Day 0 Post 1 Welcome

👋 Welcome to our Zen Zone Sleep and Self-Care Challenge! We are so excited to have you in our group!🙌

In our fast-paced, demanding world, it can be easy to put yourself last. You may find yourself putting your needs at the bottom of your to-do list. Maybe you actively prioritize the needs of everyone else above your own. Are you depleted at the end of the day? Or exhausted from trying to take care of everyone but yourself? Then you’re in the right place!

🧘‍♂️ We will cheer you on as you practice habits for getting more sleep and serenity!

Plus, you’ll learn the why and how behind these habits, including:

  • Why you need and deserve rest and self-care
  • How sleep affects the whole body
  • How mindfulness and meditation help relax your body for sleep
  • How chronic stress affects us + self-care ideas for stress relief
  • Benefits of stretching and yoga and how to use them to relax for bed 
  • How to set boundaries to reduce stress
  • How to make your home a clutter-free sanctuary
  • What light cycles are how you can use them to get more sleep

➡️ 🌟 For your CHALLENGE, get ready to start these self-care habits tomorrow:

  • Get 7+ hours of sleep each night
  • Turn off your devices or limit exposure to screens for 1 hour before bedtime
  • Drink a calming herbal tea or warm water with lemon before bedtime
  • Write down three things you’re grateful for before going to sleep
  • Declutter and create a peaceful sleep environment in your bedroom
  • Spend 15 minutes before bed practicing mindfulness or meditation to ease the mind
  • Incorporate gentle stretching or yoga into your pre-sleep routine

Our Challenge group lasts 5 days, but we encourage you to go for a full month!

How to participate?

  1. Fill out your Habit Tracker each day. You can save the Tracker image below and check it off with an editing app, or you can print the PDF version from the Files tab and mark it by hand.
  2. Post your Tracker in the comments section of our daily Check-In post each morning.
  3. Participate in the discussion and share fun tips, insights, and inspiration.
  4. Win free prizes! Be entered into our daily raffles by posting your Tracker, commenting on our posts, and sharing your drinks with the group. The more you participate, the more chance you have of winning.
  5. Have fun and invite a friend! (You still have time to add them to this free group!)

Graphic: Tracker

Day 0 Post 2

Let’s get to know you! Let us know in the comments:

  • Who invited you?
  • Where are you from?
  • Why did you join this Challenge?
  • What time do you go to bed and wake up?

Welcome

Day 0 Post 3

Before we start, let’s talk about what self-care is and why it’s *essential* for YOU.🌿✨

Did you ever think of self-care as a nice idea—like a self-indulgence or luxury? I did. 

Turns out nothing could be further from the truth! 

The evidence is in––self-care helps you:

  • 💪 Have more energy for what and who you love 
  • 🎯 Grow your focus and sense of purpose 
  • 💗 Cultivate your sense of self-love and confidence
  • 😌 Ease stress, anxiety, and burnout
  • 🙌 Enhance your mood, resilience, and health

What is self-care, exactly? It’s so much more than one spa day! It’s anything you do to take care of your physical, emotional, spiritual, or social health––from getting better sleep to relaxing with your favorite people.

All the habits we are practicing for this challenge are self-care. And we’ll be giving you more ideas as we go! Self-care is extra powerful when it’s part of your daily habits. 

Your well-being is what makes it possible for you to give to others. Self-indulgent? Not at all. You only have so much gas in your tank. Self-care is how you stay fueled.

What are your favorite ways to practice self-care? (share your favorite ways, if applicable, talk about youth Masks, skincare, rest and rewind stretching.)

Day 1 Post 1 Mindfulness and meditation for sleep and self-care

Ever found yourself tossing and turning in bed, unable to stop your mind from thinking, thinking, thinking 😵‍💫? It’s amazing how an overactive mind can mess with sleep.

I know how feeling sleep-deprived can drag you down, zapping your energy and focus. Not only that, but it can also mess with your overall health. 😓

😊 But here’s something cool: Mindfulness meditation has been shown to really help with sleep trouble 💤. Plus, there are other well-researched payoffs for making it a habit.

Here’s a rundown for you.

BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS & MEDITATION

  • Helps reduce stress and anxiety
  • Enhances focus and attention
  • Helps improve sleep and how long it takes to fall asleep
  • Helps reduce chronic pain
  • Benefits the heart by helping to lower blood pressure
  • Helps reducedepression
  • Increases positive feelings toward yourself and others

What is mindfulness meditation? At the most basic level, it involves taking a few minutes to close your eyes and calmly focus on the rise and fall of your breath. No judging your thoughts. Instead, you just notice them pass by as you return to focusing on your breath. 

This meditation helps calm a busy brain and trigger your inner relaxation response. The more regularly you practice it, the more effective it is 😴.

Learn to meditate 

Day 1 Post 2 Mindfulness

One fun thing we have going on in this class is daily giveaways! Every time you comment, participate, and post your daily tracker, you are entered to win one of our daily prizes!

Looking for mindfulness or meditation resources or don’t know where to start? Check out our library of options here: https://go.shaklee.com/wellness-on-demand/

We have everything from yoga, to tai chi, to mediations. 

Let us know if you try anything!

Wellness on demand link

Day 1 Winner

📣 Congrats (winner), you won our first raffle!! 🎉

Message us to claim your prize!

Directions: Post the name of your daily winner. Make sure to tag them.

Day 2 Post 1 (Day 1 Check-in)

How did your first night go? 🤔 What was the hardest habit? What was the easiest? 

Do you have a favorite book, YouTube channel, or playlist for meditation, stretching, or yoga? Please share!

Drop your recommendations below. And post your Habit Tracker in the comments!💬

Check-in

Day 2 Post 2 Self-care ideas for stress

What stresses you out the most these days? Whatever it is, you aren’t alone! We all have stressors, that’s for sure. But feeling stressed all the time? We can do something about that! It starts with self-care 😌. 

Why do we want to use self-care for stress? Because chronic stress can affect our whole being:

  • Mood – Raises the risk of irritability, anxiety, and depression.
  • Brain – Can be a sleep stealer and impair concentration and memory.

Heart – Can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Immune health – Can weaken your defense against invaders.

  • Digestion – Can take a toll on your gut health.
  • Weight and appetite – Can affects= appetite, leading to overeating or undereating.
  • Reproduction – Can lead to more PMS and affect libido.
  • Skin – Can increase skin inflammation and slow wound healing.

You can see why we are true believers in using self-care to help prevent and relieve stress! 

💖 Please be kind to your body and mind by taking some inspiration from our Self-Care Ideas for Stress. 

SELF-CARE IDEAS FOR STRESS

  • Do a gentle yoga class
  • Watch a sunrise or sunset
  • Draw or color something
  • Seek out anything (or anyone) that makes you laugh
  • Put some fresh flowers in your space
  • Create an online vision board for a dream project––eg, redecorating, travel, garden, craft
  • Go to a dance class
  • Read a book
  • Watch a favorite movie or show
  • Do a facemask
  • Spend 10 minutes giving compliments on Instagram
  • Call a loved one or friend
  • Try a new craft
  • Do a relaxing guided meditation
  • Sing and dance to your favorite songs
  • Practice breathwork
  • Write a love letter to yourself
  • Write down your own affirmations
  • Cook a yummy-sounding new dish 
  • Try a calming breathing exercise 
  • Do a puzzle (eg, jigsaw or crossword)
  • Order in food and do nothing all evening
  • Soak in some sunlight
  • Try a healthy dessert recipe that looks good
  • Write in your journal
  • Take a long nap
  • Do a game night with friends or family
  • Treat yourself to a pedicure or manicure
  • Start planning your next fun getaway or night out
  • Take a walk in nature
  • Practice mindfulness meditation  
  • Get a massage
  • Put a nice message to yourself on your mirror
  • Give yourself a foot massage
  • Get dressed up for no reason
  • Say “no” to something that exhausts you
  • Do something you loved as a kid
  • Go see some art 

I love this list! What are your favorite ideas? What sounds good right about now? 

Self-care for stress

Day 2 Post 3 Yoga and Stretching

We included gentle stretching and yoga in this challenge because it’s a gift that keeps on giving! Stretching or yoga before bed is a calming physical self-care practice that helps you stay connected to your body. 🧘🏽

BENEFITS of YOGA and STRETCHING

  • Sleep: Gentle yoga or stretching helps your body and mind calm down and prepare for rest. Studies suggest a yoga practice leads to better sleep.
  • Stress relief: A yoga practice can help you experience LESS stress + MORE focus each day.
  • Body benefits:
    • Even 5 minutes of a daily stretching routine can increase your flexibility, improve your range of motion, and help blood flow to your muscles. It can even reduce headaches.
    • Yoga helps you increase energy, improve posture and balance, and maintain healthy joints. It has even been found to support digestion.
    • Stretching helps to maintain elasticity in your muscles and lengthen them to keep you limber as you age.

📣🤳 We’re going to be asking for stretching selfies tomorrow morning in our check-in post, so be sure to pull your camera out today and grab one!

💗 Which benefits have you experienced with yoga or stretching? I am amazed at how just 5 – 10 minutes of yoga gets me into a more relaxed state.

Yoga and stretching routine

Day 2 Winner

😄🎉 Congratulations X, you are today’s giveaway winner!!!

Graphic:

Day 3 Post 1 (Day 2 Check-in)

🤳Stretching selfie time! Post your pic of you stretching or doing yoga to get an entry into our giveaway later today! 🎁

How was your Day 2 nighttime routine? Drop your Habit Trackers below.

Check-in

Day 3 Post 2 Setting boundaries

How often do you think about––or create––boundaries in your life? Most of us were never taught to do this! ✋Myself included.

But now I am learning to love boundaries as a part of a healthy mindset. They are a form of self-care that allows you to say YES to more things that fill you up and NO to what drains you. Which is huge for creating a healthy, fulfilling life. ❤️

Boundaries also help prevent the stress and conflict that happens when we burn out or haven’t been fully honest about what we want.

💡MINDSET TIP: Think of boundaries as a way to devote yourself to what matters most to you. When you have to set a boundary with someone, framing it in terms of what you value helps them accept it. And many boundaries are actually with yourself—i.e., choices you make. A new habit becomes SO much easier when you know you’re doing for a meaningful reason.

These questions help you create life-enhancing boundaries 🙌:
1. Values: What’s super important to you and your well-being? What is a non-negotiable in your life?
2. Needs: What do you need to experience that value?
3. Honoring: What does it look like to honor that need?

Here’s an example of how you’d use this to set a boundary:

  • I value: My health and ability to fully show up for my work and/or loved ones
  • So I need: 7-8 hours of sleep each night
  • I’ll honor this by: Saying no to obligations and habits that interfere with my sleep schedule 

Another example:

  • I value: Quality time with people I love
  • So I need: Focused 1:1 connection
  • I’ll honor this by: Planning a tech-free weekly date night

Boundaries are part of a self-care mindset where you consistently treat yourself with respect. 

I challenge you to come up with one new boundary today. And please share it below… it will inspire all of us!!!🙏

Day 3 Post 3 Creating a clutter-free sanctuary

If you’re anything like me, you love for your home to feel like a sanctuary. When you walk in, you want to feel like “ahhh, home!” not “ugh, what a mess!”––right? 🏡✨😌

The world can be overwhelming enough without the added stress of coming home to messy, disorganized, and cluttered spaces. Especially the bedroom: we fall asleep more easily when our bedroom feels like a sanctuary!😴

The “secret” first step to making any room FEEL more like a sanctuary is to declutter! You may not have control over everything in your life, but you have some control over what’s in your home.

Declutter your space, declutter your mind. It feels great and it works! 

There are BIG benefits to decluttering, including:

  • 🔥 Even 15 minutes of decluttering is an energizing physical activity with real results: you can visibly see your progress.
  • 💪 Making decisions about what stays and goes boosts your feelings of confidence and empowerment.
  • 🧘‍♂️Organized spaces decrease anxiety, increase calm, and enhance efficiency.
  • ⏱️You save time and money when you can find what you need faster and not accidentally buy duplicates.

HOW TO CREATE A CLUTTER-FREE HOME

  1. Grab 2 – 3 bags or boxes and mark them:

DONATE – for things to give away

TRASH – for stuff to toss

RECYCLE – (if applicable) for recyclable items like paper

  • If an item isn’t useful or doesn’t give you a feeling of happiness, get rid of it. 
    • Apply this assessment to every item in your home. 
    • Do it one room at a time until your space only includes items that assist you, either practically or emotionally.
    • You can chip away by doing a little decluttering each day. Or, if you’re feeling really ambitious, give yourself at least one full day for each room.

Top tips

  • The hardest part is starting, so use a timer.
    Try setting a timer for 15-30 minutes to get started, knowing you can stop when the timer goes off. You may be surprised to find an energizing momentum builds quickly. Keep going if you want to!
  • If you have clutter because you need more space, declutter storage areas first. It’s easy to overlook the fact that clutter happens when you don’t have an obvious spot for everything in your house. If you start by clearing out closets, cupboards, drawers, or even an attic or basement, you’ll have a place to put the things you need to keep. 
  • Keep a nice “Donate” basket near where you get dressed. How often do you try on a piece of clothing you don’t enjoy anymore? You know it’s time to let it go, but you’re too busy to do it. Now you can drop it into your Donate basket as you go about your daily routine.

👀 We want to see a little before and after here! Take a picture of your space before and after and share it in the check-in post tomorrow. 

Do you have a favorite decluttering tip or strategy? Please share!

Graphic: Declutter tips. 7 things to throw away

Day 4 Post 1 (Day 3 Check-in)

How did your Day 3 Zen Zone routine go? 

📣 ✨Let’s see those decluttered before and after pictures below! 

And post your Trackers below for an entry into our daily drawing!!👇🎊

Day 4 Post 2 Sleep

Do you get a good 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night? Studies say a huge percentage of us don’t 😯. And yet, that’s how much we need!* 

💤💪 Here’s why sleep is so important for you:

  • It gives your body time it needs to heal and repair itself
  • It helps reduce stress and your risk of depression
  • It helps improve your memory and helps you think more clearly 
  • It lowers your risk for serious health problems, like diabetes and heart disease, and helps support immune health, so you get sick less often
  • It helps you maintain a healthy weight 

💡If you struggle with sleep, a tactic we call Light Cycling might be helpful for you. It’s a way of resetting your internal clock (aka circadian rhythm), which decides when you should feel awake or sleepy. 

👀 Your internal clock is highly influenced by when your eyes are exposed to certain light. That’s why:

  • 📱Light at night from screens or lamps can mess with your internal clock and can make it harder to fall asleep. 
  • 🌞 Sunlight in the morning helps you sleep later: it tells your internal clock to trigger your sleep hormone at night.

Signs that your internal clock is off include trouble falling asleep––or feeling super wired or tired at certain times of the day. Sound familiar?

You can reset your internal clock so you can sleep more soundly and wake up with renewed emotional stability, focus, and energy.

Light Cycling: How to Reset Your Internal Clock for Sleep and Wellness

1: Wake at the same time for 7 days.

Set your alarm to wake up at the exact same time every day for at least 7 days.

2: Upon waking, immediately head outside.**

Sit comfortably with your face toward the sun. Keep your eyes open but protect your retina by gazing awayfrom the sun.  Slowly breathe in this position for 10 minutes to mindfully start your day while sunlight signals to your brain that it’s daytime.

3: Maintain the same bedtime for 7 days.

Set an alarm to go off three hours before your bedtime as a reminder that you’ll need to shut off all sources of blue light.

4: Dim lights and turn off screens 3 hours before bed.

Turn off all screens and lower the lights in your home. Aim for warm, low-watt light only. If you can’t avoid screens entirely, use blue-light blocking glasses or lower screen brightness and download an app that blocks blue light. Also, be sure to sleep in total darkness or wear a comfortable eye mask.

*Only about 5 percent of adults need less than 7 hours of sleep (due to a genetic variation).

**When the weather is too cold or rainy, try a good light therapy lamp instead.

Light Cycling Tips

Day 4 Post 3 Bye Bye Blue light

Who knew light had so much to do with self-care? 😮

We talked about how light affects your sleep and wake patterns. Did you know that blue light, in particular, is known to disrupt the production of your sleep hormone, melatonin, when you’re exposed to it before bedtime?

Blue light is the light used in electronic screens and certain energy-efficient lighting.📱📺💻💡

You can reduce the effects of blue light on your sleep by:

  • Shutting down all electronic devices—smartphones, iPads, laptops, TVs—two to three hours before bed.
  • OR wearing blue-light blocking glasses in the evening.

👂We’d love to hear: How have you been doing with turning off devices or limiting screen exposure for one hour before bed? Have you noticed any difference yet from doing that?

Blue Light

Day 5 Post 1 (Day 4 Check-in)

👋 Hey everyone, which habit has gotten easier for you over the past few days? Which has felt the most impactful for you?

Post your Trackers below! 

Graphic: Check-in

Day 5 Post 2 Gratitude

Did you know writing in a gratitude journal or five minutes journaling can reduce anxiety? 

💖 A gratitude practice is not just a nice idea––it’s powerful self-care! The evidence is in…

First, gratitude triggers feel-good chemicals. When you express or receive gratitude, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which can help improve your mood immediately.

Plus, researchers have found that a gratitude practice can bring you MORE:

  • Positive emotions & optimism
  • Happiness in relationships
  • Self-esteem & self-acceptance
  • Personal growth 
  • Meaning in life

📝 I love writing in my gratitude journal and re-reading it when I need a boost. Starting a gratitude journal is an amazing way to guarantee that you’ll always have something to read that can lift your spirits.

❤️Looking back on your week, what’s one small thing you’ve enjoyed? It might be something you love about where you live… or someone who makes you laugh.

The Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the Brain. https://positivepsychology.com/neuroscience-of-gratitude/

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.

Graphic: What are you grateful for?/ gratitude journal exercise

Day 5 Post 3 Bedtime Teas

It’s the last night of our Zen Zone Challenge! How are you feeling? 😌

Make sure to post your Trackers in the Check-in post tomorrow for an entry into our BIG giveaway! Plus, we’ll be sharing how you can earn EXTRA entries tomorrow, so stay tuned! 🎁📝🤞

For this last evening, let’s talk about one of my favorite self-care & sleep practices: calming tea before bed. 🫖😴 It’s such an enjoyable, simple practice and the right tea really helps me wind down. 

I have been loving a nice cup of Rest and Rewind Tea to relax before sleep. It provides rest-inducing ingredients like lemon balm and 5-HTP. And I like the lightly sweet, minty taste. Plus it contains anti-aging antioxidants!

What’s your favorite calming herbal tea? ☕

Rest and Rewind

Day 6 (Day 5 Check-in)

Day 5, you did it!🏆 How do you feel? How has your body felt with the extra self-care? Have you noticed any differences? Have you felt more relaxed this week?💆‍♀️ Let us know in the comments below! Every comment is an entry into our AMAZING final giveaway!✨

Anyone who posts on social media what they loved about this challenge or something they learned will also get an extra entry into our giveaway! Make sure to tag the Ambassador who invited you!

Guess what? We are hosting another fun Wellness Group soon: 🌟 The Glow Up Skin Care Challenge!🌟Join us to keep your self-care going and get your skin glowing. You’ll be bringing out your natural beauty with some wonderful skin care tips, tricks, and practices. We start on (date). We’d love to have you! Message me for more info!

Day 6 Post 2 Winner

Thank you so much for joining our Zen and Zone Challenge! Our final winner is x!!!

If you loved this challenge, you will love our 🌟 Glow Up Skin Care Challenge!🌟 Join us to keep your self-care going and get your skin glowing. You’ll be bringing out your natural beauty with some wonderful skin care tips, tricks, and practices. We start on (date). We’d love to have you! Message me for more info!💬