The Winter Destress Quest is to here help everyone (yes, anyone can do this!) find a groovier balance in tuning into their bodies and taking the reins when it comes to managing stress. Especially during this time of the year when we find ourselves smack dab in between festivities, with the holiday music churning and parties running HOT. Add a little counter balance back in by joining the Winter Destress Quest from Sunday, December 4th through Sunday, December 18th for 15 days of intention during one of the busiest times of the year. This challenge is very similar to our June Destress Quest, with participants paired into teams for accountability and support, a facebook group to chat all things challenge, and swag at the very end for the team that most closely aligns with the quest parameters.
WHY DESTRESS?
A wee primer: Our bodies have evolved and adapted to respond to acute stress. Way back in the day, we didn’t have to commute to work, run errands, pay bills, work 9+ hours daily, wake up to alarm clocks, drive cars, have constant access to one another via electronic screens. All of these, since we encounter them on the daily, contribute instead to chronic stress. Our bodies have not adapted physiologically to consistently be under such a burden, day in and day out. Pile on top of this bigger life events such as moving, sedentary lifestyles, job changes, life changes, a lack of sleep, food intake that isn’t nutrient dense and always needing to plan for the next thing… and I dunno… does any of this sound familiar? And kinda of stressful?
This is why we’re participating in our Winter Destress Quest, just like our June Destress Quest. Because it’s easy to lose ourselves in just keeping up with life, plain and simple. Add extra social events, family gatherings, and boom–where’d WE go?
WHAT DO WE DO ON THIS QUEST?
Read up to understand what we learn in the Destress Quest. I break the quest down into four daily target arenas to complete as pairs of two (wanna win swag at the end? Track your points with your partner and whichever team has the highest tally gets it):
FOOD+WATER:
We take our some of the bigger physiological stressors, AKA foods that are generally either harder to digest or just aren’t very nutrient dense… or both! This includes gluten containing grains and refined sugar. You’ll learn more in detail about why each of these foods come out with the Destress Quest manual you’ll get before the quest begins. We emphasize fresh vegetables, fruits, unprocessed meats, legumes and wholesome fats as the go-to foods to help us feel full, satisfied and full of natural energy. We also take a look at water intake.
SLEEP:
We set structure around our sleep habits to ensure that we’re getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night, or at least 9 hours in bed, with the lights off, no phones or screens included. Our biggest time for recovery and restoration is often one of the first to go when we’re stressed out–waking up early, staying up late, getting things done tops getting consistently adequate amounts of shuteye. For these 15 days, we will be allowing ourselves the time to explore what we feel like when we allow the time for a full nights sleep x 15!
SELF-CARE:
For 10 minutes each day, at any time of the day you prefer, we all are going to invest some time in ourselves and engage in an act of self-care. Everyday! Again, this can mean so many things to so many people. Maybe it’s looking up goofy animal videos, maybe it’s practicing a challenging piece of music you’ve been avoiding and fretting over, maybe it’s reading a good book, maybe it’s sitting in a chair, maybe it’s calling a loved one, maybe it’s meditating. You do what you need to, but you gotta do it each day for the point!
MOVEMENT:
We will aim to engage in at least 1 hour of physical activity each day. In addition to the lovely WODs, METCONs, mobility classes and open gym times available here at Solcana, any physical movement counts. Just get moving for a total sum of 60 minutes each day!
When you’re ready to say YES! to the quest, fill out the form below!