Turn Loving Yourself Into a Game With ‘Self-Care Truth or Dare
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like my self-care routine needs a little something new to mix things up.
Whether I've fallen a little too squarely in my comfort zone or I'm just going through the same motions day after day and my practices aren't feeling so effective anymore, it can be helpful to incorporate new ideas into the process. Of course, coming up with those new ideas can be a lot of work—and therefore the opposite of self-care.
But Self Care Truth or Dare is designed to help. This Pick-a-Stick game makes structuring self-care easier than ever, and the folks at Chronicle Books were kind enough to send it to me to try out.
The Game
Self Care Truth or Dare is a game designed to nurture the mind, body and spirit by allowing users to practice self-care with fun but thoughtful practices. The game comes complete with 50 double-sided sticks with a truth on one side and a dare on the other, pushing you to either ask yourself questions to better understand yourself or to participate in an act of powerful self-care. Each one was created to help you reflect, recharge and reconnect with yourself. The game sells for $14.95.
(via Chronicle Books)
The Experience
What I love about Self-Care Truth or Dare is that it's so easy to use. Whenever I feel a little anxious or like I'm under pressure, I can just pop the cap off of the tube, draw a stick and see what it has in store for me.
On the white side of the sticks are the truths, which get you to stop and contemplate things, whether it's creating a moment of gratitude, asking you how you create joy in your life or making you confront unhealthy ways of thinking to reassess them. Something like "How do you connect with nature? How does it make you feel?" not only has me thinking about how great I feel when I'm out in the woods under the falling leaves, but makes me ask myself why I haven't been out lately to enjoy the wondrous nature that surrounds me, and gets me to correct that.
Other questions are tougher. When I pulled the stick asking "What 1 thing are you in denial about? Can you imagine confronting the truth?" I was a little bit taken aback. At first, I felt like skipping it, but I decided to stick through with it and really ponder the question. When I finally did figure out what my answer was, I understood myself better and was able to think about ways to move forward and better myself. It definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but in a way that truly was an act of self-care in the end.
(via Chronicle Books)
On the green sides of the sticks are the dares. I was a little intimidated by the idea at first, being that I always go with "truth" in the classic version of Truth or Dare, but I actually found these to be very approachable and actionable, even if they would require a little effort. When one told me to "Rest and unwind. Spend 1 hour or more offline, doing nothing. Try being 'unproductive,'" I first thought that would be very tricky before I realized I could take a long, luxurious soak in the tub to carve out an hour for myself and really sit with my thoughts. Another read, "Throughout the week, stop and check in with yourself. Be still and be present. Close your eyes and take 10 full, deep breaths." It's so simple, but honestly not something I do enough. So, I wrote the message on a sticky note and stuck it to my monitor to remind me. Sure enough, I've done this daily, and every time I do, it pulls me out of autopilot, makes me mindful of what I'm doing and helps me better move on to what's next.
After pulling these daily for about a week, I just feel better. Being reminded to take care of my body and mind can be super helpful for me because I'm always working and plugging along. The truths really make me search my inner self, while the dares get me to step back and make time for me. I also like the low commitment of it all. On those occasions where the truth or dare doesn't feel like it works for you, you can simply pick another one that does, and with 100 options available, you're bound to find that before long.
Bottom Line
If you want to get better at practicing self-care but don't know where to start, I can't recommend Self-Care Truth or Dare highly enough. I've felt healthier in body and mind since starting, and for just $15, you really can't go wrong.
Want to love yourself on a budget? Click HERE for a few ideas on self-care rituals that won't break the bank.