November Challenges

Dearest readers,

November is upon us! Historically, this is month of personal growth “challenges”. I’m sure we’ve all heard of “No-Nut November” (celibacy), “No-Shave November” (hello, facial hair), and more. A personal favorite of mine is “NaNoWriMo” (National Novel Writing Month), where writers are challenged to write a 50,000-word novel during the 30 days of November.

I have many areas of personal growth that demand attention. A note of personal disclosure: I have struggled with nicotine addiction for a while. I know, for shame, Bel. Fitness and yoga instructor and self-proclaimed wellness leader, with a nicotine habit. The imposter syndrome is real. Here’s the story. I started vaping in 2021 after a friend introduced me to the habit, got hooked within 3 weeks of my first puff, and spent the next six months trying to kick the addiction. I managed to stop vaping in December 2021, after beginning my yoga journey. I stayed abstinent until 2023, when I began working a desk job (that I hated), and a co-worker carried a Flum mini vape pen in his pocket, and I looked forward to any kind of stimulant that would punctuate my mind-numbing, soul-sucking 8 hours behind the desk of a corporate gym. That’s how I got back into it– boredom, I realized, can be the worst kind of stressor. Last summer, a guy I was dating told me to stop vaping, and start use Zyns instead (nicotine pouches). I relished the idea of getting my nicotine fix while sparing my lungs from damage. I’ve been hooked on Zyns ever since.

So, this month, I will embark on a quest to quit nicotine for good. “No-Nic November”, I shall call it. For anyone else struggling with nicotine addiction, I feel you. Nicotine is notoriously the most addictive substance (more so than heroin), and the hardest habit to kick. But it’s possible– I’ve had many Eastern European girlfriends smoke cigarettes in their youth, and they managed to quit. If they can do it, so can I, and so can you!

Another personal mission of mine is to DRINK MORE WATER! This month, I am determined to drink at least 72 ounces of water a day (average healthy amount for women). That’s the equivalent of about 4 standard-size, single-use plastic water bottles. What should we call that challenge? “Hydration Challenge November”? No alliteration, which is unfortunate, but the intention is still strong.

If I am being extremely ambitious, I’m thinking of going “No-Caffeine November”, which has been another substance I have imbibed in to excess. Working as a fitness instructor demands a great deal of energy, when it is your literal job to be a crowd-hyper and energizer bunny while leading a group class. Sometimes, I just need an extra boost of energy before teaching an hour-long dance cardio class. But there are other ways to wake up the system. First, get enough sleep. For me, that’s at least 9 hours a night. That can be another challenge: “Nine-Hours November”! Another natural way to wake yourself up is cold showers– I take one every morning. It works better than caffeine, I kid you not! So maybe every time I’m feeling a mid-day slump, I’ll drive over to the nearest gym (I work at several gyms in the Peninsula), and jump in that ice cold shower for a boost. Exercise is also a great way to wake up and get that dopamine pumping. It sounds counterintuitive, getting active when you’re feeling lethargic, but the body has a remarkable way of adapting to physical activity, and it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Get down and do 10 pushups and 20 sit-ups. Run up and down the stairs 3 times. A little bit goes a long way!

So, those are my three challenges of November:

1. No-Nic
2. Hydration Challenge
3. No-Caffeine

I also don’t want to set myself up for failure. If quitting substances is my primary challenge for November, I can’t cold turkey everything all at once. I’ll start with the nicotine, and once I get through the first two weeks of withdrawal (I’ve been there before, it freakin’ sucks), and my abstinence is more stable, then I’ll work on the caffeine.

What other challenges do you want to embark on this month? Leave your ideas in the comments below!