My June 2025 Challenge: The Surprisingly Hard Act of Doing Nothing

Hi again—it’s Diana from Healthy Seniors.

We’ve officially hit July, and I have to say… this month snuck up on me. June felt long and heavy, in the way only a truly stressful month can. If I’m being honest, this wasn’t my favorite challenge so far.

The idea was simple: 10 minutes of meditation a day. I thought, “How hard could that be?”

Turns out, when your world feels like it’s spinning and the pressure is mounting, sitting still can feel impossible.

But somewhere between guilt, tension, and a mini meltdown, something shifted. What started as a challenge became a quiet rebellion. A choice. And it might be one of the most important things I’ve learned so far this year.

Week 1: Starting Strong… Sort Of

The first few days, I did what I always do when I commit to a goal: I made a plan. I found a few short guided meditations online, set a timer, and carved out a little morning space just for me.

And for about two days, it worked.

But my mind? Oh, it was not having it.

While I was “meditating,” I was also:

• Mentally rewriting emails

• Replaying a tough conversation with my daughter

• Wondering if the dishwasher sounded funny again

• Stressing about everything I hadn’t done for the business

Even though I was physically sitting, my brain was running a marathon. I ended each session more agitated than when I began.

Week 2: When Guilt Took Over

As the stress in my business picked up—deadlines looming, projects slipping—I started skipping my meditation entirely.

I told myself I was too busy, that I needed that time for work. But underneath it all was guilt. I felt bad taking even ten minutes for myself when there was so much that needed fixing. It felt indulgent. Like I was being irresponsible.

And that guilt started bleeding into everything. I wasn’t sleeping well. I was snapping at my husband over tiny things (like the way he left crumbs near the sink—again). I felt exhausted and wired all at once.

Meditation? That was the last thing I felt like doing.

Week 3: The Snap—and the Shift

And then, one afternoon, I sat down out of sheer frustration. My heart was racing, my to-do list was ridiculous, and I felt like I was holding my breath all day long.

I clicked on a guided meditation video… and paused it after six seconds.

Instead, I said (out loud, to no one in particular):
“You know what? I don’t HAVE to do anything right now.”

I don’t know where it came from. But that sentence felt like a thunderclap.

I realized: the stress wasn’t just from what was happening. It was from how I was responding to it. I was carrying the weight of everything—trying to hold it all together, fix it all, be everything to everyone.

And I couldn’t.

That moment of rebellion—choosing stillness, choosing not to “solve”—was the first time I truly exhaled all month.

Week 4: Letting Myself Be

The final stretch of June felt different. Not perfect. Not calm, exactly. But lighter.

I gave myself permission to just show up—whether I felt peaceful, anxious, tired, or all of the above. I sat with my thoughts instead of wrestling them. I let the birdsong outside the window be my soundtrack some mornings. Other times, I just focused on breathing—inhale, hold, exhale, repeat.

And slowly, my inner pressure valve started to release.

I wasn’t magically less busy. But I was less reactive. I didn’t feel like I was being yanked around by my emotions quite as much.

Even when things were chaotic, I had that little anchor—those ten minutes to just be.

What Worked:

✅ Giving myself permission not to be productive
✅ Showing up imperfectly, even if I felt fidgety or overwhelmed
✅ Letting go of “doing meditation right”—just sitting was enough

What Didn’t Work:

❌ Forcing it when I was already overloaded
❌ Using meditation as another task to check off
❌ Believing I had to “earn” rest through performance

July’s Challenge: Try Something New

So now it’s July, and after a month of stillness, I’m craving something with movement. Joy. Maybe even a little rhythm.

This month’s challenge is all about trying something new. Something different. A little bit bold.

Right now, I’m deciding between:

🥁 Beginner drum lessons — because who says you can’t shake up your routine with a little percussion?
💃 Dance classes — something light and fun (and slightly out of my comfort zone)

Whatever I choose, the goal isn’t to master it. It’s just to try. To get a little uncomfortable. To remember that I’m still growing, still learning, still becoming.

A Half-Year Check-In: The Power of Starting Again

And here’s something else I want to say: We’re halfway through 2025.

Six months gone. Six more to go.

That milestone? It’s not just a date—it’s a chance.

It’s a Fresh Start Moment.

We actually talked all about this back in January, in our article on the Fresh Start Effect—that powerful surge of motivation we feel during natural “new beginnings” like the start of a new year, a birthday, or even a Monday morning.

Behavioral science shows that these moments help us mentally separate our “old self” from who we are becoming. It gives us permission to reset, refocus, and try again.

So if June knocked you sideways (like it did for me), or if your goals have fallen off track, don’t give up. July is your second wind. Your fresh start.

And it starts with one small step forward.

💡 Your Turn

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck—please know you’re not alone. And also know this: you’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to choose peace, even in the middle of chaos.

And if you’re itching for something fresh, a little fun, or a gentle challenge? Try something new this month.

A new class. A new recipe. A new way of thinking.

Big or small—it matters. Because you matter.

We’re halfway through the year, friends. Let’s make the next six months joyful, curious, and full of tiny, brave steps.

Pick one thing you want to try this July—and share it in the comments. You might just inspire someone else to take their own first step.