Prompt: Spend 30 minutes with a book you enjoy—just for the joy of it.

🚫 No scrolling.

📵 No background noise.

📖 Just you, a cozy spot, and words that light you up.

✨ Why This Practice Works

At Novice Vegan Life, we believe reading is a sacred escape.

A way to detox from digital overwhelm and plug into peace.

In the Mental Health Ministry, we see reading as rest for the mind—and fuel for the soul.

🍵 Your Ideal Reading Ritual

Create a vibe around your reading time:

🕯️ Light a candle

☕ Sip your favorite tea

🛋️ Find a comfy chair or window seat

📚 Grab that book you keep saying you’ll finish

🧦 Bonus points if you’re in fuzzy socks

🎯 Need Ideas?

Here are a few fun book types to explore:

🌿 Mindful Living & Personal Growth

🧠 Fiction that stretches the imagination

🍽️ Plant-based cookbooks you can get lost in

🙏🏾 Devotionals that pour into your spirit

🎨 Something artsy or poetic just for pleasure

This is your permission to slow down—and disappear into a story, a scripture, or a spark of inspiration.

Not because you’re being productive. But because you’re a human being… and your brain needs joy.

📝 Reflect or Share:

What book did you choose, and what did it awaken in you?

Tag us with your book stack, your reading nook, or your tea + title moment. 📷

We love to see you honoring your mind in your own style.

#UnplugAndRead #NoviceVeganLife #HonorYourMindBBC #SacredJoy #DigitalDetox

Prompt: Do something nice for someone else—big or small.

Compassion is contagious.

And kindness? That’s a legacy builder.

Today, we’re inviting you to shift the atmosphere—one thoughtful act at a time.

No grand gestures required. Just presence, empathy, and love in motion.

🌟 Why Kindness Heals

At Novice Vegan Life, we believe joy multiplies when it’s shared.

And through the Mental Health Ministry, we affirm that kindness is both a spiritual discipline and a healing practice.

🫶🏾 Giving softens anxiety

🌱 Builds purpose and belonging

💫 Interrupts stress with connection

🙏🏾 Reflects the heart of God in real-time

🎁 Quick Kindness Ideas:

Text someone a compliment, just because

Hold the door open with a warm smile

Send a Venmo, CashApp, Zelle (or other ways you like to run people their money) for someone’s morning coffee

Share a resource that helped you

Drop off a small care package or hand-written note

Listen—really listen—to someone who needs space

You don’t need a cape to show up for others.

You just need a moment of intention and a heart that sees beyond itself.

📝 Reflection Prompt:

How did it feel to be a source of ease or joy today? What shifted in you?

Let us know how you honored your mind through kindness. We’re celebrating you and the ripple you created.

#ActsOfKindness #HonorYourMindBBC #NVLChallenge #SoulfulService #MentalHealthMatters

Prompt: Sit quietly and observe your surroundings for 5 minutes.

Let the world keep spinning—you don’t have to.

As a mom, I know firsthand how hard it is to sit still.

The laundry. The snacks. The emails. The emotional check-ins.

The crumbs that multiply overnight like they’ve got a mission.

Your to-do list never runs out.

Your nurturing rarely hits pause.

And your needs? They often get the leftovers.

But today—on Mother's Day—I want to gently challenge you to stop.

🧘🏾‍♀️ Why This Moment Matters:

✨ Reconnects you to your breath

✨ Anchors you in now, not next

✨ Tells your nervous system: rest is safe

✨ Honors you—beyond the tasks, titles, and to-dos

🌿 Try This:

Sit by a window or step outside.

Feel the air on your skin.

Notice the sounds, the smells, the movement of life.

Let the sun—or even the silence—touch your spirit.

No fixing. No planning. Just being.

This moment is not wasted.

It is holy.

A gift to your body, your mind, your future self.

You are allowed to pause.

You are allowed to exhale.

You are allowed to just be.

📝 Reflection Prompt:

What did you notice around you—and within you—when everything got quiet?

This is your breath-back moment.

No guilt required.

Tag us or share a photo of your pause—because even rest deserves to be seen and celebrated.

#5MinuteMoment #HonorYourMindBBC #NVLChallenge #MothersDayPause #MentalRestIsProductive #NoviceVeganLife

Prompt: Aim to go to bed 30 minutes earlier tonight.

Okay, let’s be real:

This might be our favorite challenge so far.

Because we don’t just deserve more rest—we need it.

I’m personally excited about this one because… I’m tired.

Like, deep-in-my-bones, “please let me lie down for a week” tired.

And if you’re anything like me—you’re running on love, coffee, and fumes.

So tonight, let’s shift the script:

Not one more scroll. Not one more task.

Just a little earlier bedtime—and a lot more compassion for your future self.

💤 Why This Matters:

Supports better mood, memory & focus

Reduces stress & emotional overwhelm

Gives your body time to repair and your mind time to reset

Reinforces that your worth is not tied to productivity

🕯️ Try This Before Bed:

Put your phone down 30 mins earlier

Dim the lights

Stretch or sip tea

Read a few calming pages

Speak something kind over yourself

Tonight, we don’t chase peace.

We prepare for it—by choosing rest on purpose.

📝 Reflection Prompt:

How did it feel to give yourself the gift of 30 extra minutes of rest?

What might shift if you made this a habit?

@bbc4christ 

#SleepCheck #NVLChallenge #HonorYourMindBBC #RestIsRadical #SoftLivingSeasst #SleepCheck #NVLChallenge #HonorYourMindBBC #RestIsRadical #SoftLiving

Prompt: Draw, write, sing, or create something just for fun.

Somewhere between all the grown-up responsibilities, we sometimes forget:

We are still allowed to create—just because it brings us joy.

We all go through seasons where the things that once lit us up feel… out of reach.

Life shifts, priorities stack up, and creativity takes a backseat.

Or maybe—you’re just waiting to find that thing that lights you up.

Either way, this is your invitation:

✨ Dust it off.

✨ Try something new.

✨ Make room for joy on purpose.

🧠 Why It Matters for Mental Health:

Creative expression reduces stress and anxiety

Helps process emotions without needing words

Boosts self-esteem and problem-solving skills

Feeds the playful, not just the productive, part of you

At NVL, sometimes creativity means experimenting in the kitchen with whatever’s left in the fridge—new recipe, new family favorite unlocked!

Other days, it’s music, journaling, doodles on napkins, or making a vision board with your toddler’s broken crayons.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.

📝 Reflection Prompt:

What did you create today, and how did it feel to make space for fun again?

No judgment. No pressure. Just play.

#CreativeOutlet #HonorYourMindBBC #NVLChallenge #JoyIsAHealingPractice #SoulfulSelfCare

Prompt: Swap one cup of coffee for water or tea today.

A part of me wanted to say, “This one’s going to be tough.”

Because, as a former Coffee Club member, I get it.

That first sip feels like a whole ritual, right?

But I’m shifting the tone—for me and for you.

This isn’t punishment.

It’s an invitation to explore what else can energize us—without the crash.

🌱 Why Cut the Caffeine (Just a Bit)?

Reduces anxiety and jitteriness

Supports more stable energy (without the midday slump)

Improves sleep quality

Gives your adrenal system a much-needed break

Reminds your body that you are the fuel—not just the cup

💧 Try This Instead:

Warm lemon water in the morning to wake up your system

A herbal or green tea for a lighter energy lift

A hydrating smoothie with greens and fruit

A 2-minute stretch or walk to reset your energy

A check-in with your why instead of another shot of espresso

And hey—this isn’t about quitting cold turkey.

It’s about noticing your patterns, listening to your body, and experimenting with balance.

📝 Reflection Prompt:

What did you reach for today instead of coffee—and how did it make you feel after?

Did it remind you that you're more in control of your energy than you thought?

You’ve got this.

We’re not giving up our joy—we’re redefining it.

#LimitCaffeine #NVLChallenge #HonorYourMindBBC #MindfulEnergy #WellnessWithoutTheCrash