LISTERINE® 21-Day Challenge Recap and Tips

Disclosure: I received LISTERINE® Brand products and a Walgreens gift card from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE® 21-Day Challenge. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Listerine 21 Day Challenge

 

A few weeks ago I introduced you to the Listerine® 21-Day Challenge.  In case you missed it the first time around, let me explain.  This year Listerine is challenging everyone to make one easy lifestyle change, which can greatly benefit their oral hygiene and overall health.  All you have to do is rinse with Listerine twice a day.  That’s it!

Why 21 days, you ask?  The challenge is 21 days long because studies show this is how long it takes for us to develop and keep new habits.  In my previous post, I talked about some of my own dental problems (including the aftermath of braces from my teen years), so the 21-Day Challenge is something that I definitely needed to try, and I did!  (I just finished the 21 days last week! Woohoo!)

You can do it too!  Just go to the Listerine website and sign up to start your own 21 Day Challenge.  Not only will you get daily reminders in your inbox to help you along with the challenge, but you’ll also get tips to coach you in other areas of your life, like home organization, health, and fitness. (And if that’s not enough, there’s also a chance to win prizes!)

Listerine Banner

Now if you’re thinking to yourself, “Well, I don’t need to do the challenge. I’ve got great teeth,” think  again!

Rinsing is important for everyone, regardless of your past history.  Rinsing not only cleans virtually 100% of your mouth (as opposed to brushing alone, which cleans about 25% of your mouth), but it also helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

Thanks to the great folks at Listerine, I got a great assortment of oral hygiene products to help my out with my 21 Day Challenge:

Listerine

 

I love these products, especially the Listerine Cool Mint Antiseptic Rinse and the Listerine Whitening Toothpaste, because they make my mouth feel so clean! (By the way, the rinse is available for $4.49, a great price, this week at Walgreens.)

And if you’re trying to get your kids involved in the 21-Day Challenge, they will LOVE the Listerine Smart Rinse (now featuring their favorite Frozen characters).  And okay, a lot of adults will love it too!

Listerine Me

 After completing the 21-Day Challenge, I’m here to offer a few tips for those of you who wish to try challenge for yourself.

1. Keep your Listerine out on your counter.  When it comes to daily health routines, whether it’s rinsing or taking a daily medication, I HAVE to be able to see it.  If the Listerine is in the medicine cabinet or hidden somewhere else in the bathroom, I will forget about it. (Out of sight, out of mind.)  But if it’s sitting on my sink, it is a constant reminder.

2.  Email reminders and alerts.  The email reminders that are set up for the 21-Day challenge were a great help!  Another great idea for this and other daily health goals is to set it up on your online calendar.  Just add “Rinsing” as an event on your Outlook or other online calendar; then make the event recurring.  I have my calendar set up so that I get emails and also smart phone alerts.

3.  Get a support system!  Encourage your family to join the challenge with you.  If you have smaller children this is a great chance to challenge them and teach them about oral hygiene and adopting healthy habits.  I’d suggest making a chart for them and putting it on the fridge.  They get stickers on the chart when they rinse and perhaps a reward at the end of the challenge!  You can also encourage family and friends outside your home to join with you and help each other stay on track.

4. Setting small achievable goals is key. The 21-Day Challenge is great because it is very easy! You know how it goes; anytime you try to make a major lifestyle change at one time, it almost NEVER sticks.  But I found it very easy to just use mouthwash twice a day.  And even though it’s only a small step towards good health, it’s something you can feel very good about.  (And after you’ve mastered this, you can try other goals like drinking more water or taking a daily vitamin.)

5. Stick with your goals and don’t get discouraged.  Regardless of what kind of activity I’m doing, occasionally I’m going to forget, and I think that’s the case with everyone, so I would advise everyone to do your best and don’t get discouraged, whether you’re doing the 21-Day Challenge or working on another healthcare goal.

Go over and start your Listerine® 21-Day Challenge today.

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  1. […] way you can do this is by getting your family started on the 21-Day Challenge.  I posted about the challenge a couple of months ago.  The challenge consists of rinsing with Listerine every day. […]

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