30-day challenges are a hype at the moment and the ideas are limitless. There’s everything from going vegan to zero spendings for 30 days.
What I love most about a 30-day challenge is that 30 days is just enough time to create a new habit or let go of a habitual pattern that no longer serves you.
Most of my healthy habits were created during 30-day challenges. However, I never considered a new challenge every 30 days until I watched Matt Cutts TED Talks on trying something new for 30 days.
There is an excitement in trying something new for 30 days and believe it or not, the ideas are limitless.
If you are ready to take on a new challenge for 30 days and unsure what you could do, you might want to try some of these 30-day challenge ideas.
30 DAY CHALLENGE IDEAS FOR YOUR BODY
Drink a glass of water first thing as sooon as you wake up in the morning
Drinking water first thing as soon as you wake up in the morning helps you to rehydrate your body.
The six to eight hours, most of us sleep is a long period to go without drinking any water.
According to Rania Batayneh, MPH, nutritionist and the author of “The One One One Diet,” drinking a glass of water first thing as as soon as you wake up is an excellent way to rehydrate your body quickly.
Go Veggie
The “veggie phenomenon” is growing at a rapid pace. According to an article published by mayo clinic, reasons for following a vegetarian diet are varied, including health benefits, such as reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
No sugary drinks
According to Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, about half of the added sugar Americans consume each day comes from beverages.
In an interview published on September 23, 2016 by MedPage Today, Frank Hu discussed the public health case against sugary beverages – and pointed how they increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, and cavities. And offered recommendations for healtier drinks such as water, coffee and tea.
10,000 steps a day
According to an article written by Medibank, walking 10,000 steps a day can boost your energy, clear your mind, provide a sense of achievement and satisfaction, increase your confidence level, and help you manage your weight. It also promotes healthier blood cholesterol and blood pressure, builds stronger bones and muscles, and reduced heart attack risk.
To read how I motivate myself to exercise six times a week click here.
Do some yoga
According to American Osteopathic Association Maintaining a regular yoga practice can provide physical and mental health benefits such as:
Increase your flexibility, muscle strength, and tone. Improve your respiration, energy, and vitality. Help you to maintain a balanced metabolism and reduce weight. Improve your athletic performance and protect you from injury.
Click here for three simple yoga poses you could do every day for the next 30 days and lose some weight too while you are at it.
30 DAY CHALLENGE IDEAS FOR YOUR MIND
Read every day
Research shows that regular reading is very good for you. Reading every day can improve your brain connectivity. It increases your vocabulary and comprehension. It empowers you. You will sleep better. It will reduce your stress levels, lower your blood pressure and heart rate. It fights depression and promotes a longer life.
Don’t know what to read? Click here for 5 of my favorite self help books.
Meditate
According to the Mayo Clinic, Meditation is a fast, straightforward and simple way to reduce stress.
Meditation can provide a sense of calmness, peace, and balance that can benefit your emotional well-being and overall health.
And these benefits are not only experienced during your meditation session. But helps you carry a sense of calmness throughout your day.
Meditation can also have tremendous benefits on your emotional well-being.
When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress.
Meditation can help you gain a lighter perspective on stressful situations. You will learn how to manage stress. It will increase your self-awareness. Help you to be more present in the here and the now. Negative emotions will lessen. It will expand your creativity and imagination and increase your ability to trust, have more patient and be more tolerant.
Click here to learn more about meditation and the benefits of alternate nostril breathing technique.
Try something new every day.
According to a Harvard study, “learning a new dance step involves exercise, socialization, and a challenge, all of which can help boost thinking skills.”
“Challenging your brain, staying physically active, and being socially engaged may help keep our thinking skills sharp.”
Learn a new language
Learning a second language enables you to develop various mental abilities, regardless of your age.
According to Eton Institute, there are many benefits to learning a new language.
Learning a new language boosts your brainpower, improves your memory, enhances your multi-tasking abilities, and sharpens your mind.
It enhances your decision-making skills, improves your first language, and your performance in other academic areas.
It also increases your networking skills and helps you make better career choices.
Write
- Warren Buffet beliefs writing is a critical way of refining thoughts.
- According to Richard Branson his most vital possession is a notebook so he can write on a regular basis.
- Bill Gates described writing as a way to sit down and re-evaluate your thoughts during the day.
So what is the big deal about writing? According to sparringmind, writing makes you happier, leads to better thinking and learning, keeps you sharp, and leadership at scale.
If you want to write for the next 30 days you will enjoy my simple guide to writing.
Brush your teeth with the opposite hand
A growing body of research shows that using your non-dominant hand strengthens the neural connections in your brain and even grow new ones. Try brushinh your teeth with your opposite hand, you will have to be very present and precise with your movements as it’s a tad harder.
Yes! I brush my teeth with my opposite hand every morning click here for my morning routine.
Wake up at 5 AM
From my own experience, I can assure you if you wake up at 5 AM for 30 days straight, it will change your entire life.
You will feel better throughout your day. You will feel more clarity and a sense of purpose for your life. Your level of confidence will increase. Your health will improve. Overall you will be an entirely new person.
There are many reasons why you want to wake up at 5 AM. The ladders shared an interesting article about the amazing benefits of setting your alarm clock for 5 AM for 30 days straight.
If you need any ideas what to do when you wake up at 5 AM click here for my morning routine.
30 DAY CHALLENGE IDEAS FOR YOUR SPIRIT
Atleast one random act of kindness a day
Believe it or not there are actually scientifically proven benefits of being kind. Studies have shown that random acts of kindness decrease anxiety, depression, and blood pressure.
The science of kindness shows that kindness decreases pain. According to an article published by randomactsofkindness.org, “Engaging in acts of kindness produces endorphins—the brain’s natural painkiller!”
Kindness decreases stress. The articles also states that “Perpetually kind people have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population!”
Silence
Every tried to be insilence for a few days? There are many scientific studies on the benefits of silence. Stress relief, improved memory, and a calm mind are just to name a few! I challenge you to be still every day for the next 30 days for atleast 30 minutes. If you want to read more about why silence is so good for the body, mind and soul click here.
Expose yourself to Nature
A growing body of research indicates the beneficial effects of exposure to nature on health, stress reduction, and healing.
Several studies at Yale have shown that spending time in nature – as long as you feel safe – can be a cure for stress: it can lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, increase self-esteem, reduce anxiety, and improve mood.
Say “YES” more often
When you say yes, you open yourself up to the infinite possibilities that are available to you.
However, there are many more reasons why you would want to say yes more often.
According to Fastcompany, when you say yes to new ideas, you help others and encourage them to do the same. You boost your brainpower, slow down the aging process, excel in your career, have fewer regrets, and become a happier person.
Affirmations
Affirmations are powerful, and there are many benefits of using them.
According to clinical hypnotherapy, affirmations motivate you to take action, focus on your goals, turn your negative habitual thought patterns into positive ones, influence your subconscious mind to let go of limiting beliefs and create new ones, and help you feel good about yourself and increase your self-confidence.
Click here for a simple guide on affirmations and 3 simple tips for creating your own affirmations.
Get rid of one thing a day
What’s the hype about decluttering? According to Psychology Today, decluttering increases your sense of confidence and ability to believe in yourself. And it is energizing.
Cleaning and organizing reduce anxiety, calms the mind, reduce family tension. And I like this one, when you declutter, you might find some lost treasures.
Gratitude Journaling
According to health news, gratitude journaling may be good for your mental health and physical health. A growing body of research shows writing down what you are thankful for can lower stress, help you sleep better, and even reduce the risk of heart disease.
Want to learn more about the benefits of journaling? Click here for my top 8 benefits of journaling.
Give attention to the little things in life.
Instead of waiting for something spectacular to happen, you can give your full undivided attention to the things that surround you already, the little seemingly insignificant things that you would typically not give attention to, such as a butterfly or a simple tree.
This practice is fantastic because it brings your attention to the present moment and opens you up.
If you have a hard time selecting one of the 30 day challenge ideas listed above, I invite you for 30 days to practice giving your attention to the little things you might ordinarily overlook as you go about your day.
You can do this as part of a formal sitting meditation practice or informally as you handle your everyday tasks, such as cooking your meals or driving to work.
I would love to know how these 30-day challenge ideas and practices worked for you. Please share your experience with me.
Enjoy the practices, and I look forward to hearing about your journey.