A 30 Day Challenge That Will Boost Your Mood

A lot is going on in our world right now. It’s hard not to get caught up in the anxiety that comes from all the news, all the issues we face that can steal our joy, all the uncertainty of the future. If you are struggling to enjoy the beauty that today holds, a 30 Day Challenge might help you appreciate all the good that is still happening around us, while simultaneously forming a new habit that just might improve your life as a whole.

I first heard about the 30 Day Challenge from Matt Cutts’ TED Talk. In the video, Cutts discusses that doing something for 30 days is just the right amount of time to add or subtract a habit from your life. It’s not too long to wear you down if it is something difficult, but it’s not too short an amount of time that it makes no real impact on your lifestyle. Even if you finish the 30 days and decide you don’t want to add it to your regular lifestyle, you have tried something new!

The 30 Day Challenge could be applied to so many different areas of life—from habits at home to relationships to challenges you could do with your kids—here are a few ideas to help you get started picking one for the next 30 days:

(On the easier side) For 30 days, every day…

1. Stretch for 5 minutes when you wake up
2. Take a picture of something you’re grateful for
3. Try a new fruit or veggie
4. Do 3 acts of kindness
5. Take 5 deep, cleansing breaths before you go to sleep
6. Write down 5 things you’re thankful for before bed
7. Make your bed before you leave your room in the morning
8. Send an encouraging text
9. Write down your dreams in a dream journal

(Moderately difficult) For 30 days, every day…

10. Walk/run 10,000 steps
11. Watch a TED talk
12. Read for 20-30 minutes (set a timer!)
13. Pay only with cash
14. Eat breakfast
15. Listen to a podcast
16. Eat lunch outside
17. Listen to a new song/artist
18. Take a 15 minute nap
19. Have a conversation with a stranger
20. Make a list in the morning of your daily tasks
21. Do 10 pushups
22. Spend 5 minutes reading the same piece of Scripture out loud over yourself (Try Psalm 16, Ephesians 2)

(Definitely a challenge!) For 30 days, every day…

23. Give up refined/fake sugars
24. Go vegan/vegetarian
25. Call/video chat a loved one (not text)
26. Cook only at home — don’t go out to eat at all!
27. Try cooking a new recipe
28. Be offline (or as offline as possible!)
29. Collect one thing each day that you will give away/sell at the end of the 30 days
30. Bike to work, bike to run your errands, or bike to a friend’s house

Do you plan to try the 30-Day Challenge? Share this article to let us know what you’re trying for the next 30 days!