Ever since I wrote my 7 Days of Happiness post, I wanted to create my own 30 days of self care challenge! I’ve seen a lot of 30-day challenges on Pinterest and Instagram, and felt inspired by them. These posts are some of my favorites to read, because they’re so uplifting and positive!
One of my personal favorites is a “30 Day Gratitude Challenge“ by Rachel at The Confused Millennial! I recently decided to start the challenge and am currently on Day #5. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to take on a 30-day challenge, but its been beneficial to my mental health.
These last couple of months have been tough for me. Starting in early February, I noticed a pretty big spike in my anxiety levels, especially in terms of my health anxiety. I was also becoming a bit overwhelmed by my blog and social media. It felt like no matter what I did, I wasn’t growing quickly enough (comparison is never a good thing).
While this was occurring, I started neglecting self care and my personal happiness.
This challenge is helping me focus on my wellbeing first, even if it’s through one simple act a day. Today’s activity in Rachel’s challenge was to “think of two challenges you’re grateful for and what positive things you learned.” After thinking about this for a while, I wrote down my thoughts in a journal. It was so nice to get everything down on paper.
Without further ado, here is my version of the 30 Days of Self Care Challenge! I hope that it’s a helpful resource and inspires you to implement daily acts of self care beyond the month. Feel free to complete the challenge out of order or add on to the list! 💛
30 Days of Self Care
Day 1: Start your day with a glass of lemon water.
The first challenge for your 30 days of self care YAY! 💛
Lemon water has a variety of health benefits and is rich in vitamin C! It’s a great beverage, especially for flu season. You can also try adding honey as a natural sweetener!
Day 2: Spend time outdoors.
Take a walk around your neighborhood, sit on your front porch, or drive to the park. The scenery and fresh air will definitely lift your mood!
Day 3: Stargaze with someone you love.
Truly a peaceful moment. You can even use an app like SkyView Lite to help you find stars and constellations! 🌌
Day 4: Make a yummy home-cooked meal.
Nothing beats homemade spaghetti and meatballs! YUM!
Day 5: Follow a Bob Ross tutorial.
I mean, how could you not smile after one of Bob Ross’ tutorials? They’re all so relaxing and adorable! I love his Island in the Wilderness tutorial!
Day 6: Create a playlist featuring relaxing music.
Think of a few of your favorite songs and compile them into one playlist. Here’s a playlist I made back in July called “45 relaxing songs!”
Day 7: Spring clean your home.
I find that making a spring cleaning checklist you can print out is super useful!
Day 8: Unplug for the day.
Instead of scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, focus on being present. Go for a run, play a board game, or have dinner with a friend. It’s good to get a break from technology, every once in a while!
Day 9: Schedule your appointments for the month.
Take 30 minutes to jot down your appointments, whether it’s a meeting, doctor’s appointment, or trip to the salon. Keeping a bullet journal with a to-do list will help so much with organization!
Day 10: Check out a new book at the library.
Goodreads has a fantastic reading challenge on their site! Basically, you input how many books you want to read and they’ll give you recommendations based on your preferences!
Day 11: Go skating at a roller rink near you.
This would be such a cool idea for a night out with friends!
Day 12: Discover a new hobby that makes you happy.
Think of a hobby that you’re interested in, but haven’t gotten a chance to try out yet. Maybe it’s gardening, crocheting, or skateboarding. I’ve been recently learning to play the ukulele and now know a few chords!
Day 13: Listen to an interesting podcast.
Spotify has so many great podcasts. Welcome to Night Vale is one of my favorites, and I’d definitely recommend it! Sounds kind of strange to recommend this podcast in a self care post, but it’s seriously so good. Check it out if you’re interested in mystery and spooky stories!
More info about Welcome to Night Vale, via their website:
“WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a twice-monthly podcast in the style of community updates for the small desert town of Night Vale, featuring local weather, news, announcements from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, mysterious lights in the night sky, dark hooded figures with unknowable powers, and cultural events.
Turn on your radio and hide.”
Day 14: Thank someone.
It’s always good to show appreciation for the people you love! You’ll feel happy seeing them smile! 💛
Day 15: Make your own self care kit.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few resources:
- How to Make a Self Care Kit + 20 Items to Include
- DIY Self Care Kit
- How to Make an Emergency Self Care Kit
Day 16: Watch a few episodes of your favorite sitcom.
I recommend literally every episode of The Office.
Day 17: Go to sleep earlier.
According to National Sleep Foundation, adults generally need about 7-9 hours of sleep. The extra rest will help you feel reenergized in the morning!
Day 18: Plan a road trip with your friends.
Whether it’s across the country or to the next town, it’ll be a fun time! 🚗
Day 19: Start a gratitude jar.
First, decorate a plain mason jar with cute accessories and stickers. Every night, write down something you’re grateful for and place the note in your jar. This is a great way to remember the little things in life that bring you joy!
Day 20: Spend a day at the arcade.
Who doesn’t love a good game of Pacman?
Day 21: Practice one of these mindfulness exercises.
Center yourself by practicing mindfulness. This can mean taking deep breaths for a few minutes, meditating, or even listening to relaxing music. Try out different exercises and see what works for you!
Day 22: Buy yourself flowers at the grocery store.
You deserve to treat yourself! Plus, a vase full of beautiful flowers will bring such positive vibes to any room! 🌻
Day 23: Create a mood board.
Cut out pictures from magazines that inspire you and make a collage! Don’t forget to add plenty of accessories (a trip to Michaels is an absolute must!)
Day 24: Take silly Buzzfeed quizzes.
Because sometimes, you just want to know which iconic sandwich matches your personality!
Day 25: Bake cookies for your next door neighbor.
Chocolate chip cookies all the way, just saying! 🍪
Day 26: Pamper yourself with an at-home spa day.
Unwind after a long day by lighting a candle and applying a face mask!
Here are 20 Essentials for the Perfect At-Home Spa Day!
Day 27: Wake up early and enjoy a slower morning.
In the past, I’ve talked about implementing this as a part of my self care routine. It’s nice to wake up earlier in the morning because it doesn’t feel like you’re racing the clock! Even just waking up 30 minutes earlier will help so much!
Day 28: Send a letter to your family member.
Think of a family member that you love, miss, or don’t get to see that often. Let them know you appreciate them with a handwritten letter! Since many conversations happen through text, they’ll be so delighted to see a letter from you in the mail.
Not even exaggerating, sending a letter is fun. I love picking out a stamp and putting it on the envelope!
Day 29: Watch the sunset.
There’s something incredibly dreamy about watching the sunset! Time seems to stand still and everything feels peaceful in the moment. 🌇
Day 30: Write down at least 3 kind things about yourself.
It’s easy to compare ourselves to what we see on Instagram or Facebook. Sometimes, it feels like we’re not good enough, but this isn’t true at all. We’re all good enough because we are uniquely ourselves. And that’s pretty damn beautiful. Celebrate completing this challenge by showing kindness to yourself! 💓
30 Days of Self Care Checklist
I hope you enjoyed this post, everyone! Have a wonderful rest of your day! x
Have you ever done a “30 days of…” type challenge? If so, what was your experience with the challenge?
Fantastic challenge! Thank you so much for posting!! I love implementing little things like this into my routines!
Hi… This month i decided to stop doing instagram, was also really overwhelmed by social media! So decided to soley focus on my blog. I loooove to stargaze (not properly – I look up ha!), so many shooting stars, stars make me happy. This is a great list. your blog is lovely 😉
Love this! I will try the Challenge. 🙂
Aww, thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the post!! 💛
I love this idea, thank you for sharing x
Thank you so much, Claire!! 💛 x
Such a wonderful list, Nunzia! & so cool how you made a printable checklist. I hope your anxiety levels have lowered. ♡
Thank you so much, Hunida!! 💓I’m glad you liked the list!! I’m feeling less anxious this week, thankfully. Sick with the flu (gotta love this season 🙄), but I’ve been trying to take it easy and rest! I hope you’re having a good week, darling! x
Aww I am so happy you are feeling less anxious but terribly sorry you’ve got the flu. 🙁 I hope you get well soon, Nunzia!!
Your posts are always so calming and motivational, I love this so much! Its also so amazing you can print the list off too!! xxx
Thank you, Chloe!! 💓That seriously means a lot to me! I’ve struggled with anxiety for so long, so it’s awesome to hear that my posts are calming for others to read! It gives me a feeling of purpose when I write these posts. 💛 Also, making printable checklists is honestly a lot of fun–then again, I love making lists in general hehehe!! Hope you’re having a great weekend, dear!! x
I liked your post. I think I need to do some of that . Mom
Awww, thank you, Ma!!! 💛 You definitely should, it’s so important to set aside time for self care! Love you! 💓
Awesome list girl 🙂
Thank you, love!! 💗
I love the idea of this! I’ve got some time off from work coming up in April and I want to use it to relax and take it easy, maybe I’ll do some of these 💛
That’s awesome, Chanelle! 💛I hope that the ideas end up being helpful during your time off! I also recommend checking out other self care/happiness challenges on Pinterest or Instagram–they’re really great for self care inspo! x
These are all such lovely ideas. I especially like the ‘happy little trees’ idea. 🎨
Awww, thank you so much, dear!! Also, that one has to be my personal favorite too, it just makes me smile hehehe!! 💛