Are you also guilty of taking your mental health for granted? Most of us are, I was guilty of doing this too and sometimes I still do.
It’s so easy to ignore and take our mental health for granted and just continue living every day on autopilot without taking the time to slow down, pause and ask ourselves if we’re still okay.
I did this for a long time and let me tell you, living a life like that was exhausting and debilitating. I was so unhappy.
That experience made me realize just how vital our mental health is and how much it affects our lives.
And that’s why I created this 30-Day Mental Health Challenge to help us start improving our mental health and increase our self-love, happiness, and overall confidence.
Stop taking your mental health for granted and learn how to start improving it. Scroll down below and take the 30-Day Mental Health Challenge to help you be healthier and happier in 30 days.
DAY 1
Meditate – Meditation has been absolutely amazing for my mental health. I was also skeptical about it at first, but after trying it out, I realized how helpful it is to take this time for myself, tune in to my thoughts and emotions and just breathe. So, try this, meditate for 30 minutes today, you can either do a silent meditation or a guided one – there are a lot of guided meditations available online.
DAY 2
Practice Gratitude
A grateful heart is a happy heart. Being constantly grateful and learning to be grateful even in difficult times will not only drastically improve your mental health but will also improve your physical health. Try this today, before going to sleep, list down 10 things you’re grateful for.
DAY 3
Practice saying no
Most of us are guilty of saying yes to so many things that we don’t want just to please other people. Remember, you are allowed to say no. Saying no is not a bad thing. Putting your needs and well-being first is not selfish. So, today, we will practice doing this. Today, say no to things you normally say yes to but don’t really want to and you’ll be surprised how empowering it feels.
Day 4
Spend some time outside – do this for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Once you’re outside, focus your attention on the things you’re seeing and the things you’re hearing – (yes that means, no checking of your phone). Take this time to be mindful of the things that are around you.
Day 5
Spend some time with your friends – it’s so easy to isolate ourselves and think that staying home is the best thing to do. This may be right in some cases but constantly doing this and allowing ourselves to withdraw from other people’s company can also take a toll on our mental health. Today, call your closest friend, hang out with them and just enjoy the company of the people that you love.
Day 6
Clean and declutter – a cluttered space often makes our anxiety so much worse. So, today, clean and organize at least one room in your house.
Day 7
Start your day with positive affirmations – doing this will help you set the right tone for the day! You can try saying things like, Today, I let go of the things I cannot control and focus all my energy on the things that I can. I am worthy of love, happiness, and forgiveness.
Day 8
Practice self-care – it doesn’t have to be something expensive. Treat this as your day, do something that will make you feel happy and at peace. It could be reading a book, taking a long bath, or even just watching your favorite film.
Day 9
Take a social media detox – most of us are guilty of focusing all our attention on social media – so today, take a break from using any social media for at least 24 hours and take note of what you feel after.
Day 10
Practice a hobby – choose one of your favorite hobbies that brings you joy and spend time practicing it today.
Day 11
Watch something that will make you laugh – it could be an episode of your favorite tv show or a favorite movie.
Day 12
Exercise – you don’t have to go to the gym. A simple walk or jog will do.
Day 13
Don’t complain for the whole day – complaining can often lead us to focus only on the things that are going wrong and doing this will only keep us unhappy and stressed.
Day 14
Get up early and watch the sunrise – you’ll be surprised by how amazing this feels.
Day 15
Give yourself a genuine compliment – before going to bed, list 10 things you love about yourself.
Day 16
Eat a healthy meal and drink at least 8 glasses of water.
Day 17
Congratulate yourself – before ending your day, list 5 things that you have accomplished today. It doesn’t matter how small it may seem – you deserve to be celebrated.
Day 18
Do something for yourself without feeling any guilt after – treat yourself or take a break, do something that you love without feeling any guilt.
Day 19
Donate anything that no longer serves you and that you no longer need.
Day 20
Unplug – At least an hour before bedtime, go screen-free. Use this time to journal, read a book and check in with how you’re feeling.
Day 21
Do something nice for someone that you love today.
Day 22
Don’t be afraid to ask for help – most of us are guilty of being afraid or ashamed of asking for help. But doing this is not a bad thing. It doesn’t make you a lesser person, if you feel overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Remember that no one can do it alone.
Day 23
Journal – Journaling is a great tool in helping you achieve self-discovery and in connecting with yourself on a deeper level. Journaling is also very therapeutic. Here are some journal prompts for your mental health to help you get started.
Day 24
Sing along to your favorite song! Bonus points if you dance along with it too.
Day 25
If possible, get outside and watch the sunset.
Day 26
Give someone that you love a long and cozy hug – and tell them how grateful you are to have them in your life.
Day 27
Do one thing that pushes you out of your comfort zone – I find that one of the best ways to fight anxiety, is by taking action and face the thing that scares you, in that way, you will see that they aren’t as scary as you thought it would be.
Day 28
Cook your favorite dish – even if you don’t know how to cook, take this as an opportunity to learn something new.
Day 29
Put yourself first – it’s so easy to take our needs for granted and live our lives pleasing other people. Today is your day, put your needs first, listen to what you want and remind yourself that you also deserve to come first.
Day 30
Reflect on what you’ve learned this month. Did this challenge help you? How? Are you going to continue doing some of the challenges here next month?