Some of you may have seen my posts on social media in March where we did the 30 day mindfulness challenge. I have collated all of those posts and added some extra tips.. For those of you who either didn’t do the challenge at the time or want to do it again – go for it!
The aim of the challenge was to take it back to basics and show that small actions can make a big difference to your mindset. This is a great challenge for beginners to mindfulness.
Day 1 – Get Some Fresh Air
Day 1 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge starts with something really simple, and yet we don’t always do it. Particularly whilst some Countries are in and out of lockdown we can find ourselves indoors for days or weeks at a time with the windows shut. If you can’t get outside then try opening a window and noticing how much fresher the air you’re letting in feels.
Fresh air is good for our body and mind. Fresh air generally contains more oxygen than the air indoors. An increase in oxygen intake can help with energy levels and brain function.
Day 2 – Listen to Songs That Make You Happy
The challenge for day 2 is to listen to songs that make you happy. Notice how different songs make you feel. I noticed recently that some of my favourite songs actually made me feel a bit sad. I love the songs but the emotions they make me feel aren’t happy ones. Have a think about this today and enjoy some songs that you notice really lift your spirits.
Day 3 – Do a Random Act of Kindness
For day 3 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge I encourage you to do something kind for someone else. How does it feel? How did it make them feel? Notice the positive atmosphere it creates. It could be something as simple as spontaneously making your loved one a cup of tea. Small gestures can have a big impact on peoples lives and mindset.
Day 4 – Do Your Favourite Kind of Art
Bring out your creative side for day 4 and do some art or crafts. Try and let go whilst doing it and just allow yourself to create whatever comes to you. It doesn’t have to be of anything in particular, you could just experiment with colours on the paper or do some doodling.
It’s so common to hear people say ‘I’m rubbish at art’, but nobody is rubbish at art. Think about what art means to you. Art to me is a form of expression. Sometimes I have an image in my head of what I want to draw and if the result doesn’t look like I planned it can make me feel frustrated. At other times I have painted whatever came into my head in that moment and have done expressive pieces instead. If you lift that expectation and just allow yourself to draw whatever comes then art can become much more enjoyable. Share your creations with me, I’d love to see them.
“Art – The expression or application of human creative skill or imagination…producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”
Definition of Art from Oxford Languages
Day 5 – Read or Listen to a Book
Todays challenge is to take some time for yourself to enjoy some reading. Until a few years ago the passion that I had for reading as a child had waned, but in the last few years I’ve really got back into it and I now treasure the moments when I get to sit down and read a good book.
Reading is one of the things I do for self care which is such an important element to maintaining good mental health. When I am reading, it is time for just me and I cherish that time. Make that time today to read and notice how much you enjoy it.
Think about what your favourite genre is and if reading that genre makes you feel good. If not, you might want to try out a whole new genre. It’s amazing how if we open our minds there can be so much more out there that we would enjoy than we initially allow ourselves to see.
Day 6 – Reflect on What You Are Grateful For
Day 6 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to think about gratitude. What things in your life are you grateful for? Are there any difficult events that you can perhaps turn into a positive by being grateful for lessons learned?
My son (age 5) and I tell each other what we’re grateful for every night at bed time. It’s lovely to see how his thought process has evolved the more he has done it. Every night to begin with it was ‘I am grateful for Mummy and Daddy’. As his awareness of the world has increased and he is growing up he now tells me he is grateful for a house to keep us warm, the food we have to eat or that Mummy and Daddy work so that he can have nice things.
Gratitude can help you keep a positive mindset and is great for mental health.
Day 7 – Do a Mindful Body Scan
Day 7 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to do a mindful body scan. For those unfamiliar with what this involves, it is focussing on areas of your body, noticing how they feel and focussing on relaxing that part of the body. I work up from my feet. When relaxing the areas of the body bit by bit like this it can have a great overall relaxing impact. I particularly recommend doing this if you are somebody who suffers from muscle tension. I don’t do this as often as I should so today I will make time to do this.
I find it more effective if I follow a guided body scan using YouTube but I’m gradually getting better at doing it by myself. The more you practise it, the easier it becomes. Enjoy today’s relaxing challenge.
Day 8 – Drink Plenty of Water
Day 8 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to stay well hydrated. Studies have shown that even small amounts of dehydration can impact on your mood. Notice how much you are drinking today. Do you normally drink enough? Perhaps set an hourly reminder today to keep your water intake up.
Day 9 – Take Regular Deep Breaths
Day 9 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to take regular deep breaths. Notice your breathing. A lot of people take shallow breaths meaning they are taking in less oxygen than is optimal. Taking fuller breaths has many health benefits.
Day 10 – Write Down Your Thoughts
The challenge for today is to write down your thoughts.
Here is little bit of science for you. The left hemisphere of the brain is analytical and methodical. When you are writing, your brain is using the left hemisphere. Whilst the left hemisphere is busy concentrating on writing, the right hemisphere is free to feel. This is one of the reasons why journaling can be helpful as it enables us to use more brainpower (both the left and right hemisphere) to process what we are feeling.
You can buy a great journal wellbeing bundle from LSW Mind Cards. Please note that if you go on to make a purchase I may receive some commission at no extra cost to you.
Day 11 – Go For a Mindful Walk
Day 11 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to go for a walk. If you are shielding or in lockdown this might not be possible so if you can’t go for a walk, try going out into the garden if you have one.
Whilst on your mindful walk, focus on what is going on around you with your senses. You may begin by noticing the more obvious things, but the more you focus the more you will notice.
Day 12 – Do Some Stretches
Day 12 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to stretch and take notice of how it makes you feel mentally and physically. When you stretch, take some nice deep breaths and breathe into the stretches. It’s amazing how much further you can stretch when your body is relaxed. How tall can you make yourself? Try both sitting with a good posture and standing tall today. Notice any differences to how you normally sit or stand.
Day 13 – Notice The Nature Around You
Day 12 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to notice the nature around you. Notice it and embrace it.
This is one of my favourite things to do. It’s amazing how much more you notice when you stop to pay attention. If you first look at a tree you might notice the leaves and that is it, but then look a bit deeper. You might notice a bug, or a piece of leaf that has been eaten by an insect. Or there might be a bird nesting in the tree or standing on a branch.
There are so many details that we miss when we have busy lives. A brilliant mindfulness activity is to really pay attention to what is around you and process all of those little details.
Day 14 – Write Down Your Daily Goals
Day 14 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to a list of your goals. This could be long term goal or perhaps a ‘to do’ list for the day. For me having a list keeps my mind organised. I can get easily overwhelmed without a plan, probably because I am autistic, but I think everyone can benefit from having a plan. By focusing on one thing at a time and following a plan, you can be much more calm and productive. Try writing down your goals today and see if it helps you.
Day 15 – Repeat Some Positive Affirmations
Repeat some positive affirmations today to increase your confidence and mood. This can help overcome thoughts of self sabotage and leave you feeling more positive about yourself.
Day 16 – Feel Confident in What You Are Doing
Day 16 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to work on your confidence. Yesterday’s positive affirmations challenge may help you with this one. Be accepting and proud of who you are and what you are doing.
Day 17 – Eat a Meal Mindfully
Day 17 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to eat a meal mindfully. This can be a good way to notice when you are full to prevent overeating, but also to get more enjoyment from your food and increased gratitude for the food.
I recently practised mindful eating and lost several pounds from just taking notice of when I was feeling full and also thinking about whether I was actually hungry when I wanted to eat.
Day 18 – Dance Like Nobody is Watching!
Day 18 of the mindfulness challenge is to dance like nobody is watching you. Let go of any inhibitions and just let yourself dance freely. It can feel really liberating.
If you are disabled, just do what you can. It could be moving your arms around if you can’t use your legs well. I’m more of an arm dancer these days! It feels so good to just move to music though regardless of how much you can do.
Day 19 – Make Your Bed
Day 19 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is a simple one. Make your bed today. An organised space can help you achieve a more organised mind.
Day 20 – Have a Mindful Shower
Todays challenge is to have a mindful shower. Imagine the water washing away any negativity and notice how it makes you feel. This is such a simple technique but I find it very effective.
Day 21 – Connect With Family or a Close Friend
The challenge for day 21 is to connect with friends or family mindfully. How does it make you feel to catch up with friends?
I caught up with some friends virtually over the weekend and it made me reflect on how much I had missed that contact through lockdown. I hadn’t really realised, I had just been getting on with that isolated lifestyle. By using mindfulness I’ve realised what I need to change to make me feel more connected and schedule in more catch ups with friends.
Day 22 – Read Something Inspiring
Day 22 of the the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to read something inspiring that makes you feel good. Think about what inspires you and look up some articles about it.
Day 23 – Practice Accepting Emotions
Day 23 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to practise accepting your feelings. Feelings of happiness and excitement can be easy to accept, but when it comes to negative emotions such as anxiety and grief it can be much more difficult. Accepting these emotions can take practise. Try sitting with them, acknowledge to yourself that they are there and then try to let them pass by bringing your attention back to what is around you.
Day 24 – Listen and Notice What You Hear
Day 24 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to listen and notice what you hear. The longer you listen, the more you will probably tune into. We first tend to notice the more prominent noises such as cars. Once you have noticed those more obvious noises, try to pay attention to what other things you can hear. You might find it surprising what you notice that you didn’t to begin with.
Day 25 – Do Some Singing
Todays challenge is to sing and notice how it makes you feel. Singing releases the feel good chemical dopamine so it is great for your mental wellbeing. You could even go one step further and consider joining a choir.
Day 26 – Practise Guided Sleep Meditation
Day 26 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to do a guided sleep meditation. YouTube is a great resource for this if you are new to meditating or prefer guided meditations.
Sleep meditation can help you to let go of the days thoughts and encourage a lower heart rate and slower breathing. This can aid those who suffer with insomnia as it can make it easier to drift off to sleep. It is not just beneficial to insomniacs though. Anybody can benefit from this as it often results in a more satisfying and restful sleep.
Day 27 – Declutter a Room
Day 27 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to declutter a room or space. I am a hoarder so this has been something I have been working on for the last few years. Some people may be able to do this in a day. It all depends where your mind is at and how much ‘stuff’ you have accumulated! Start simply by putting things away. If you want or need to go further then think about what you can get rid of. What do you no longer need? I would suggest leaving sentimental things until last as this can be the most challenging.
Day 28 – Show Someone They Are Appreciated
Day 28 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to someone you appreciate them. This has similar benefits to that of the day in the challenge when we practised gratitude.
Day 29 – Create a Vision Board
Day 29 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge is to create a vision board. Stick or draw pictures of your goals. This is entirely yours and allows you complete freedom of expression on your own board. Think about what you would like to achieve, where you would like to go and any other things you want to put on there.
Day 30 – Take a Break From Technology
Day 30 of the 30 day mindfulness challenge. You’ve made it to the final day – well done! Try to replace some of your screen time today with something that makes you feel more present.
You made it!
Thank you for joining me for the daily challenges. I hope they have helped highlight how small changes can make a big difference to your mindset. For the easy to follow poster guide, visit the free printables area by clicking here.
Leave me a comment if you would like to share your experiences.
If you are interested in more ways to incorporate mindfulness into your life, you can click here for more of my blog posts. I hope you find them helpful.
Pingback: Top 10 Mindfulness Questions -
Pingback: The 7 Day Decluttering Challenge -
Pingback: How to Improve your Physical Wellbeing with Yoga -