Looking to improve your quality of life in 30 days? Here’s a round up of the most inspiring 30 day challenge ideas to create a better life.
Feeling a little stuck in life? Like you’re going in an entirely different direction than you actually planned? The never ending cycle of trying to turn your life around but always seeming to end up back at square one?
It’s okay, we’ve all been there!
But here’s the good news, this list of 30 day challenge ideas will help get you out of the rut and allow you to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
From your mind to your body, home to your finances and everything in between, there’s a challenge dedicated to all your needs.
FYI, this list of challenges won’t completely transform your life in 30 days, but it’s a stepping stone in the right direction to help you create the life you want!
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What is a 30 day challenge?
A 30 day challenge is essentially a challenge a day – that is, doing a task or a few tasks each day consecutively for 30 days.
The concept is pretty straightforward and the idea is to eventually implement these (new) habits into your routine beyond the 30 days.
A 30 days challenge is the perfect way to inspire you to live more, do more and be more!Â
Why do a 30 days challenge
Simply put, 30 days is a good amount of time to work on any area of your life. It’s short enough to make the habit stick and long enough to challenge yourself daily without feeling wiped out – the perfect balance!
I always say, depending on the goal, if after 30 days you don’t feel a change or feel like its helping or has the potential to, than hey, atleast you gave it your best shot!
How to do a 30 day challenge?
Choose a month challenge idea you want to aim for than build and work on it every day.
Make sure to pick something that’s realistic and practical to your goals and lifestyle. That way it’ll be easier to carry it on once the challenge is finished.
With that said, you can definitely select a short term challenge to do for 30 days only. So long as it serves a good purpose or helps you to improve on yourself, than add it to the list.
And speaking of lists, let’s get to it with these amazing 30 days challenge ideas!
List of 35 inspiring 30 day challenge ideas for a better life
Select the challenges that resonate with you, create an action plan and stick to them as best as possible. Let the challenges commence!
30 day health challenge ideas
1. Drink more water
You know drinking water is good for you and you want to add it to your daily routine, but the reality is much harder to swallow (no pun intended!)
So as lovely as it is to drink your 2 litres of water a day, if you struggle, take baby steps and build yourself up to that stage.
As water is so essential, this is definitely a habit to maintain going forwards. That’s why I recommend following these simple steps to help you drink more water every single day.
2. Go for daily walks
Make it your mission to take a walk every day. Be it morning, evening, come rain or shine, fit it in to your daily schedule.
You might have a goal to walk a few miles, walk for half an hour or get in 10,000 steps a day. You choose the pace you want to go with this 30 day challenge so it doesn’t feel like such a burden to get it done.
Top tip: I love wearing a step counter watch and highly recommend you invest in one too. It’s the perfect little companion to track your steps and challenge yourself to go the extra steps!
3. Eat healthier
Having a variety of wholesome foods in your diet is the number one way to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Perhaps you want to cut back on sugar or eat more fresh fruits and veggies. Whatever the case is, find a balance with the food you eat and how you eat it.
You don’t want to make any drastic changes just to end up doing a U-turn!
Here are some effective changes to try:
• fill half your plate with salad
• take a spoon or two less sugar in your tea than you usually do
• opt for dark cholate
• find a healthier version of your favourite dish
• keep a food diary to track everything!
4. Do daily stretch exercises
Feel like your joints are giving way and your body strains from doing day to day tasks? It’s time to think about stretch exercises. And if you’re not one to do heavy workouts and need a gentle form of exercise, a 30 day stretch challenge is just right for you.
And yes, contrary to popular belief, stretching is not just a pre-workout step but it’s an exercise in its own right!
You may want to do it in the morning to wake up your muscles or in the evening to relax them. Either way it’ll help loosen your muscles, get your blood flowing and increase flexibility.
5. Do a fitness challenge
A 30 day fitness challenge is a great way to kick start your healthy journey. Be it for weight-loss, toning or even for stamina, look for a workout challenge or exercises that target your fitness goals to really get the most out of the 30 days.
If you already workout religiously, you may want to challenge yourself to ramp it up and do more of your existing routine.
6. Take daily supplements
If you struggle to get certain vitamins and minerals into your diet, it might be worth doing a supplement challenge.
To be honest, the real challenge here is just remembering to take them. So add it to your to-do list, set a reminder on your phone or get a nifty pill compartment box and put it somewhere you’ll easily see daily.
credit:Â @Ambitiouskitchen
7. Drink a smoothie a day
A 30 day smoothie challenge is just what the doctor ordered! They’re delicious, healthy and the perfect way to sneak in your 5 a day.
Top tips:
• Drink a smoothie every morning to get a healthy kick first thing.
• Add a variety of ingredients to them – fruits, veggies, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, honey, super food powders and yogurts to name a few.
• Use a high powered blender to extract all the nutrients.
8. Get enough sleep
Did you know you can survive longer without food than sleep? Crazy right?!Â
Sleep is an essential part of your life and if you’re having trouble getting enough of it or have an unpredictable sleeping pattern, get it under control for the next 30 days.
It could be that you need to sleep earlier or need a sleep gadget to improve the quality of your sleep.
Whatever the case may be, getting a sufficient amount of sleep will drastically improve your overall well-being and you’ll feel good throughout the day!
9. Do a self-care challenge
We tend to neglect our needs a little too often and if that sounds like you, a 30 day self-care challenge is exactly what you need to focus on and look after yourself.
Do something every day for yourself, no matter what it is. How you create your self-care challenge is entirely up to you – if it’s giving you the tender loving care you deserve, it’s worth doing.
Check out these uplifting self-care ideas if you need a place to start or these me time ideas to get the ball rolling!
10. Create a morning routine
Mornings can be a bit of a nightmare and if you find yourself running around like a headless chicken, think about creating a morning routine for a month.
Having a plan of action every morning will help increase productivity, centre you and allow you to tackle the day ahead!
11. Commit to an evening routine
An evening routine is the ultimate way to induce relaxation and ease yourself into sleep mode. You can even add a few things from this 30 day challenge ideas list to your routine.
Create a personalised routine that’s ideal for you, do it every evening and note how you feel. By the end of the 30 days you may even find these habits have become a natural part of your evening!
12. Target an area that needs improving
If there’s an area of your body or health that needs improvement, work on it for 30 days.
For example, if you suffer from brittle nails, research products and practical solutions for it and create a daily routine for it.
30 days is a great amount of time to start seeing noticeable changes, but remember, when it comes to body changes, it might not be enough time to solve the issue completely, so make sure to keep going with it.
13. Have more cooked meals
If you’re one for eating out or ordering takeaways often, try embracing home meals for the next 30 days. The food will taste fresher and you’ll know exactly what goes into each meal.
And don’t worry if you’re not much of a cook, a quick internet search will pull up millions of step by step recipes to help you out!
14. Stick to a skincare routine
A skin cycle (new skin cells reaching the surface) takes around 28 days to complete, so a 30 day skincare challenge is perfect if you have any nagging skin concerns.
Make sure to follow it religiously so you can see what’s working and what isn’t. And, regardless of your skin type, make sure to follow these basic skincare practices for healthier glowing skin.
And for extra bonus points, you might want to add these drinks for an extra glow!
30 day challenge ideas for personal development, mental health and happiness
15. Keep a journal
A 30 day journal challenge is a great way to improve your mental health and express your thoughts and feelings.
How you journal is up to you – for daily reflection, gratitude, brain dumping or even as a creative outlet.
Take a look at this how to journal guide full of tips and everything you need to start a fulfilling journal journey today. These inspiring prompts wouldn’t go amiss either!
16. Less screen time
The 21st century has given us such easy access to electronic devices that it’s become difficult to tear ourselves away from them!
From endless scrolling on ours phones to hours ticking by infront of the telly, it’s just a little much. So if you’re in need of a little less screen time, try 30 days of less screen time to reconnect with yourself and surroundings again.
Evaluate your screen time and make necessary changes.
Perhaps set yourself a time limit, do a social media detox, go a day without screens or set yourself a ‘no screens before bed’ 30 day challenge.
This is no easy challenge but in this modern day in age, it’s a must!
17. Spend time in nature
If you’ve neglected nature and it’s beauty for too long, try a 30 days challenge where you spend time in nature every day to reconnect with it and improve your mental health.
It’ll help you appreciate and find joy in all the little things in life!Â
18. Connect more with loved ones
Life gets so busy sometimes that we tend to unintentionally neglect our loved ones. If this sounds like you, try calling or visiting a loved one every day for the next 30 days. It’s mental and social self-care at it’s finest!
19. Do a reading challenge
Is it’s been a while since you’ve opened a book, a 30 day reading challenge is just the thing for you!
Get out that book that’s been gathering dust on your shelf or pop over to the library or bookstore. Than set yourself a target of reading for a certain amount of time or a number of pages a day.
Whether it’s for fun, relaxation, inspiration or purely educational, this challenge is a great way to stimulate your mind.
20. Keep a daily planner
Are you all over the place and in need of a little organisation in your life? You should try a planner!
If you’re new to it, buy yourself a pretty planner (whether paper or digital) and use it daily for the next 30 days. By the end of it, you’ll be asking yourself how you managed to stay on top of everything without it!
21. Kick a bad habit to the curb
This one’s a test of true willpower but if you have a bad habit you’d like to quit, a 30 day challenge could really help you see some positive changes.
Whatever your bad habit is, you can set yourself a challenge to kick it to the curb from day one or use the 30 days to slowly reduce it.
22. Stop complaining
We all complain, it’s human nature, but it doesn’t solve anything and just spreads more negativity. Take a break from the moaning for 30 days and note the impact it has on your state of mind and peace.
23. Do acts of kindness
A 30 day kindness challenge is both fulfilling and inspiring! Each day do a simple act of kindness for someone, even if it’s a stranger.
It can be as simple as a smile or compliment up to paying for someone’s coffee. There are so many ways to sprinkle a little kindness and brighten someone’s day!
24. Get into meditation
Meditating isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve been wanting to explore it for a while, try a 30 day meditation challenge.
You can download an app like Headspace or watch some videos on Youtube.
Once the challenge is over you can decide whether it appeals to you or not. Atleast that way you won’t be sitting around with ‘what-ifs’ nagging at the back of your mind.
25. Learn a new language
I’ll be the first to applaud you if you’re able to completely learn a new language in 30 days, but let’s be real here! The reality isn’t that simple.
However, 30 days of daily commitment can help you familiarise yourself and get you up to speed on the basics.
And here is the perfect language learning guide if you’re looking for an easy way to learn a new language quickly. However, if you want to skip the guide, I highly recommend this super fun language app to get you started!
26. Get closer to your goals daily
Have a goal you keep delaying? Try a 30 day challenge where you fully dedicate yourself to it every single day.
Perhaps you’ve been meaning to start a blog, business or side hustle but don’t know where to start. For the next 30 days research, brainstorm, learn and prepare.
Whatever your goal is, every step you take will help you creep closer to it!
30 day challenge ideas for your home
27. Make your bed every morning
It may sound like a trivial challenge, but this simple 5 minute step every morning will kick start your day and boost productivity!
Try it for the next 30 days and you’ll find it will naturally stick throughout your life.
28. Declutter and tidy up regularly
As they say – a cluttered home is a cluttered mind. So try do a 30 day decluttering challenge to keep your home tidy and stress free.
You can challenge yourself to clear a room or area out every day. It can be a closet, kitchen cupboard, work desk, under your bed etc etc.
Or perhaps just set yourself a mission to simply pick up after yourself and stay on top of the cleaning daily.
29. Scent your space
It may not be a challenge as per say but you’d be surprised at how nose blind we get to our homes!
The same can’t be said for other people walking into your home though, so do a 30 day challenge to scent it daily just to be on the “safe side”.
It will leave your home smelling good regardless, lift your mood and get the compliments rolling in!
Check out these amazing tips to get your home smelling like a dream all the time!
30. Grow and nurture fresh house plants
House plants are such a treat for your mood and overall wellbeing and your home will thrive under them!
If you’re still yet to experience the joys of house plants, try a 30 day challenge dedicated to it.
Here’s a list of the best house plants to keep. Have a look at what plants you’d like and research the best tips to grow and take care of them.
31. Tackle your home "to-do" list
If there are things that need doing around the house that you’ve left on the back burner, make this month the month you get them all done.
Sit down, make a list of everything and tick off something from it every day for the next 30 days.
It might be repairing something, clearing something away, replacing something or even redecorating your space.
Once the month is done, you’ll feel so much better around your home!
30 day finance challenge ideas
32. Cut back on your spending
Try tracking your finances for a month to identify any bad spending habits.
Whether it’s your grocery shopping, general shopping or too many takeaways, you might find you’re spending far too much on unnecessary stuff.
Here are a couple of spending tricks that work wonders!
• Plan your meals on a weekly basis. Write out all the ingredients you need and do your grocery shopping around them only.
• Always keep receipts and leave tags on items you buy for the duration of the returns policy. Sometimes after a week of them sitting around your closet untouched, you might find you don’t actually want them!
33. Try a "no-spend" challenge
A 30 day no-spend challenge is the perfect way to test your level of control. Simply make the decision to buy absolutely nothing that’s not necessary all month.
The sense of achievement you’ll feel after the 30 days will give you the motivation to pull back your spending habits every so often.
34. Create a budget and stick to it
A 30 day budget challenge will allow you to discipline your spending. Once you’ve designated all your money for the month, you’ll be able to see what and where you can cut and chop.
And it doesn’t have to be so complicated!
• Simply calculate your monthly income.
• Make a list of bills and other necessary expenditures.
• Add those up and take it away from your income.
• Allocate some of the money to your savings and any repayments.
• Leave the rest for food and fun!
This budget and expenses planner is perfect to get you on the right track (and stay there!)
35. Save and save some more!
A 30 say saving challenge may be difficult but it’s worth every penny (no pun intended!)
Try save a pound (or your equivalent currency) on the first day, and keep adding another pound every day for the whole month.
That is, day 1 = ÂŁ1, day 2 = ÂŁ2, day 3 = ÂŁ3 and so on. By the end of the challenge you’ll have saved a few hundreds!
I also like to save the money from any temptations I avoided. So if I wanted to order a takeaway and didn’t, I see how much it would have cost me and add it to a savings jar.
It’s a pretty cool way of visually seeing how much I’ve saved from not buying unnecessary stuff. Ohh and it makes me super proud of myself too!
Final thoughts on ideas for a 30 day challenge
I hope this list of 30 day challenge ideas has given you a little nudge and inspiration to improve your life. They’re the perfect way to motivate you and discipline yourself in the face of temptation.
Pick from these 30 day challenges and do these challenges for 30 days to start transforming your life today.
Leave a comment with your thoughts and which challenge tickles your fancies.
Here’s to the next month and hoping you come out the other end feeling renewed and inspired!
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What an awesome and inspiring blog post. I love the challenges even though I am guilty as charge not doing most of them . Very inspiring so much so that I have bookmarked it for future reference. I swear I will be going back to my daily nutritious morning smoothie. Thanks for an excellent article. Love it.
Hi Christiline! Glad you found this post useful. Here’s to hoping you get as many of these challenges done (especially your smoothie journey!) 🙂 x