AD | As we head into better weather and, hopefully, more freedom, it’s going to be hard not to get caught up in the whirlwind of adapting our daily routines. And it will be more important than ever to look after ourselves and practise some self care. One of the best ways I’ve found to do this is to implement a 30 day self love challenge from time to time. Although, finding something that’s both appealing and workable can be a challenge in itself… So, today I’m sharing some 30 day self care challenge ideas that only take 30 minutes or less every day. Because finding 30 minutes every day to spend time on yourself doesn’t sound too hard, does it?
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30 day self care challenge ideas
I should point out that these 30 day challenge ideas are ones that appeal to me. My form of speedy self care won’t be the same as yours, but they may give you a few pointers as any self care ideas should start with what makes you feel good.
For me that could range from fresh flowers for my home, burning my favourite scented candles, treating myself to some beautiful birthstone stud earrings, having a social media declutter or detox, getting outside to spend time in nature, cuddling our cats, baking a cake, walking barefoot on the grass, growing our own food, learning something new, looking after my mental health and physical health (when was the last time you visited the dentist, for example), finding new sleeping habits that work. Do you see where I’m going with this? It’s about choosing ideas that work for YOU and your life. Anyway, here are some of my favourites.
30 minute challenge for the day
Day 1 – start a gratitude journal to remind you of every little thing that makes you happy.
Day 2 – go outside and reconnect with nature: either in your garden, in a park, or just by leaning (safely!) out of your window.
Day 3 – walk barefoot on the grass: not only a great way of (quite literally) grounding yourself but it also feels soooooo good.
Day 4 – declutter your dressing table: get rid of all those bits of fluff, paper, and dusty fairy lights around the mirror (just me? OK then…)
Day 5 – make your favourite fresh and delicious smoothie, ideally with a spoonful of superfood powder to really boost both the mental and physical benefits.
Day 6 – read a new author: one of the joys of my Book Group is having to read books I’d never normally pick up. It’s amazing what you learn in only a few chapters a day.
Day 7 – dance to 5 favourite songs without stopping: aka a mini-workout to get those endorphins going.
Day 8 – file and paint your toenails: because pretty feet always make me feel more put together.
Day 9 – pamper yourself with a DIY facial: time to make use of all those sheet masks in the drawer…
Day 10 – start an indoor tea garden: because herbs are nature’s medicine chest and they are SO easy to grow, even indoors.
Day 11 – burn some scented candles: the White Company candles always do it for me.
Day 12 – buy or pick some fresh flowers for your home: don’t underestimate the simple joy and power of bringing some colour and life into your living space. And if you’d like flowers in your home on a regular basis, why not make life easy by subscribing to a flower delivery service? Particularly convenient for special occasions.
Day 13 – make your own fruit-infused water: because tap water can taste quite boring sometimes, can’t it?
Day 14 – treat yourself to breakfast in bed: bonus points if someone else treats you 🙂
Day 15 – try a new hobby: knitting, gardening, creative writing, jam making, sewing, stain glass painting, decopatch, the list is endless!
Day 16 – draw up your travel bucket list for when we can travel safely again. Where would you really love to go?
Day 17 – take self-care lessons from others: you only have to look on Pinterest or Google to find a cornucopia of fab ideas that have worked for other practitioners.
Day 18 – learn to meditate: it might sound a bit woo-woo but lots of people I love and respect swear by it.
Day 19 – listen to your favourite podcaster(s): perhaps while you’re waiting for your toenails to dry?
Day 20 – indulge yourself with some new skincare: as the seasons change, so does our skins’ needs.
Day 21 – learn a new skill: why not check out a distance learning course for some inspiration?
Day 22 – have a social media declutter: clear out some of those inactive accounts that you never interact with and find some new inspiring, accounts to love.
Day 23 – bake some beer bread: so easy, you only need three ingredients and it can be vegan too.
Day 24 – treat your hair to a conditioning mask: because why should your skin get all the love?
Day 25 – write down 5 things you like about yourself: it’s time to appreciate your achievements and be proud of what makes you, YOU.
Day 26 – cuddle a loved one or a pet: although pets are obviously loved ones too, but you know what I mean 🙂
Day 27 – practise some Pilates or yoga: it’s surprising how much gentle stretching (you don’t need to go in hard) can unlock both body and mind.
Day 28 – grow your own edible flowers: you can do this indoors too – easy, pretty, and delicious, what’s not to love?
Day 29 – sort out your make up drawer: get rid of all those dried up mascaras, eye liners, and lipsticks you no longer wear, and are hazardous to skin health. Then treat yourself to some new shades!
Day 30 – smile at everyone: you made it to 30 days so why not? Smiling at strangers may feel scary but you’ll give them a boost and when they smile back, it spreads the self love.
Phew! If you’d like a handy visual reminder, I’ve put together my list of 30 days of self care challenge ideas in 30 minutes or less below (please feel free to pin them). Or you can download a free 30 day self care challenge printable PDF here instead if that’s easier.
30 days of self care calendar
Do 30 day challenges work?
Now, this is a moot point. If you’re starting a one month challenge because you feel you have to, then no, it most probably won’t work. I mean, you might have an epiphany, but I very much doubt it. So, if a full 30 days seems like a lot to tackle, then why not break it down? Start with a 7 day self-care challenge and see how it goes. Then, if you find it’s doable and you’re feeling the benefits, extend for a further 7 days. The point is, it’s about YOUR self care and what kind of self care calendar is going to work for you. Not anyone else. You are in control and the only person you need to answer to is YOU.
30 day self care challenge – is the time right for you?
As I said at the beginning of this post, I think now is actually the perfect time to look after ourselves and practise some self care. If the past year has taught me anything, it’s about finding the joy where I can, learning to appreciate the small things, and carving out time for myself. Even if that’s only 30 minutes a day, because done is better than perfect. Although I’m very much not saying that these 30 day self care challenge ideas are things you have to tick off one by one. It’s about finding some balance and accepting that we all need some TLC and nurture. Self care isn’t selfish and I think, hard as it can be, putting yourself first for a few minutes every day is probably one of the greatest challenges of all.
And now, over to you – are you ready to say, “Challenge Accepted” yet? If so, which of my favourite self care activities will make it onto your 30 day self love challenge? And what are your must haves for any one month challenge of self care?
* This is a sponsored post and also contains affiliate links, please see my Disclaimer for more details.
This is a fantastic list! Indoor tea garden sounds interesting!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you so much – and yes, you should give one a go 🙂
These are such amazing ideas. I’ve been quite busy recently and totally neglected my self-care routine. I might hop on this 30-day self-care challenge.
Antonia || Sweet Passions
Excellent, I hope you find the challenge fun and effective!
What a great idea! I love that they’re all achievable and quite a few inexpensive too. This is a great reminder to make some time for self-care, thanks for sharing 🙂
Anika
Thank you, Anika. I find 30 minutes is manageable for me, so hopefully for others too 🙂
So many excellent ideas 🙂
I feel like I should probably give this a go. A year trapped inside has kinda drained me, and I keep forgetting to take more than basic care of myself. I feel like this would be an excellent way to kick start that (and I want to buy myself some flowers).
Cora | https://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
It’s been SUCH a long 12 months, hasn’t it? Hopefully a few of these ideas will be helpful to everyone – we all deserve fresh flowers!
This is such a great self-care challenge! Just saved it to get back to it, there are so many things I want to try, like picking up a new hobby or learn something new. Nothing is better than going barefoot in the grass and fresh flowers, can’t wait to get a bunch of peonies! Thank you for sharing x
Ah, thank you so much – and I’m glad you love the nature-inspired challenges as much as I do! x
This post is going to become my bible – I just know it. I was actually talking to my mum this weekend about feeling the grass below your toes. It’s like you read my mind!
Rosie
Oh wow, that’s so spooky, haha, I’m so glad you’re a barefoot grass lover too though!
I love these self-care suggestion- I might have to give this challenge a go! This is such a good idea to get people thinking about the little ways they can improve their physical and mental wellbeing, and I really enjoyed this post x
Thank you, Eleanor – that’s what I was aiming for, small steps that aren’t too hard or time consuming – I’m so glad you enjoyed the post x
I love all your ideas. I’ve been making beer bread (vegan) and it is delicious. Guinness or blonde beer, both work just as great.
I planted some edible flowers too and I’m waiting for them to grow. I love adding flowers to salads. Of course, I should try a few more things from your list. xx
Thank you, Anca! The first time I tried making beer bread I couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was – and yes, you should try an indoor tea garden next 🙂 xx
These are such great ideas for self care. I’m feeling inspired to do my own 30 day self care challenge and see how it affects my mood, happiness and mental wellbeing.
Thank you so much, that’s great to hear – good luck with your 30 day self love challenge!
Nice ideas, Lisa. I can’t manage a gratitude journal but I’ve been spring cleaning and it does feel satisfying! I plan to look into edible flowers. and keep meditating. Thanks so much.
–Sue
http://www.susanberkkoch.com/blog
Urgh, there’s no way I can regard spring cleaning as self-care – plus it takes MUCH longer than 30 minutes!!!
Amazing post! Thank you for sharing this! I love the idea and I’m going to try and do as many of these activities as I can in the next 30 ideas! I like how you’ve made these self care activities simple and quick but they really make a difference.
Thank you so much, that’s so good to hear – good luck, I hope you find they work as well for you as they do me!
I love this idea! It’s so original and sounds like it’ll be really good for your mental health! I’m really tempted to give it a go next month!
Oh that’s great to hear – I hope you do give it a go, good luck!
I love the positivity and sense of well being I got from reading your post! I love all the ideas and may give them several of them a try. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Jodie, good luck if you do, I’m glad this post was helpful!
I think gratitude journals are amazing, I think they make the world of difference!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan</a
Yes, they do, so simple but so effective 🙂
I love the idea of this challenge and splitting self-care into 30 mins. Sometimes it is just the smaller things, isn’t it?
Thank you for all your suggestions, I will be taking some of these ideas!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
Thank you, Aimsy, I’m so glad you like some of my ideas – I hope they work for you as well as me! x
I love this self care challenge! Gratitude journals are the best aren’t they?! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Oh yes, they really are! x
Fab list, tea in the garden sounds great 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing
https://uncuaderno4cero.wordpress.com/
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
I love this post! Self-care is so important and I love the idea of a different activity every day x
Thank you, Della, I couldn’t agree more! x
Loving your easily saved calendar image and plethora of helpful links. Candles and tea especially make a day for me. In the glorious spring weather just being outside also lifts my mood, but I love the idea of painting my toenails. That little splash of color makes all the difference.
Thanks for sharing! <3
Thank you, Jaya 🙂 And I’m glad you agree about painting our toenails, especially with a lick of bright colour!
I love the idea of a 30 day self-care challenge and your ideas are brilliant! My favourite is cuddling with a loved one or pet. I love cuddling! Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea!
Ah, thank you, Tiffany – yes, cuddles with loved ones (human or animal) are the best!
I absolutely love this challenge, I love discovering new authors, trying a new skill, cooking. These are all fun things to do and good for self care. You have got great ideas there! Your ideas do not require spending a lot which is amazing. I love your list, and I love this challenge. I love the photo that you made because I am more visual and would prefer to have that photo as a reminder to practice self care everyday. This is a very great post, I totally enjoyed reading this.
Inna | https://thedaiilysunlight.blogspot.com
Wow, thank you so much for this feedback, that’s so good to hear! I did try to incorporate some more budget friendly options and I hoped the visual would be useful too, so that’s great to hear how helpful you found the post 🙂
I totally love the idea. It is more like a reminder for me. So pure and positive! You are a gem. Thanks for sharing these self-care tips. It is helping me in so many ways!
Love~ Mariann Yip
Thank you so much, Mariann, that’s very kind 🙂
I love this idea of a 30 day focus on self care! Self care is so important. A couple must haves for me for self care are taking time out for a cup of tea and a book and also spending time by the ocean. 🙂
I so wish I lived closer to the sea, it’s such a restorative place to be!
Excellent ideas Lisa! Small pockets of self care throughout the day are so important and can be SO beneficial! So these ideas are perfect for that which don’t eat in to your working day but also give you that little boost 🙂 x
Thank you, Jenny – I tried hard to think of things that don’t take up too much time, so I’m really pleased that it’s paid off! xx
These are such great ideas! I’ll definitely come back here when I need a little bit of self care
Thank you very much, I’m glad they were helpful.
What a great list! I will certainly be trying out a few of your suggestions and I love the challenge calendar to remind you of little things to do every day! Thank you for sharing. It is so important to take a but if time for ourselves, especially with life (hopefully) on the way back to busy normality!
Thank you, Bex, I’m very happy you enjoyed the post – I hope you find the calendar useful too!
These are some great suggestions! I especially like the idea of growing my own tea. Our kitchen has a lovely sunny windowsill, so I’ve been growing our own herbs there, but tea would make a great little addition!
As you’ve said, small pockets of self care here and there can do wonders for us – and now is the time to do it! I think I’m going to take up the challenge over a 7 day period, and work from there 🙂
Em x
I think that’s a great idea – try it for 7 days and see how you go. And yes, do try some tea, maybe something you’d use in cooking as well? Like lemon balm or mint? Good luck, Em! x
Wow, I love this idea! I’ve seen other bloggers do this and I bow down to their commitment. I’m actually thinking of doing this as well, customizing some of the ideas and blog about it I don’t know. Awesome idea, Lisa! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Monique, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the post, I hope you get on well with the challenge if you do go ahead 🙂
This is one of the best self-care articles I’ve seen recently! I just pinned the challenge so I can begin on it ASAP. I’ve needed to incorporate some of these things into my life lately. I so appreciate you sharing all the excellent suggestions!
Oh my goodness, Stephanie, thank you so much, that’s really kind. Good luck with the challenge – I hope all the suggestions work well for you!
This is a great challenge to look after yourself and show self care in some small ways. These are some great suggestions that can be helpful for even the busiest of people.
Lauren
Thank you, Lauren, that means a lot coming from you x
Oh wow…….this challenge sounds awesome. Maybe I should try it too. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Fadima, good luck if you do!
This is great. I definitely need it.
Good luck if you try it 🙂
I love this idea Lisa! I have saved the image and sent it to myself so I can print it off when I am back in work!
I love a good challenge and I like the idea of a printable which will make me stick to it. Thank you so much for putting together and sharing x
You’re welcome, Claire, I do hope it’s useful – I like printing hard copies so I have something to physically tick off too! x
Some lovely ideas here! I could definitely do more self care – I’m so bad for not doing it! I will be downloading the printable PDF, thanks so much!
That’s great, I’m so pleased, good luck if you try the challenge!
Awesome and lovely ideas to do something for yourself and feel the fresh
energy, thanks for sharing..
Thank you, you’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the post.
Challenge accepted! Love this list. Sheet masks and a new skincare routine is always on my list. Yes to walking barefoot on the grass, dancing, fresh flowers, cuddles, and smiling:)
Yay, that’s brilliant! Good luck, I hope you’ll blog about how you get on!
What a great idea for those that need more me-time in the day, and I like how you made the image too so it can be easily crossed off as you go! 🙂 A really fun challenge!
Hope that you are having a nice week so far.
Thank you, Mica, and yes, I find if I have to physically cross something off then I’m much more likely to do it!
This is an amazing list, Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing. Reading a good book or baking makes me feel so much better! I didn’t know that some of these counted as self-care, like picking fresh flowers, and I’ll definitely will be trying them.
Loren | plaidandsugar.com
Thank you, Loren. And yes, in my book anything you spend time doing that makes you feel good counts as self-care. It’s not all about bubble baths and spa days (not that I’m dissing either!).
Omg yes! I love this post. Self care is so important and we way too often neglect ourselves. I’ll definitely be saving this calendar, it’s just so lovely!
Ah, thank you so much, that’s so kind, I’m very pleased you enjoyed the post!
This is such a lovely idea end something that I think everyone needs right now! Love the way they’re all achievable and really things we should be making time for anyway! Personally, when I’m feeling overwhelmed I find deleting my social media helps me de-stress massively. Thanks for the listx
That was my aim, to try and curate 30 things that don’t take long, aren’t all too expensive, and can be slotted in as and when – so thank you, that’s great to hear! x
This is a great idea & I want to do the 30 day self care challenge now! However, I would probably start with a 7 day challenge like you suggested so I don’t feel pressured to do all 30 in a row.
Oh absolutely, I think starting a 7 day challenge first is the best way to start, it’s not so daunting!
Oh this is a great idea! It will definitely be more of a challenge to do some form of self care every single day when the worlds begins opening up again as we will all be so busy! So it’s great that you’re preparing us all for this lol! I love that self care calendar you made & it’s given me some great ideas! P.S: I love walking bare foot on the grass too xx
Thank you so much, that’s so good to hear and that you find the calendar helpful – bring on the summer so we can all go barefoot on the grass! xx
Thanks for sharing, this 30-day challenge sounds all great for me it would remember what I had done, also what I can fit in 🙂
You’re welcome – good luck if you give it a go!
Love this challenge Lisa! I am so bad at self-care and always forget but I do love makeup and skincare so that’s a start I guess 🙂 I think being aware that you can do things for yourself only is fantastic on it’s own!
Thank you, Jenni – and yes, as you say, realising self care starts with you is a light bulb moment!
Great post, I just bookmarked it. 🙂
♡ ☯ ☮ P&P style ☮ ☯ ♡
Thank you, glad it was helpful!
self care is so important! i think i want to try this challenge myself! 🙂 thanks for all these wonderful suggestions.
You’re welcome – I hope you do try the challenge!