Participate in a 30-Day Glow-Up Challenge

Glow up your life by participating in a one-month glow-up challenge

This blog post talks about a 30-day glow-up challenge that shows you exactly how to have a glow-up.

What is a glow-up challenge? Can I glow up in 30 days?

Glowing up means different things to different people. For me, it means becoming the best version of myself, both mentally and physically. That’s what this guide focuses on.

People often think that a “glow-up” means a significant improvement in their physical appearance, but it also includes mental and emotional changes.

Losing weight, getting a new haircut, and changing fashion and makeup are all examples of physical changes. Mentally, it can involve developing a more positive self-image, becoming more confident, and adopting a more optimistic outlook on life.

It’s not only about outward appearance but also about personal development, self-love, and self-care.

People may seek a glow-up for a variety of reasons, including wanting to feel more confident, making a good impression, or simply feeling good about themselves.

It’s essential to glow up both mentally and physically because they are closely linked.

Improving your physical appearance can boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, which can have a positive impact on your mental health. Working on mental and emotional well-being, on the other hand, can lead to improvements in physical health.

Also, when a person feels good about themselves, they’re more likely to take care of their physical health, which can lead to a higher quality of life. Simply having a positive self-image and outlook on life can lead to better relationships, more opportunities, and overall greater happiness.

BTW, I also included a printable glow-up challenge list for you so that you can keep track of your journey. Without further ado, let me introduce you to my 30-day glow-up challenge.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to follow all the steps to have a glow-up. It’s just a daily routine that I followed myself, but even if you adopt one or two healthy habits from this list, you’ve already become a better version of yourself.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means that if you click on a link and purchase something I recommend, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Here’s a 30-day glow-up challenge checklist for you

1. Start drinking more water

Water is important for several reasons. It helps to regulate body temperature; nutrients reach the organs through water; water transports oxygen to the cells; and it also helps to remove toxins from the body. Water is also an important component in moisturizing the skin.

If we don’t drink enough water, it can cause a number of health problems.

You should consume water regularly during the day, not just when you’re thirsty, because thirst only arises when your body hasn’t received enough water.

If you can’t drink pure water, try adding pieces of lemon, lime, or orange to it. They have a pleasantly fresh and fruity taste. You can also try other variations: strawberries, cucumbers, mint, etc.

Carry a water bottle with you (here’s a super affordable, practical one that I really like). If you always have a bottle of water with you, you’ll definitely start consuming more water.

You can also use an app. There are a lot of phone apps that help you keep track of the amount of water you drink each day, and they also remind you when to drink it.

2. How to glow up physically? Start exercising

The easiest way to go from being a lazy person on the couch to someone who works out regularly is to do it gradually. The best first step is to make your daily life more active and then gradually add new activities to your weekly schedule.

So how do you make everyday life more active? You can start by walking to the grocery store or walking to work instead of driving.

There is no point in starting by working out for two hours straight because it does nothing but kill your motivation, so you will give up quicker than you realize.

When you finally start working out, do it only 2-3 times a week. Your training should be light and pleasant. For starters, choose a physical activity that you enjoy—such as cycling, rollerblading, hiking, or any other activity that doesn’t seem to be excruciatingly difficult.

Here’s a set of affordable resistance bands that I personally use and swear by.

In order to stick to your training plan in the long run, it’s always a good idea to find a partner—someone who will work hard with you and make everything a lot more fun.

The last important step you need to take to complete your transformation into someone who lives an active and healthy life is to constantly motivate yourself to keep going by keeping an eye on your progress.

Look in the mirror to see all the new muscles; step on the scale every week to see how the pounds are gradually melting down; or just enjoy all those extra minutes that you can run without interruption and without becoming completely breathless.

3. Start meditating

Meditation reduces anxiety and stress, improves emotional stability, increases creativity and inner happiness, and even lowers high blood pressure.

Meditation should be easy. Don’t be fooled by the fact that you have to sit in a certain position, read books about meditation, or take courses. Meditate exactly as you see fit. It’s much more important to do this regularly.

Meditation is like going to the gym.

Muscle grows and weight decreases only if you exercise regularly and make it your lifestyle. The same thing applies to meditation. Positive effects only appear if you do it on a regular basis.

4. Start journaling

If you feel tense and your emotions are collapsing over your head, try journaling. It works well for your mind and body. It teaches the art of noticing beautiful things.

It helps you get to know yourself better. It gives you a new perspective. It helps to deal with difficult situations. It helps to evaluate what has been achieved and set new goals.

If you want to take this 30-day glow-up challenge seriously and start journaling, read my blog post about a list of journal prompts for personal growth.

Here are three affordable journals for you if you want to get started:

1. The Anti-Journal: The Anxiety Journal for People that Hate Journaling
2. Creative Journaling: A Guide to Over 100 Techniques and Ideas
3. Present, Not Perfect: A Journal for Slowing Down, Letting Go, and Loving Who You Are

5. Start practicing affirmations

Our lives are largely made up of what we think about and feel. We’re the ones who create our realities, and so we can control, in many ways, how happy and satisfied we are.

Positive affirmations will make you feel better and also take your state of mind to a new level. Put your thoughts into words, let your words turn into action, and manifest your positive thoughts into your life. It has also been scientifically proven that positive affirmations cause great changes.

Here are positive Tuesday affirmations that you can practice to change your mindset.

6. Start visualizing

Our thoughts create our reality.

Therefore, it’s important to visualize in order to achieve your dream life. You can do this, for example, immediately after waking up, a moment before falling asleep, or at any time during the day. It’s simple: close your eyes and imagine vividly how you already have what you want to achieve.

7. Start reading books

Reading is among my favorite glow-up tips because it gives me a place to hide when my life is too stressful, frustrating, or just boring.

As you read, you’ll take part in a timeless global conversation. As you read, you’ll get an idea of the different social norms and classes you don’t encounter in everyday life.

Reading expands your vocabulary and improves your conversation skills.

Reading makes life more enjoyable. As you read other people’s thoughts and become part of their feelings, you’ll develop empathy and the ability to see life through other people’s eyes.

Reading broadens your mindset and teaches you a variety of things. Reading makes you more creative. The bright ideas in the books you read can inspire you to create something of your own.

8. Create a vision board

A vision board is a visualization tool—a collage of pictures, words, texts, and everything else that symbolizes your dreams and goals. Visualization helps you better think about, remember, and accomplish your goals.

The first rule is that there are no rules.

Do what feels right to you and what works best for you. The vision board can cover all aspects of life, from health to career, money, relationships, home, hobbies, self-development, and travel.

So you can add everything that is important to you. You can use this cork vision board as a base. In addition to pictures, you can add anything that inspires and makes you feel good—quotes, words, affirmations, etc.

Go “inside” the pictures on the board. Imagine these situations as vividly and in as much detail as you can. Remember why they’re important to you. Imagine the obstacles that may come your way. Think about how to overcome them and the steps you’re going to take toward your goal.

It’s a good idea to look at your vision board first thing in the morning after waking up. This way, you’ll immediately create a good mood and a high level of motivation for the day ahead.

Another idea is to put it near your bed and look at it before going to bed. It helps you summarize the day, feel grateful for everything that’s good, and prepare your subconscious mind to pursue your goals while you sleep.

9. Start listening to podcasts

Listening to podcasts is also among my favorite glow-up goals because it expands your knowledge, lets you see other people’s worlds, and increases your empathy.

Listening to podcasts is becoming popular again. A podcast is like a pre-recorded radio show. Podcasts are found in a wide variety of fields—from technology to history; from biology to music; from science to design.

Most podcasts are usually found in the search engine of the application of your choice. All you have to do is enter a name or keyword in the search bar, and you’ll find it. Here you can find a lot of podcasts to listen to this year.

10. Work on your sleep schedule

A schedule is important if you want to sleep well. Only when you get up and go to sleep at the same time every day will sleep become effective and of high quality. Therefore, don’t try to make up for lost sleep during a problematic work week on the weekend. This will get your body out of balance.

Another important aspect is the environment in which we sleep. Your room shouldn’t be too cold or too hot. The ideal room temperature for sleeping is 16–18 degrees.

Pay attention to the mattress on which you sleep. The mattress shouldn’t be too thin for a good night’s sleep. Here’s a mattress that has been sold over 133,000 times.

Finally, let’s not forget the saying that all problems must be left behind the bedroom door. Our brains are tense all day.

If we don’t relax but instead constantly think about the work waiting in the office, it’s much harder to fall asleep.

Take a warm bath, read a book, or listen to soothing music before going to bed. Also, keep in mind that it’s not recommended to use a computer or smartphone up to an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted from these devices interferes with our normal sleep cycle.

Here’s my list of tricks that I use to fall asleep faster.

11. Start setting goals

Instead of general promises, set yourself specific goals. If goals are too general and abstract, they will be more difficult to achieve. Think about why you set these goals. What’s the bigger idea behind the goals? Why do you want to achieve these goals? What do they give you?

Make a plan for how to achieve your goals. Set a schedule for achieving your goals. You don’t need to wait for the new year to do that.

If you have a definite plan in place to achieve the desired goal, it’ll be so much harder for you to avoid it and find excuses for why you shouldn’t pursue it.

Set milestones and achieve them, then celebrate. By dividing bigger goals into smaller ones and praising yourself, you’re more motivated to work toward the goal.

When you say your goals out loud and share them with others, they become more real. Write down your goals and read them from time to time. The written goals are again more real and present. There’s a lot of power in writing things down.

1. Here’s a list of awesome yet easy self-growth goals you can set right now.
2. Here’s a list of 164 monthly goals to set for a better life.

12. Organize your wardrobe

Are you one of those people who throws clothes somewhere in the wardrobe or in a drawer to make the room look okay? At the same time, your closet is a huge mess.

That’s where this 30-day glow-up challenge comes in. Put an end to this. Tidy up your wardrobe and organize your things so that the closet is always organized.

Make an inventory of your wardrobe. If you find things you haven’t worn in years, you may not need them. There’s also no point in keeping clothes that don’t fit you anymore. Get rid of these clothes. Give them away or sell them to someone who enjoys them.

Take a critical look at your wardrobe and leave only the clothes that fit you well.

Organize clothes from lighter to darker, starting from the left. This helps you monitor the clothes better. Organize items by categories. Put the shoes in one place, the handbags on their own shelves, the dresses with other dresses, etc.

13. Start eating more fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are high in water, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds but low in fat and relatively low in energy, helping to control weight.

Fruits and vegetables provide support for your immune system, have effects on blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and have antibacterial properties.

The recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables is at least five handfuls. In fact, you can eat them even more. Of the five handfuls, two should be fruits and three should be vegetables.

14. Learn a new skill

The main motivators for lifelong learning are greater job and self-satisfaction; brighter future prospects; maintaining competitiveness; and growing income. Learning helps us find new directions and understand how to manage our lives, and it brings us closer to the goals we’ve set.

Learning also provides an opportunity to gain new experiences. Learning to learn is like learning any other skill: you need to know the right techniques and practice until you become proficient.

15. Cut out unhealthy foods from your diet (not at once, of course)

There is more and more confusion in the information around us as to which foods are healthy and which are not. There are a number of foods that are generally considered unhealthy. As a part of this one-month glow-up challenge, I want you to try to stop eating foods that you don’t actually need to eat.

If you want to lose weight and prevent chronic diseases, you shouldn’t eat these foods too much. In most cases, it’s wiser to remove these options from your menu altogether or to choose healthier alternatives.

1. Sweetened beverages
2. Pizzas
3. Pastries
4. Margarine
5. French fries and potato chips
6. Junk food
7. Ice cream
8. Chocolate bars
9. Processed meat
10. Processed cheese
11. Calorie-rich coffee drinks
12. Everything that is high in sugar, refined grains, and vegetable oils
13. Most highly processed foods

16. Start listing 3 things every day to be grateful for

Gratitude means appreciating what already exists in your life so that you don’t focus too much on what’s bad or what you don’t have. In difficult times, of course, it’s difficult to be grateful, but it’s still worth striving for because when you’re grateful, you see your surroundings differently.

Why be grateful? The way you perceive the world changes: you get closer to people, you enjoy your life more, you’re more caring and less selfish, you can be happy in the present moment, you can cope with difficult moments more easily, your self-satisfaction increases, and your health is better.

Here’s an affordable journal that’s also a 52-week guide to help you cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

One very easy way to change the focus is to do the following: Every night, write down three things in your gratitude journal that you’re grateful for.

These can be events that happened during the day or nice things you’ve done for yourself, your traits, relationships, or other good things that have made you happy. Choose pleasant, enjoyable, or meaningful experiences, no matter how big or small they are.

17. Start going on solo dates with yourself

Just like we go on dates with other people to get to know them better, we should go on solo dates to get to know ourselves better. That’s one of the things that this 30-day glow-up checklist focuses on.

When was the last time you spent time with yourself? Personal time is as valuable as having your own space. And not just for pleasure, but above all for mental and physical health.

My time—what is it? These are the moments when there’s a sufficient buffer between our previous and next mandatory activities, which we can fill with things we like. Everyone has their own way of devoting time to themselves.

Enjoying our time helps both the brain and the body rest, providing us with energy, strength, and good emotions for the new day. Plan a date with yourself each week. Not with any friends, partners, or children—only with yourself.

Here’s my list of 50 cool solo date ideas that I personally love, love, love.

18. Do a social media detox

Social media plays an important part in many people’s lives. That part seems more important than we want to admit. Social media has become a new addiction.

The time we could spend communicating with people face-to-face is all too often spent watching funny pictures on Facebook, having online conversations, surfing online stores, or just playing games.

What if we tried to stay away from social media for one day? Try to reduce your screen time for one day, and let me know what kind of impact it has on your day. I’d love to know.

19. Start taking daily walks

Many scientific studies confirm that exercise can prevent and alleviate diseases and age-related changes. Walking helps prevent those genes that are associated with obesity from being activated.

A 15-minute walk reduces the desire to eat sweets and the increased appetite that’s caused by stress. Walking relieves the symptoms of joint pain and arthritis. Walking boosts the immune system and protects against diseases.

20. Start asking yourself self-discovery questions

In order to get to know yourself better, you should do a thorough self-analysis from time to time. We all have our strengths and positive qualities, but we also have our weaknesses and qualities that are worth developing.

As we get to know ourselves, we develop as people.

Knowing your strengths and positive qualities is the basis for positive self-esteem.

Who among us doesn’t want to experience well-being, create effective and efficient relationships, experience work achievements, make plans for self-improvement, and balance personal and professional lives? If you know yourself well, the transitions in your life will be smoother.

When analyzing yourself, you may feel confused or helpless. As you become more aware of your problems, you may not have immediate solutions.

To spot solutions and recognize your strengths, you can discuss the results with a good friend, family member, coworker, or professional to find positive opportunities and think about steps you can take to improve the situation, if necessary.

21. Start stretching

Are you surprised to see stretching in this blog post about how to have a glow-up? Let me explain.

Stretching on a regular basis has numerous advantages. Stretching not only improves flexibility and range of motion, but it can also improve your posture and performance, reduce stress, cause body aches and tension headaches, and calm your mind.

If you’re new to stretching, start slowly. Your body will need time to adjust to the stretches you’re doing. You must also have a firm grasp of proper form and technique. Otherwise, you risk injuring yourself.

When stretching, concentrate on the major muscle groups that aid in mobility, such as your calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps.

Stretching exercises for the shoulders, neck, and lower back can provide upper-body relief. Avoid bouncing, and hold each stretch for 30 seconds.

22. Have a self-care day

Self-care means taking care of your physical and emotional well-being. You must nourish your mind, body, and soul. This should come naturally, but in today’s fast-paced society, you may not always have time for it.

However, if you don’t devote enough time to yourself and don’t prioritize your own well-being, you’ll feel blue.

When you’ve had a bad day, all you want to do is stay in bed and avoid all contact. That’s something I’m very familiar with.

However, I’ve discovered that staying in bed and avoiding all contact won’t solve the problem. To keep my spirits up, I try to do at least one thing every day that’s good for my soul and mind.

23. Create proper morning and night routines

Set up a proper morning routine to have this feeling at the end of the day that you’ve done something important for yourself and that you can achieve more.

In order not to deviate from the routine, promise not to do anything else until the mandatory elements of the morning routine have been completed. The reward is a wonderful feeling.

The same applies to a nightly routine. Sometimes it can be tough to relax after a busy day and forget about everyday worries—especially if you’re used to working from home. That’s why you need to create a pleasant evening routine that’ll help you relieve tension and stress.

So, if you’re wondering what the best glow-up routine looks like, certainly start working on your morning and night routines.

Here’s what my billion-dollar morning routine looks like, and here’s what my super productive night routine looks like.

24. Do something you’re really afraid of

Every new experience is usually accompanied by fear. The fear will vanish if you perform that terrifying act constantly. I’ll repeat it again.

When you do what you’re afraid of constantly, the fear vanishes.

Everyone is afraid of something, but history is full of actions taken in the face of fear.

What would you do if you weren’t so afraid? You know that all great things happen outside your comfort zone. So I dare you to step out of your comfort zone for a day and do something you’re really afraid of. You’ll thank me later.

Here are the tips that I use whenever I’m scared of something.

Here are the best three books you can read about fear:

1. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: Dynamic techniques for turning Fear, Indecision and Anger into Power, Action and Love
2. Fear Less: Face Not-Good-Enough to Replace Your Doubts, Achieve Your Goals, and Unlock Your Success
3. Your Survival Instinct Is Killing You: Retrain Your Brain to Conquer Fear and Build Resilience

25. Change something in your appearance as part of this 30-day glow-up challenge

Change something about your appearance. But keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be anything big.

You should start by identifying your wishes and expectations. It’s even better to write them down on paper.

If you plan to make more thorough changes, you must follow the proverb: Measure seven times, cut once. Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot of money on a new wardrobe and beauty salon, and you still won’t be satisfied with your new self.

You don’t have to do anything drastic. You can install halo hair extensions, use some self-tanning lotion like this one, or just paint your nails. Make it clear to yourself whether you’re changing your appearance for yourself or someone else (we want to do that for ourselves!).

26. Start working on something you’ve postponed

Instead of starting the task or activity right away, we make excuses for ourselves. We tell ourselves we’ll do it the next day or whenever we have enough time.

Then the time will come when we’ll look for new excuses again. Take a look at your to-do list and start working on something you’ve been putting off for a long time. Just do it.

27. Come up with a way to cope with negative thoughts

Negative thoughts affect our speech and behavior. Speaking in a negative tone inhibits your actions, pulls you down, and shatters your dreams. Try to think more positively, and you’ll soon discover that everything sounds better.

My favorite piece of advice for you is that your thoughts on something may not always be true. Don’t believe everything you think.

Here’s my list of tips on how to stop negative thinking and actually succeed at it.

28. How to glow up in 30 days? Start using Gua Sha

What is Gua Sha? Gua Sha therapy is an ancient Chinese beauty ritual that has been a tradition for centuries. A Gua Sha stone (usually pink quartz) is a silky-smooth stone that’s a symbol of love.

Gua Sha massage helps to create radiant skin by stimulating lymphatic drainage, accelerating the blood supply to provide more oxygen to the tissues, and thus stimulating the renewal of skin cells.

It also soothes and relieves tension in the face and chin area, improves the overall condition of the skin, and increases the skin’s natural radiance.

If you’re looking to buy a gua sha, here’s an affordable set of a face roller and a Gua Sha that are guaranteed to get your skin refreshed.

29. Come up with a way to stop procrastinating

Do you constantly have projects that need to be completed? Do you always leave tasks until the last minute? If so, you are probably a chronic procrastinator.

Yes, in the end, everything will be done with a high probability, but often the hours of sleep and health will suffer as the end line approaches. If you’re already in the cycle of postponing things, it’s relatively difficult to get out of it.

Here’s my blog post about bulletproof ways to actually be more productive.

30. Evaluate your relationships

Evaluate your attitude toward yourself: whether you accept yourself as you are, whether you allow yourself all those thoughts and feelings, and whether you treat yourself with love. Work on achieving your inner balance.

When you’re satisfied and calm, it’s easier to get along with others and understand them as well.

Stop interacting with people who don’t have a good impact on you. Don’t be afraid to remove toxic people from your life. This is your life, and you are living it, not anyone else. Why does it matter what they think?

Surround yourself with people who love you and add value to your life. Remember that positive thoughts attract positivity. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with positive people.

A 30-day glow-up challenge that teaches you how to glow up in a month

What do you think of this blog post that tells you how to get a glow-up in a month? Would you add more things to this glow-up list? Let me know in the comments below!