If you feel like your mental health has taken a back seat, there is no better way to take control than by doing a mental health challenge!
Mental health challenges are great because they give us simple and doable tasks that can benefit our lives and help us to get out of the ruts we may be in.
I’m so excited that you’re here, ready to do this challenge with me!
Below I have listed all 30 days of the mental health challenge. You can either do them in order, or simply pick one for each day until you’ve done all 30.
If you’d like a printable check list of the below mental health challenge, I have created one that you can get sent directly to your email below!
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1. Make a list of your goals
This could be monthly goals, 1 year, 5 years, 20 years, or even goals for this mental health challenge. Just make a list of the goals you have for yourself- the person you want to be and the things you want to achieve.
2. Get outside & enjoy nature
Nature is so helpful to our mental health! Get outside today for at least 15 minutes and try to truly take in your surroundings.
3. List 10 things you truly love about yourself
This might be harder than you think it will be, but it’s such a good exercise. This is a great habit to take part in every single day. It helps us learn to love ourselves for who we are.
4. Clean & declutter your space
Outward order = inner calm. Tidy up your home for a fresh space & fresh mindset!
5. Take a break from social media
For a few hours, or even the full day, stay off of social media and give your mind a much-needed break.
6. Meditate for 5 minutes
Taking 5 minutes to clear your mind and work on your breathing can help your mind relax and feel free. This is a great daily habit, but can also be beneficial if done occasionally! Meditate away! If you don’t know where to start, I highly recommend meditation apps such as Headspace, which have guided meditations that are easy peasy and great for relaxing you!
7. Say ‘no’ to something
Part of maintaining a healthy life with healthy boundaries is knowing when you need to say no. Always saying ‘yes’ can lead us to feeling overwhelmed, depleted and burnt out. So say ‘no’ to something. This one can be difficult, but part of doing a mental health challenge is stepping out of our comfort zones to take care of ourselves.
8. Get physical
Get some physical activity in! Go for a walk or run. Put on a yoga video and follow along. Or just do 10 minutes of stretching. Whatever you choose to do, just make sure to move your body. Physical activity helps our mental health!
9. Journal your feelings & thoughts
Getting your thoughts out on paper is a great way to let go of any big stuff that’s lingering in your brain. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes, set a timer and just allow yourself to put your thoughts on paper.
10. Try something new
A new food, a new hobby, a new order at your favorite coffee shop, whatever it is. Our brains need a little bit of spontaneity to stay sharp and keep us young. Trying new things can help us feel refreshed and excited!
11. Do a brain dump
If you haven’t heard of a brain dump before, it’s essentially just the action of dumping all of your thoughts out and clearing your mind. One of the best ways to do this is to grab a journal or open up a new document on your computer and just start writing. Write down EVERYTHING you think about, and get out as much as you can. This may sound weird, but it is so helpful for clearing out the mental clutter you may have inside your head.
12. Make a list of 10 things you’re grateful for
Taking time to think of what we’re thankful for is helpful for keeping our minds focused on the positive parts of life instead of just the negative. Sometimes we can begin to feel like life is all bad, and making a list of things we are grateful for can give us perspective and remind us why life is worth living.
13. Have a dance party
Turn up your favorite music, clear some room and just dance! It might feel a little silly, but all of us need moments to let loose every now and then.
14. Have a self-care day
Self care is a crucial part of good mental health. Take a day this month to check off a bunch of self-care items. Take care of your skin, tell yourself nice things, buy yourself flowers, read a book you’ve been dying to read. Make today about you.
15. Wake up early and have some me-time
Set your alarm for 30 minutes to an hour earlier than usual and allow yourself some time to do whatever you want to do, uninterrupted. Read a book, paint your nails, take an extra long shower, go for a walk, go to a coffee shop, go buy yourself some flowers, whatever it is you want to do by yourself, do it! For most of us, me-time does NOT come often enough.
16. Go out with a friend
All of us need some sort of connection in our lives. It’s important that we stay in touch with loved ones. But it can definitely be hard as adults to make our social lives a priority. This month, pick a day to go out with a friend. Have dinner or grab some coffee or go for a walk at a park. Friendships are important, they keep our brains happy!
17. Unfollow accounts & pages that make you feel bad
Social media can have a really negative effect on our mental health, especially when we follow accounts that make us feel sad or make us compare ourselves to others. Take time today to go through your social media pages and unfollow any accounts that don’t make you feel happy and like your best self.
18. Have a zero-negativity day
Take a day to say no to negativity. Don’t complain, don’t look at depressing news articles or watch sad videos or fill your head with negative thoughts. Try to spend one day only focusing on the positive. I know that sounds difficult, but you can do it!
19. Laugh- as much as possible
Try to genuinely laugh today. Watch a funny movie or reminisce on funny memories with friends, do something to make you laugh. Most of us don’t laugh as much as we should, and it can really affect our mental health.
20. Schedule appointments
With busy schedules and a seemingly never-ending to do list, it can be difficult to fit some things in like scheduling doctor appointments. Take some time today to schedule any appointments you need to, or to do any other admin type stuff you’ve been putting off.
21. Create a vision board
Vision boards are a fun and creative way to daydream and plan out what we want for certain areas of our lives. Create a vision board (digital or on paper) of a certain area of your life. That can be work, your home, business goals, mental health, family, outfits, or whatever. Sometimes all we need is to remind ourselves of what we want our lives to look like.
22. Do something nice for someone else
Helping others is one of the best uses of our time, but it can also be great for our own mental health! Helping someone can help us appreciate others and gain perspective of the lives of those around us.
23. Catch up on sleep
Pick a day of the month when you don’t have a ton of obligations, and plan to just sleep until your body won’t let you. A lot of people see this as a waste of time, but hear me out, we NEED sleep. This day of doing nothing is actually quite productive. If you’re like most adults, you’re probably a little bit sleep deprived. Taking one day, or even just half a day to let yourself sleep until your body feels completely rested can do amazing things for you physical and mental health. Get cozy in bed and don’t feel guilty about it!
24. Let yourself relax- like for real
How often do you truly feel relaxed? LIke, genuinely relaxed? Take at least a day this month to let yourself do what helps you feel as relaxed as possible. Watch a movie guilt-free, take a long bath, get a massage, do whatever it is that puts you at ease.
25. Create something
Creativity is SO GOOD for our brains. It helps us feel inspired, excited, and can give us a sense of refreshment. Take time to do something creative today. Paint a picture or write a short story or take some pictures or rearrange your living room. There is an infinite list of things you can do to practice creativity, but pick something you enjoy that helps you think outside of the box!
26. Eat a healthy meal & drink lots of water
Healthy foods lead to a healthy mind. Even if your diet is less than ideal, your brain can still benefit from even one healthy meal. At least for today, try to drink at least 64 oz. of water and eat one (or more) healthy meal!
27. Clean out your email inbox
Keeping our space tidy is important for a clear mind, but many people often forget about their digital space. Take a few minutes (or a couple hours if your inbox is overdue for a tidy) and clear out your inbox. Delete any unneeded emails and unsubscribe from pages you don’t care about anymore.
28. Treat yourself
All of us just need a ‘Treat yo’ self’ day every now and then. This doesn’t have to be expensive- it could mean buying yourself that new set of pens you’ve been wanting, or taking yourself out for dinner. If there’s something you’ve had your eye on that is in your price range, get it. Channel your inner Tom Haverford and
29. Take a long bath or shower
Take a little extra time for your bath/shower today and let yourself relax under the warm water. Bonus points for bubbles, bath salts, candles or anything else to make it as cozy as possible.
30. Make a bucket list
You’ve made it to day 30 of the mental health challenge! Today, make a bucket list for yourself. List out all the things you want to achieve in your life. Where do you want to travel? What are your career goals, your family goals, your personal goals? What do you want to see and do before your life is over? Giving ourselves an idea of the future can help us feel motivated and excited for the future.
Thanks!