I am going to suggest a Happiness Challenge for you. I found this challenge on Pinterest, and it’s called, The 30-Day Happiness Challenge.
What I have found by doing this challenge, it stretches you. Over the years, I have included in my morning routine, all the things I am appreciative of, and that I am grateful for. I also give gratitude for future events as well, how I do this, I bring it into the ‘Now’. “I am grateful that I now have …. “During the day, if something happens, “I will say thank you, or l am grateful for that“. Or when something good happens, I get excited and say “thank you”, even for the totally unexpected, I still celebrate the joy, and feel the gratitude. When you are grateful and appreciative for your life, and the things you have in your life, you will find it shifts your perspective, mindset and energy, and you feel so much happier. Here are some examples, family, home, work, your talents, skills, hobbies, your passions, special gifts, art, activities you love, or creative abilities, etc.
When I started this challenge, I discovered that with my gratitude and appreciation exercises, I found myself being grateful for many of the same things every day. Through this challenge, it encourages you to look for 3 new things that you are grateful for, each day. I believe it’s a great idea, and I would encourage you to have a note book, and each day as you do your challenge, write your daily challenge activities in your notebook. Especially what you are grateful for, so you know what you have already used, and who you have praised, and your meaningful moments that have happened to you.
Day 1 – write 3 things you are grateful for down,
Day 2, do day 1 task and then day 2’s task – something meaningful
Day 3, do day 1 and day 2 tasks, then do day 3 task, praising or contemplating someone
Day 4, do days 1, 2, 3, and then do day 4 – Exercise, e.g. going for a walk.
Day 5, do days 1, 2, 3, 4, and then do day 5 task. Mediate for 5 minutes. Write down any ideas, inspiration, whatever comes to your mind. You will think you will remember and often you don’t.
Repeat day 1 to 5 until you reach 30 days.
By recording each day, after 30 days, you will have a notebook of all the things you are grateful for in your life, plus the special, meaningful moments, ideas and inspirations., that have happened to you in the last 30 days. When you hit those lows, and feel in the doldrums, you can look at your book, and see all the good things that have happened in your life. By reading thru the book, this creates a shift in your energy, and you will recall those happy times, and you find yourself in a more positive mindset and feel happier.
They say to change a habit or belief you are required to do It for 21 days. However, this challenge has pushed it out to 30 days, to really get you into the habit of doing it. This happiness challenge, encourages you to continue to do it every day, after the challenge has finished. Here is the challenge, have fun with it and enjoy it. You may be surprised where you will be in 30 days’ time.
The 30- Day Happiness Challenge
Day 1 Name 3 new things you are grateful for when you wake up. Continue for the next 29 days
Day 2 Write down one meaningful thing that happened to you in the last 24 hours. Continue for the next 28 more days Day 3 Reach out to someone you know and praise them. Continue for the next 27 days
Day 4 Start doing cardio for at least 15 minutes a day. Keep doing this for the next 26 days
Day 5 Start meditating for at least 5 minutes a day – continue for the next 25 days.
Day 30 You made it, hope you will keep these habits going. Here is the link from Pinterest – and why it was created.
Tips in how to implement this challenge.
Day 1 starts out easy, being grateful,
Day 2, gratitude and then you add something meaningful that is special or means something to you.
Day 3, gratitude, something meaningful. The task for day 3 is about praising someone, or you can even compliment them on something. If there is no one around, why not praise yourself. By looking in the mirror, you will see a person looking back at you. Praise that person that is looking at you. Tell them what you love about them, or how special they are, or what wonderful eyes, hair, smile etc they have.
Day 4, gratitude, something meaningful, praising someone, then day 4 introduces exercise. If you not really into exercise, going for walk around the block, or on the beach, or wherever you live will be good. If you have stairs where you work, take the stairs instead of the lift. When going to the hospital to visit our friend, we often park down in the lower car park, we have 3 to 4 flights of stairs to climb, for the exercise, and often its quicker than the lift. In the hospital, we take the stairs to the 2nd floor.
Day 5, meditating for 5 minutes. If you don’t know how to meditate or don’t want to do that. When you sit down to have that cup of tea or coffee in the morning. Go and sit in your favourite place, and contemplate all the good things you have in your life. As you are enjoying that cuppa, reflecting, contemplating all the good things in your life, it’s like meditating. What you are doing is relaxing the mind, and stopping the monkey chatter. Even breathing in deeply and breathing out deeply, this can help quieten the mind as well. When your mind is relaxed, and it’s quiet, this is when ideas, or solutions, answers come to you, regarding whatever is going in your life.
Another Tip, you could combine day 4 & 5. If you are walking for the exercise, then you can do a walking meditation or contemplation. When you are out walking you can contemplate the beauty that is surrounding you, and as we are heading into Spring in a few weeks in the Southern Hemisphere, you will start to see the new buds on the trees, flowers, blossoms. You will still relax your mind and this will allow ideas, answers, solutions to float in. Have fun doing this, and you may be surprised, how your life changes, and you are feeling happier and more positive. Plus you have a book to call upon when you hit the doldrums, which will uplift you.
