Want to take part in a 30 Days Of Gratitude Challenge? That’s truly awesome!
As a certified life coach, I am fully aware of the benefits of being thankful for the small things in life.
That’s why I have listed 30 ideas for challenges you can complete during this month of gratitude.
I’m excited to share this list with you.
So, let’s dive right in.
What Is The 30 Day Gratitude Challenge?
There are many variations of a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge, but the general sentiment is to spend 30 consecutive days dedicating some time to being thankful for something.
It’s 30 days of gratitude that are recommended, because it’s generally accepted that this is the amount of time it takes for the human brain to accept a new habit.
So, the idea is you’ll feel inspired to continue practicing daily gratitude after the 30 days of gratitude is over.
What Is National Gratitude Month?
November has been dubbed National Gratitude Month in several parts of the world. That’s why many individuals in the self-help community will encourage their followers to take part in a 30 Days Of Gratitude Challenge from November 1-30.
However, there is no bad time to start a daily gratitude challenge. The best time to start is now!
Your 30 Days Of Gratitude Challenge
Here are your 30 challenges.
Day 1. Say ‘Thank You’
A simple exercise to start with. Say ‘Thank You’ to someone who has helped you recently. On top of that, make sure to say thank you to everyone who serves you throughout the day. While you’re at it, why not make this a habit for the next 30 days?
Day 2. Tell Your Parents You Love Them
It’s true that not everyone has the best relationship with their parents.
But, even those with good relationships tend not to make their appreciation known as much as they should.
Parenting is a tough job, and yours did the best they could. So, today your challenge is to recognise that and tell them you love them.
Day 3. Call Your Best Friend
A best friend is something to be truly grateful for. Today, your challenge is to tell them how much they really mean to you.
Day 4. Reminisce On The Good Parts Of Your Job
Whenever we discuss our job, we tend to focus on the negative things related to it. This can cause us to overlook the parts that we actually enjoy.
Today, spend a few minutes journaling about the positive aspects of your career. If you wish, take the time to focus on ideas that could make your work even better.
Day 5. Be Grateful For Your Body
Just as with our work, we all tend to get caught up on what we don’t like about our body.
For that reason, your task is to stare in the mirror and express gratitude for various parts of your body.
Yes, there will be someone out there with bigger muscles, perkier boobs or more piercing blue eyes. But there will be millions of people out there who don’t have what you do. Focus on that.
At the very least, use this time to be grateful for your physical and mental health. These are among the blessings in life that we’re most likely to take for granted until they’re gone.
Day 6. Spoil Your Significant Other
It goes without saying that an intimate partner is a wonderful thing to have. Perhaps you’ve already started a family with them, or plan to do so in the future. Is there anything more magical?
Yet, so many of us fall into the trap of taking this special person for granted. Well, not today.
Today’s challenge is to spoil your partner and show how much you care about them. Single? Lucky you! You’re free to spoil yourself and enjoy your alone time instead!
Day 7. Tell Someone You Love Them
Is there someone special in your life that you haven’t expressed your love for in this challenge yet? Maybe a distant family member or a loyal friend? Today is your opportunity to contact them and express your gratitude.
Day 8. Take A Day Off From Your Life’s Mission
Having a life mission is an amazing thing that can pump you full of pride and purpose. It’s a key to true happiness, for sure.
However, we can all let the hard work spoil our appreciation of everyday life.
So, today’s mission is to take a day off to relax, and use this time to enjoy the finer things in life.
Day 9. Send A Thank You Note
Think of the last time you received a great gift – and write a thank you note to the person who sent it to you.
For most people, this is a tradition that dies out in childhood, which is a shame. Taking the time to make a hand-written note demonstrates an extra level of appreciation.
Day 10. Reach Out To Someone You Admired From Afar
Perhaps it’s a small YouTuber whose videos you really enjoy. Maybe it’s a distant Facebook friend who is doing amazing things with their life. Either way, grab your phone, send a message or call them and let them know how much you admire them.
If they’re not already getting a ton of publicity, this act of kindness could do a lot more than make them smile. It could inspire them to keep going doing these awesome things.
Comedy is such a powerful tool for spreading joy and creating a positive mindset. So, share something funny you saw recently with your friends on social media, so they can laugh too.
Day 12. Meditate On Your Happiest Memory
A rich life is one full of incredible memories. These are truly the greatest blessings, so take some time to reflect on a treasured memory. If you like, share some pictures with your friends on social media.
Day 13. Take A Thankful Pause
Unless they regularly practice mindfulness, the average person is so stuck in their thoughts that they don’t stop and realize how amazing the world around them really is.
To fix this habit, set an alarm on your phone for you to stop, take in your surroundings and be thankful. Perhaps you’d like to make it a daily alarm.
Day 14. List Your Five Best Personality Traits
This might seem like a somewhat pompous task, but the truth is: you didn’t develop your best personality traits alone.
In most cases, you’ll have been raised in an environment which taught you the importance of kindness, humor, positivity and all these other things. Not everyone is that lucky.
So, you’re not just writing these traits down for a self-esteem boost. You should also take a moment to be grateful for the friends, family members and wider community who raised you to be this way.
Day 15. List A Friend’s Five Best Personality Traits
Get in contact with a friend who hasn’t been part of this challenge yet. Let them know which of their personality traits you’re most thankful for.
Day 16. Reminisce On A Stroke Of Luck
It’s a strange human habit to only notice when we suffer from bad luck. If we hit five red lights in a row, we’ll notice for sure. This is the way most people program themselves.
Yet, we seem to ignore those moments when we return home from work without any traffic or stoppages.
Most likely, you’ve experienced a more significant stroke of luck than that in the past. So, today your task is to reminisce on that and be grateful for what happened.
Day 17. Remember The Best Compliment You Received
A thoughtful and well-timed compliment can make us feel ten feet tall, and is well worth being grateful for.
Today, your task is to remember the last compliment that made you feel momentous, and to try and bring back those happy emotions.
If you can, get in touch with that person to send them a compliment back.
Day 18. Reminisce On A Life Lesson
Today, your task is to reflect on something bad that happened in the past, and realize the lessons you learned.
In that moment, we tend to only see negative moments as bad. Yet, in nearly all cases, these experiences teach us a powerful lesson that makes us stronger.
Day 19. Reminisce On Something You’re Looking Forward To
The ability to look forward to something great on the horizon is a gift in itself. Treat yourself to that gift for a few minutes today, and share the hype with the people you’ll be enjoying that experience with.
Day 20. Take A 24-Hour Dopamine Detox
Today, you’ll give up everything that gives you a shot of dopamine. This means no music, TV or video games. No internet or tech devices. No sex or masturbation. No alcohol, sugary foods or drinks.
The point of this exercise is two-fold.
First off, it’s going to eliminate distractions and create space for you to be grateful for the smaller things in your life.
Secondly, it’s going to create a dopamine reset so you enjoy these items even more once the detox is over.
Day 21. Pay Tribute To Your Passion
If you have a passion that fills your days with happiness, that’s surely something to be grateful for.
So, today’s challenge is to express your gratitude for the activities that fill your life with joy.
Write a social media post about it, complete with videos and pictures, so that others can be introduced to your hobbies.
Day 22. Take Photos Of The World Around You
Gratitude is often described as ‘stopping to smell the roses’. That’s kind of what you’ll be doing today. The challenge is to take photos of your local neighbourhood in an effort to appreciate its true beauty.
You might think of your neighbourhood as a dump, but I’d bet there is some beauty to be found if you look hard enough.
Day 23. Give Up An Item You Use Daily
A great way to make sure we are truly grateful for something is to give it up for a short time.
So, for today, your challenge is to not use an item that you use every day. Take the time to notice how much easier this device usually makes your life, so that you are more grateful for its existence in the future.
Day 24. Make Some Positivity Post-It Notes
Buy some post-it notes, write some positive messages and stick them wherever you feel like. Maybe it’s your house, your office or around your local city. This is your opportunity to express yourself and be creative.
Day 25. Savor Your Food
Food is something else that most of us take for granted. Perhaps you’re even in the habit of wolfing down your meals without savoring the taste.
Today, take the time to savor every bite of your meals, enjoy the taste and remember how lucky you are to always have food on the table
Day 26. Praise A Person You Look Up To
A beautiful way to practice gratitude is to tell someone they inspire you. That’s your task for the day.
Day 27. Arrange A Coffee Date
Invite someone you appreciate to enjoy a coffee morning or a lunch with you. Pay for everything as a token of your gratitude.
Day 28. Death Meditation
This is an intimidating exercise, but perhaps the most powerful.
Meditate on your own death. Picture yourself at your own funeral, surrounded by your grieving friends and family. You have been taken from the world, and can no longer appreciate its amazing wonders.
This exercise is recommended due to the fact we only tend to be grateful for certain things once they’re gone. Until then, we tend to take many small things for granted.
Day 29. Cut Yourself Some Slack
As humans, we have a nasty habit of always putting ourselves down. We focus on what we could be doing better, rather than the positive aspects of our lives.
So, today, take some time to focus on the great things you’ve been doing recently. Make this a habit moving forward.
Day 30. Buy A Gratitude Journal
Since you’re at the end of your challenge, consider buying a gratitude journal to keep the habit going in the future.
A great gratitude journal will feature unique gratitude journal prompts, which help you decide what you should be journaling about every day.
Journaling has been shown to give a lot of mental health benefits, and these gratitude journal prompts will allow you to keep feeling thankful for another 30 days and beyond!
30 Days Gratitude Challenge Printable PDF
If you like the idea of taking part in my 30 Days Of Gratitude challenge, you can download and print this PDF.
30 Days Gratitude Challenge PDF
That saves you from having to write it down, or revisit my blog every day.
Any More Questions?
I hope my custom 30-day gratitude challenge made you smile! I see this challenge as a journey of self-discovery that will send your mental health soaring.
If you’d like to add some ideas for extra gratitude journal prompts or ask a question related to this topic, write me a comment below!
If you’d like to publicly commit to taking a 30 Days Of Gratitude Challenge, feel free to write in the comments section to do that too!
I’m always really grateful to read your blog comments!
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