Hello, sweet people!🥳

Before we get started, I apologise that I couldn't keep my promise of updating regularly. Like I mentioned in the previous update, I was going through one of the toughest things a student has to go through i.e. applying for colleges and choosing a career. 

And, I did promise that I would update you guys. So, here we GO!🎉🎈🎊 *drumrolls* I got BTech Civil Engineering in one of the best engineering colleges in the country. It wasn't an easy journey. The branch I have opted for isn't something I had anticipated I would study or even get through, but life has its way out. In the end, I am extremely happy with the way things turned out to be. I cannot wait to join college, live in a hostel for the first time and just have the time of my life! Yayyyyyy!😁

Just a little note. If you are going through a tough phase in your life, remember that things get better. Trust me on this. A week ago, I was at one of my worst phases but things did look up and here I am. Also, I read a quote somewhere which helped me get through this - "You don't take a right decision. You take a decision and make it right." Keep holding on, yeah? 

Now, coming onto the main topic...

I take the 30 DAYS GLOW UP challenge!🌈

For those who have no idea what that is, it is taking care of your body, health, mental state for 30 days straight.

I am someone who LOVEEESSS these time bounded challenges. My YouTube recommendation is full of videos like '30 days of working out daily', '30 days of not using social media', '6 months of reading everyday' etc. For anything to show its magic, you need to give it enough time. With love and patience, you can achieve almost anything and everything. So, if anybody's interested in taking up the challenge with me or to just learn how about I would be looking at this challenge, keep reading!

Now, before you read further, I would like to add that you won't find a Pinterest-y list of self-care ideas for the 30 day glow-up challenge. I respect the fact that each and every one of us has different needs.

Self care is for everyone and it must not be generalised for the entire population. Also, self-care doesn't always mean spending a thousand bucks at your local salon or taking a bubble bath. It's as simple as taking care of yourself.

The point of this challenge is to just make self-care normal and fun. It's okay if you've never taken any kind of challenge like this. There's no starting point. You have today, so start NOW. If you're joining in this challenge, do let me know. I hope you and I, together, are going to make our best 30 day glow-up challenge!

I spent some time thinking how I can make this challenge not only fun but also effective. So, after thinking a lot, I came up with a little guide that would hopefully help me and help you to create your own challenge. Let's get started.

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Why should you take up this challenge?

Our lives are the culmination of everyday habits and choices. We are what we choose. When you learn to choose yourself every single day, you will notice how much the quality of your life will improve. We want you to start taking the right step today. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, rightly mentioned in his book, "Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become."

How to create your personalised 30 day glow-up challenge?

Like I mentioned, we all have different needs. So, first take a notebook and divide a page into two halves - one for daily, other for regular. Daily goals are goals which you will be working to achieve daily.

To start filling in this, ask yourself a few questions.

~ What are my personal goals?

It could be anything like fitness, skin-care, reducing screen time, finding more time for your hobbies, spending quality time with my loved ones. It could be just one or as many as you want.

~ What are the simplest steps I can do to fulfill the above mentioned personal goals?

When I say simple, I mean it. Make the steps as simple and straightforward as possible. A BAD step for fitness could be working out daily. However, a GOOD step for fitness could be doing 50 squats daily and stretching for 10 minutes. Use numbers to make your steps more specific and hence, more achievable.

~ Once you have mentioned your best simple steps, divide them into daily goals and goals that you would be doing on a regular basis.

To make this simpler, daily goals could be reducing phone screen time by 1 hour, 50 squats daily, reading for 30 minutes and so on.

Regular goals could be applying oil and hair masks every 4 days, going for a walk in your neighbourhood on weekends, taking up an online course, doing your laundry, watching a TED talk and so on.

Just in case you're still having some trouble with coming up with your list, there are lots of resources online which will give you some more inspiration to create your own challenge. I've attached a few I found on Pinterest down below.

Ta-da! Your very own 30 day challenge is ready to follow and shine!🎉🌈

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I am done with my own 30 day challenge. I've attached my list down below. It's not the best list I've ever made. Kinda got overwhelmed but yeah, it's okay. 🌸 My day 1 starts from November 1, 2020. Do let me know your day 1 and let's check up on ourselves after the end of it, yeah?

Remember self-care should not turn out to be a burden. Keep all your steps and goals achievable and realistic. You are doing this for yourself, not for us, your family, your friends or your partner but JUST FOR YOURSELF. So, go easy on yourself and enjoy one whole month of caring for yourself and having a great time.

When you have successfully completed the best 30 days of your life, do take a moment to reflect on the entire challenge. List down your take-aways and give a pat on your back. Remember that self-care is NOT a one time thing. Just like bathing, self-care must be done daily or least regularly. So, make sure that even after the challenge is over, you find yourself taking some time off regularly to check up on yourself. 🌼

Thank you for reading this! Take care of yourself and do leave your feedback down below.

Love, Sam.❤️