30-Day Gratitude Challenge To Change your life [+ Free Download]

So you want to embark on a gratitude journey? Well you’re in the right place with this 30-day gratitude challenge and free download. 

Gratitude can have a profound impact on your mental and physical well-being. In fact, it’s even been proven by science. 

Individuals who have a gratitude practice tend to be more optimistic and experience fewer symptoms of depression. They display resilience allowing them to better cope with difficult situations. Plus, it can help improve sleep quality and support cardiovascular health. 

The brain’s neural pathways, the highways in our brain that allow information to travel to different areas, are changed by practicing gratitude which leads to increased empathy and reduced aggression.

And the best part? It doesn’t take much to reap the benefits. Studies show that:

“Simply journaling for five minutes a day can enhance our long-term happiness by over 10%.”

Interested to learn more? Check out these articles on the science of gratitude. 

• How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain
• Giving thanks can make you happier
• Podcast: The Science of Gratitude & How to Build a Gratitude Practice

The Challenge

This challenge is designed to get you started on your gratitude journey with 30 unique activities that take 15 minutes or less per day. Each activity will help you to experiment and learn what works best for you so you can build a long-term practice.

Why 30 days? Studies show that it takes 30 days to start seeing the benefits of your practice. After 30 days, you will start to feel more positive about your life overall and experience reduced stress and anxiety. 

So, are you ready to get started with your 30 day gratitude challenge? 

How to complete the challenge?

It’s easy! Download the free gratitude journal and print it out. Set aside five to fifteen minutes each day to complete the activity. 

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30 Day Gratitude Challenge

Days 1-10

Day 1: Take fifteen minutes to write a letter to future you expressing gratitude for completing this 30 day challenge.

Day 2: Take five minutes to write down everything you are grateful for. Try not to censor your ideas, just keep writing until the time is up.

Day 3: Take a stroll in nature and spend your time reflecting on and appreciating the beauty around you.

Day 4: Send a heartfelt note to someone who has positively impacted you. It can be a letter, text, email, or anything else.

Day 5: Spend five minutes with your eyes closed, meditating on the things you’re grateful for today.

Day 6: Write a list of the things that make you smile and bring you joy. 

Day 7: Today, complete a random act of kindness for someone else. It could be a friend, family, or a stranger.

Day 8: Reflect on a situation that happened recently that was challenging for you. Find three things you can be grateful for in the situation.

Day 9: Write down one of your recent gratitudes on a post-it and put it somewhere where you’ll see it on a daily basis.

Day 10: Take five minutes to reflect on your body and all the amazing things it allows you to do. For every negative thought that comes it, replace it with two positive ones.

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Days 11-20

Day 11: Read a short story or watch a heartwarming video that lifts your spirits and inspires gratitude within you.

Day 12: Practice a brief guided meditation specifically designed for positivity. We recommend this one. 

Day 13: Take fifteen minutes to declutter a small area in your home. Keep only the things that bring you joy and reflect on your gratitude for them.

Day 14: Express gratitude for someone in your life directly to them, out loud. It can be something small such as, “I’m so grateful to work next to you everyday. You make a great desk buddy.”

Day 15: Call a friend or family member and ask them about their day. Share your gratitude for their role in your life.

Day 16: Make a point to watch the sunrise of sunset and reflect on the beauty of those small moments in nature.

Day 17: Create a digital or physical collage with some pictures and quotes that inspire gratitude and positivity. Put it somewhere you’ll see it every day.

Day 18: Write down three personal strengths or achievements that you are proud of. Express gratitude toward yourself for those things.

Day 19: Take a mid-day step away for five minutes to do a deep breathing exercise. With each exhale complete the sentence, “I am filled with gratitude for…”

Day 20: Make time to enjoy one of your favorite meals. While eating eliminate all distractions and focus on each bite. Enjoy your meal to the fullest. 

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Days 21-30

Day 21: Go screen and distraction free for 15 minutes. Appreciate the present moment without distractions. 

Day 22: Immerse yourself in your favorite song and linger on each word and note. Reflect on the positive emotions it brings up. 

Day 23: Go for a gratitude walk. With each step you take, reflect on your sense of appreciation for your body and what it’s capable of. 

Day 24: For 2 minutes, write down everything that sucks in your life. For 3 minutes after, find one thing you are grateful for in each of the items you wrote down.

Day 25: Spend five minutes giving unconditional love to a pet or animal. 

Day 26: Watch an inspiring TED Talk or podcast about gratitude and personal growth. We suggest this one.

Day 27: Practice five minutes of positive morning affirmations. Check out this post for inspo.

Day 28: Find or print out a picture of you as a child. Look at your younger self and spend five minutes expressing gratitude to them. 

Day 29: Spend five minutes reflecting on which activities in the challenge had the biggest impact on your. Make a plan for how to incorporate them into your daily life going forward.

Day 30: Read the letter of gratitude you wrote on day one of the challenge. Reflect on your experience in the last 30 days.

So how do you feel after your 30 day gratitude challenge? Do you feel any different? Did your time invested pay off? 

We hope so! Tell us about your experience in the comment below.

Want to keep it going? Check out these journals and books to keep your journey going.

• The Five Minute Journal, Original Daily Gratitude Journal
• The Little Book of Gratitude: Create a life of happiness and wellbeing by giving thanks
• Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? By Julie Smith

More like this:

• 10 Day Self-Care Challenge For Busy Women [+ Free Download]
• 37 Morning Affirmations for Positive Thinking [PDF DOWNLOAD]
• 67 Small Ways to Romanticize Your Life & Why To Do It

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Posted By: Victoria · In: mindset