30 Day Happiness Challenge for your Happiest Month of the year

Happiness is a Habit

Happiness can sometimes feel elusive, as if feeling happy is out of our control. Actually, the opposite is true.

Happiness is a habit.

We can choose to be happy.

Research shows happiness is a choice, but the brain has a "negativity bias." This means we are more likely to focus on our problems rather than our pleasures. Here, at SunInMe.org, we have the perfect practice to change that: the 30 Day Happiness Challenge.

It takes 30 days to make or break a habit. This challenge will help you hone your happiness skills making you more aware of what depresses or uplifts you, so that happiness becomes a daily practice.

Happiness is Wholesome

The activities we share in the 30 day Happiness Challenge are enjoyable and easy to incorporate into our daily lives and inspired by the Eight Dimensions. This is a wholistic method that explores the most important life principles.

Attitude of Gratitude

Beyond doing these daily activities, we suggest the attitude of Gratitude: each and every day, write down three things you're thankful for. This simple yet effective exercise trains your brain to look for the positive celebrating your life for what it is in the present moment.

9 Habits of Positivity and Happiness

Before you start this 30-day happiness challenge, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the following 9 habits of positivity and happiness:

1. Be grateful and have faith in good and positive.
2. Look for solutions instead of problems.
3. Try to turn obstacles into opportunities.
4. Stay positive despite the negative; discard negative.
5. Be good to yourself and others. And don't expect an immediate return reward.
6. Find a purpose in caring for others.
7. Find meaning, inspiration, peace, and joy in something that will keep you busy (e.g. in art).
8. Having too many rules is stressful. Try to relax them.
9. Find meaning in lifelong learning and personal growth.

These habits represent the foundations of positive thinking, optimism, and a peaceful, fulfilled, happy life.

Whatever you do for the 30-day happiness challenge and in life in general, keep these fundamental nine habits of positivity and happiness in mind.

30-day challenge

So Lets get cracking and harness happiness! All it takes is one activity each day ... Enjoy!

If you want to print the 30-day plan of 'The 30 Day Happiness Challenge', we have prepared a print-friendly version in PDF format for you.

Day 1: Nature

Science Daily shares new research that proves spending as little as 10 minutes in a natural setting can lessen the effects of both physical and mental stress. So, luxuriate in the great outdoors bathing in the elements - Watch the clouds, sit with a tree, smell the flowers and your sense of well being will surely improve!

Day 2: Give a Gift

Do a random act of kindness. Maybe hold open the door, help someone with their shopping, pay a compliment or even give someone some flowers. These good deeds can make someone's day and cultivate compassion.

Day 3: Dance

Multiple studies confirm dancing and movement increases our levels of happiness due to the release of endorphins. Dancing connects our mind, body and soul whilst offering an emotional release. Whether it is in the privacy of your own home, in a dance class or in a club – Let go and have fun!

Day 4: The Eight dimensions of Wellness

Learn about the Eight Dimensions of Wellness which covers the most essential aspects of life to live happily. These aspects are: physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, occupational, financial, and environmental. Consider how to improve the weaker areas and commend yourself on the aspects which are strong.

Day 5: Meditate

Meditation is an amazing took to rewire our brain and de-stress. According to the 'happiness set point theory', we're naturally predisposed to worry and stress. Meditating regularly quiets those overactive areas of our brain strengthening the parts responsible for joy and pleasure. According to MindBodyGreen, studies illustrate that meditations shrinks the "amygdala" in our brain: a set of neurons that control anxiety and fear. Therefore, the smaller it is, the happier you'll feel.

Day 6: Affirmations

We are what we think. And what does thinking consist of? Words. Therefore, Affirmations are an incredible tool to work our happiness muscle. Find three or more affirmations that resonate with you and practice them. To boost low self esteem, The Law of Attraction recommends, "My Heart Is Always Open and I Radiate Love".

Day 7: Clean & Tidy

"Clear space, clear mind" may sound cliche. However, the Princeton Neuroscience Institute verified that too much visual stimuli within view, results in those stimuli battling for neural representation. Put simply, the more clutter you can see, the more easily you'll find yourself distracted.

Day 8: No Social Media for a day

We all know how addictive social media can be, essentially it is designed to be addictive. Take some time away and notice how you feel.

Day 9: Breathing techniques

The science of breathing stands on ancient foundations. Centuries of wisdom advise us to pay attention to our breath. Dr Herbert Benson proved its numerous positive affects on our well being. It calms the brain, regulates blood pressure, taps into the brain's emotional control regions and boosts the immune system. Most importantly, it engages the parasympathetic nervous system to counteract the nervous system's "fight or flight" response to stress.

Day 10: Music

Science Daily states that music not only affects our mood but can even change the way we perceive the world. It is a fast and fun way to feel good.

Day 11: Direct Sunlight

The hormone serotonin is responsible for happy moods. Healthline explains that serotonin is released when sunlight enters our retina. All it takes is twenty minutes a day, so get outside and feel the sun!

Day 12: Yoga

Yoga is a form of self discipline which actively cultivates contentment. Happier people do not live with less challenges. They still experience difficulties but they consciously choose contentment and they are more grateful for what they do have. Yoga helps us to embody this philosophy.

Day 13: Take Our Free Wellness Test

The Free Wellness Test is a fantastic opportunity to assess your capacity for happiness and it only takes 10 minutes. The questions are founded on the Eight Dimensions of Wellness making you more conscious of your unhealthy habits and motivating you to adopt attitudes that promote happiness. This test is a quick way to help you develop and maintain a healthy and positive lifestyle. Use this the link: https://suninme.org/wellness-test to take your free test today.

Day 14: Get Creative

The Journal of Positive Psychology suggests that creative activities cause an "upward spiral" of positive emotions providing us with a powerful sense of psychological well-being and feelings that we are "flourishing" in life. Creating and expressing ourselves offers us a sense of purpose. So be creative, whether it is drawing, writing, building, making a garden or something simple like creating a playlist of your favorite songs.

Day 15: Healthy Eating

Eating healthily not only strengthens and revitalizes the body and mind but can also be a lot of fun. Play with colors and textures making your meals vibrant and celebratory events.

Day 16: Explore

Visiting new places creates a sense of adventure. It can be exploring a new town, a new forest or perhaps going on holiday to a new destination. When we experience new places, we rewire our brains. New experiences are key to building new neural pathways in the brain. By rewiring our brain, we become more creative and accepting of new ideas. Traveling makes us happy.

Day 17: Uplifting Movie

Snuggle up and watch a Movie that makes you laugh. A great movie can encourage self help and improvement.

Day 18: Connect with your Inner Child

Remember what you loved to do as a child and a write a list of these passions. Visualize these memories feeling the joy and happiness in these actions.

Day 19: Plant Seeds

There are natural elements within the soil that boost serotonin levels acting like a natural mood enhancer. "Touching the soil, planting seeds and weeding, they are all positive sensory activities that make us happier", confirms Kids in the Garden author, Mary Moody.

Day 20: Listen to the Birds

Science Focus claims that bird watching in our local areas, such as in our gardens or neighborhoods, promotes relaxation and a deep sense of well being. It can even diminish depression, stress and anxiety. Listening to the birds deepens our sense of appreciation and brings us into the present moment.

Day 21: Hug Someone

Hugging is seriously underrated when it comes to feeling good. When we hug we release oxytocin, a chemical that scientists often call the "cuddle hormone". The higher levels of oxytocin we have, the happier and less stressed we feel. Hugging can even enhance our cardiovascular health as it lowers our baseline blood pressure, thus, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Day 22: Watch the Sunset

Witnessing the sun setting makes us feel more at one with nature. The beauty and awe of the sunset slows down our perception of time. According to 2012 research, participants who experienced 'awe' felt they had more time available and were less impatient. Experiencing a sense of 'awe' brings us into the present moment, researchers confirmed, "which demonstrates awe's capacity to adjust our perception of time and influence our decisions whilst making life feel more satisfying than it would otherwise."

Day 23: List 10 Positive Attributes

Write a list of your positive attributes. This exercise can improve our sense of self worth and confidence. Accepting and loving ourselves is integral to being happy. Recognizing and appreciating what we like about ourselves is an important step.

Day 24: Play with Animals

The Harvard Health research shows that interaction with animals like dogs, cats and even horses can have both immediate and long-lasting impacts on our mental well-being. Psychology Today explains how it increases our levels of oxytocin. Oxytocin, is known as the "love hormone,": it is a neurotransmitter that calms our nervous system down, relaxing us, whilst also increasing our ability to trust.

Day 25: Exercise for 20 minutes

When we exercise, it increases endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline and endocannabinoid. These are all brain chemicals associated with feeling happy, feeling confident, feeling capable, feeling less anxiety and stress and even less physical pain.

Day 26: Inspirational Podcast and Videos

Podcasts and inspirational YouTube Videos are brilliant ways to educate, motivate and inspire ourselves. They can even be life changing by offering new perspectives and practical tips on how to be happy.

Day 27: Make Food From Scratch

Making food from scratch is healthy, creative and grounds us in the present moment. It is a nourishing, homely activity that can bring people together.

Day 28: Spend time with Someone You Love

Developing strong and healthy relationships with our loved ones brings happiness into our life. The stronger and deeper our relationships with our loved ones, the happier we are. The Dalai Lama said, "when we feel kindness and love for others, it not only makes others feel cared for and loved but it also aids us in developing inner peace and happiness".

Day 29: Visit Water

Marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, calls it 'The Blue Mind'. Water makes us happy enhancing peaceful, meditative states. A river, a lake, the ocean or even the bathtub! Water makes us calmer. Research has shown that being near, in, on or under water lowers stress, increases our sense of well-being and boosts creativity.

Day 30: Journal

Start a journal today. Write about your emotions, track your daily habits, write down goals and list the things you really appreciate in your life right now. This will bring greater awareness to what makes you feel happy.

Conclusion

Congratulations on the successful completion of the challenge! This 30 Day Happiness Challenge has given you tools to feel more content, to be more mindful, and to feel more appreciation for the present moment.

After 30 days, that's not the end of your happiness journey. We hope that you will have perseverance and the will to continue to develop habits and actions that increase your inner joy, peace, and health.

If you like this page, why not share this 30 Day Happiness Challenge with others? Together, through small actions, you will be smiling every day. After all, happiness is infectious!

Take our challenges and watch your life transform.
For more 30-day challenges at SunInMe.org check:

• 30 Day Challenge: Habits of Successful People for your Success
• 30-Day Wellness Challenge for more Health and Happiness
• 30 Day Yoga and Mindfulness Challenge