You can’t expect to radically transform your life overnight.
That being said, you can work to physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially improve your life day-by-day, aka glow up!
While a “glow up” is a seemingly popular buzzword that’s all over social media, it’s important to understand that to make meaningful change in your life, it takes adequate time and effort.
It can be overwhelming to commit to improving your life for the better.
That’s why in this article, you’ll learn about a 30 day glow up challenge you can try in your own life.
Here, you’ll find some top tips and habits you can incorporate to elevate your life in 1 month.
What is a Glow Up?
The term “glow up” is all over social media these days. Many glow up transformations online show people physically improving their looks for the better.
However, what most internet glow ups fail to show is just how much time, energy, and effort is involved with transforming your life.
Not to mention, glow ups are way more than just improving your physical appearance.
You can also glow up mentally, emotionally, and financially too!
When glowing up, you should try and take a comprehensive approach. In other words, working on your whole self.
While there’s nothing wrong with working towards elevating your appearance, it’s also important to do the “behind the scenes work”.
This may include working on your mental health and practicing self care to become the most confident version of yourself.
Tips for a Successful 30 Day Glow Up Challenge
You shouldn’t expect to dramatically glow-up overnight. Physically and mentally improving yourself takes adequate time and attention.
While this 30 day glow up challenge can help kickstart your self-improvement journey, it’s important to continue these habits even after this 1 month glow up challenge.
Here are some tips to keep in mind prior to starting your 30 day glow up challenge.
1. Focus on getting 1% better each day
Patience and consistent effort is essential. As long as you focus on getting just 1% better each day, you’re golden.
Making major changes too fast isn’t sustainable, and can easily fast track your way to burn out and disappointment later on.
Therefore, during your glow up journey, work towards getting better little by little each day.
2. Think long-term, not short-term
While this is technically a 30 day glow up challenge, try to think of these ideas as inspiration to continue after the 1 month challenge.
All of these habits can easily be incorporated into your daily life.
So, rather than looking at this 30 day glow up challenge in the short-term (just 1 month long), consistently use these habits long-term to form healthy, life-long habits.
3. Don't Compare Yourself to Others
During your glow up journey, you’ll likely compare yourself to others. Try to resist this!
Yes… I know it’s easier said than done, and you can certainly draw inspiration from certain individuals.
However, you shouldn’t ever directly compare where you are at in your life to another person’s life.
This will only slow down your progress towards becoming your best self.
30 Day Glow Up Checklist
30 Day Glow Up Challenge Plan
1. Journal Daily
Journaling can be a healthy way to learn more about yourself and get your ruminating thoughts down on paper.
Journaling is especially great if you feel stuck in life, or simply struggle with negative self-talk.
While journaling, try to observe patterns in your thinking and see how you can improve your thought pattern to encourage, rather than scrutinize yourself.
Not to mention, journaling can be a great way to track what’s going on in your present life.
Then, a couple months down the line, you can read old journal entries and see how far you’ve come in your glow up journey.
2. AM & PM Routine
Try to create a morning and nighttime routine to start and end your day off on the right foot.
Routines don’t necessarily have to be some elaborate, lengthy process.
However, routines can help streamline your life to ensure you are setting yourself up for success.
This can be as simple as packing your gym gear in your gym bag the night before.
This way, when you wake up the next morning to go to the gym, you don’t have to waste time deciding what to wear thanks to your night routine!
3. Use Face Masks
Your skin goes through a lot throughout the day.
Face masks provide the ability to hydrate and nourish your skin to look and feel its best.
Plus, face masks are a super easy self care idea that is sure to be relaxing and smell AMAZING.
Need a face mask recommendation?! Try using the LAPCOS Pearl Face Mask to brighten and hydrate your skin. Not to mention, these masks smell heavenly.
4. Drink More Water
The majority of your body is made up of water. Thus, make drinking water a priority.
Consider carrying around a water bottle to serve as a visual cue for you to drink water throughout the day.
5. Wear Perfume
There’s nothing like putting on your favorite perfume.
If you don’t have a signature scent already, this is a simple glow up hack to try.
Whether you are looking for a floral scent, or a natural, subtle scent, the choice is yours.
Just be sure to pick a perfume that isn’t too strong/ artificial-smelling!
6. Organize Your Space
From organizing your desk, to your bedroom, to your closet, and more, there are soooo many ways you can organize your space.
I’m a strong believer in the saying: “A messy room is a messy mind”.
So, try to get into the habit of organizing your space.
Not only will organizing your space help you feel less overwhelmed, but having a specific location for each item you own will make cleaning/ organizing much easier.
7. Get a manicure or pedicure
Whether you opt to go to a nail salon or paint your own nails at home, consider getting a manicure or pedicure!
This is a great physical glow up tip that will make you feel your best.
Plus, don’t be afraid to change up your nail look.
For instance, if you want to get a professional manicure done, consider going outside your comfort zone such as getting acrylics if you’ve never had them before!
8. Try Self-Tanner
I know, self-tanner can be daunting, especially if you’ve never self-tanned before.
But… trust me, self-tanner is truly LIFE-CHANGING.
Tanning outside can negatively impact your skin’s health.
Rather than 1) putting your skin’s health at risk or 2) feeling self-conscious about your pale complexion, consider self-tanning.
Self-tan provides an easy way to achieve a gorgeous tan without damaging your skin.
If you’ve never self-tanned before, consider testing a small, hidden section of your body (i.e. a part of your stomach) and seeing how the tan looks on that small section.
This way if, worse case scenario, you don’t like the shade of your self tan, you won’t make the mistake of covering your entire body in an unflattering tan.
Some of my go-to self-tan brands are Isle of Paradise and Loving Tan.
Each provide a natural tan for a subtle but gorgeous glow.
9. Get at least 8 hours of sleep
Getting at least 8 hours of sleep is essential to improve your life.
This is because sleep is closely connected to your performance, not to mention your overall health and well-being.
Do you struggle to stay focused and maintain your productivity throughout the day?
A lack of sleep may be to blame!
Therefore, to prioritize sleep, set clear goals of when you want to go to bed and wake up each day.
Try to stick with these time constraints.
While it’s okay every once and awhile to go to bed late because you were out with friends, on nights you can go to bed at a decent hour try to do so.
Binge watching your favorite TV series can wait for another time!
10. Prioritize reading
Reading can be a great way to expand your knowledge & interests.
If you struggle to focus while you read, consider the types of books you are reading.
Are you actually interested/curious in the books you’re reading? Or, are you just trying to read a certain book because it’s “trendy” book on social media?
There are soooo many different genres of books from self-help to fantasy, so be sure to pick books you think you’ll actually enjoy reading.
11. Use teeth whiteners
Do you constantly brush your teeth but still struggle with dull, yellow teeth?
Teeth whiteners are an easy way to achieve a brighter smile.
Your smile and teeth are one of the first things people notice about you.
Therefore, get into the habit of using teeth whiteners about once a week.
Just be aware that whitening your teeth can cause some sensitivity!
I LOVE the Crest 3D Whitestrips with LED light. They get the job done when it comes to effectively whitening your teeth and are easy to throw on at home or while you're getting ready to go out.
12. Get your hair done
Getting your hair done or even changing up your hairstyle is another great glow up idea.
Whether you want to dye your hair a completely different color, get some subtle highlights, or chop your hair, consider changing up or hairstyle.
Also, consider trying different easy hairstyles at home such as different braiding techniques and ways to style your hair to enhance your appearance.
13. Spruce up your makeup routine
Makeup can be a great way to enhance your natural beauty.
If you are new to the world of makeup, consider learning how to use makeup to enhance your look.
Some key makeup product essentials include mascara, foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, and highlighter.
Meanwhile, if you’ve been using the same old makeup products and looks for some time, consider switching up and experimenting with different makeup products.
For instance, if you don’t use eyeliner, try a simple winged liner look. You never know– you just might find your new favorite makeup product!
Also, when it comes to sprucing up your makeup routine, be sure to throw away any expired makeup products.
Using expired makeup products can put your skin at risk for developing some pretty nasty breakouts.
14. Exercise Consistently
Exercise is a great for both your physical and mental health.
Whether you enjoy weight lifting, running, swimming, biking, rock climbing, yoga, there are countless ways to exercise.
Not only will exercising consistently help you look and feel your best, but exercising can be the perfect stress reliever!
Don’t be afraid to try new exercise routines and workout classes to find a form of exercise you enjoy.
15. Eat a balanced diet
Try to eat a well-balanced diet. Whether you are looking to lose some weight or simply feel more energized throughout the day, try eating healthier foods.
This doesn’t necessarily mean cutting out all your favorite snack foods you know and love!
However, this does mean eating junk food in moderation, rather than all the time.
When it comes to eating nutritious meals, try cooking more and trying new recipes.
Plus, for the snack foods you simply can’t live without, try finding healthier alternatives to your favorite snacks.
16. Use a Planner
Staying organized is key to getting tasks done efficiently without feeling constantly stressed and overwhelmed.
If you find you constantly are missing deadlines or struggle with procrastination, try using a planner.
A planner helps serve as a reminder where you can keep track of all the important dates, from birthdays to important work deadlines, so you never miss a thing!
Plus, a planner can serve as a way to keep on track with your work and be accountable for completing tasks in a timely manner.
17. Reduce Screen Time
Throughout the 30 day glow up challenge, try to limit the amount of time you use your phone.
You’d be surprised to learn how much time you waste on your phone each day!
While a simple scroll through your favorite social media platforms may seem harmless, this can be potentially robbing you of hours of time each week!
Here are some helpful tips on how to effectively reduce your screen time:
1. Don’t use your smartphone as your alarm clock. Instead opt for an actual alarm clock. This way you don’t waste 30 plus minutes in bed each day scrolling on your phone.
2. Delete social media apps on your phone. Scrolling on social media can take up a large amount of time. Not to mention, excessive social media use is often linked to negative effects on your mental health.
3. Place your phone out of sight. If you constantly procrastinate and scroll on your phone rather than completing your work, try to store your phone away in your bag or in a separate room. Out of sight, out of mind!
18. Prioritize your skincare routine
Taking care of your skin is important.
If you don’t already, create a morning and nighttime skincare routine.
This will ensure your skin is not only clean, but well hydrated and nourished.
A basic skincare routine may look like this: Wash your face with a gentle cleanser, exfoliate (twice per week), moisturize.
Also, ALWAYS wear a facial sunscreen each day and remove all your makeup before you go to bed!
19. Get out of your comfort zone
Trying new things is a great way to learn more about yourself and grow as an individual.
While at first trying new things may sound daunting, consistently going out of your comfort zone will help build your self-confidence.
Not to mention, you never what could come from going outside of your comfort zone.
Some examples of going out of your comfort zone may include trying a different hairstyle or makeup look, going to a new workout class or gym, trying a new hobby (i.e. rock climbing, painting, joining a book club, etc.)
20. Try going makeup free
As much as you may LOVE makeup, try going makeup free for at least a few days to a week.
This will help your skin essentially detox and breathe without any heavy foundation on.
Additionally, this may be especially helpful if you are currently struggling with stubborn breakouts.
Makeup, especially wearing face makeup day in and day out, can increase your risk of developing acne.
While going makeup free, this can also be a great time to clean your makeup brushes and throw out expired makeup products!
21. Revamp your style
Your wardrobe is a fun way to showcase your unique style and personality.
If you wear the same old clothes day in and day out, consider investing in a few quality pieces to revamp your style.
Don’t be afraid to venture out and explore different clothing styles.
Plus, consider getting a variety of pieces to mix-and-match.
While going out of your comfort zone when it comes to style is important, be sure you are picking clothes that are 1) flattering to your figure and 2) are comfortable to wear.
Otherwise, your new piece of clothing may very well end up in the back of your closet… never to be seen again!
22. Detox from Social Media
Similar to limiting your overall screen time on your phone, try to decrease your social media use.
While social media can be a great way to connect with friends online, social media can also be harmful to your mental health.
So… rather than scrolling through Instagram, use this extra hour each day to read, cook, exercise, or work on a side hustle in this newfound free time.
23. Invest in Quality Accessories
Just like revamping your wardrobe is important, it’s just as important to invest in quality accessories.
Accessories can be a super easy way to elevate any outfit.
Whether it be a claw clip, scrunchie, hat, headband, or new piece of jewelry, consider investing in quality accessories you know you’ll use long-term.
For instance, invest in high-quality jewelry such as rings, necklaces, earrings that won’t tarnish after a few days time.
24. Set Clear Financial Goals
Budgeting and becoming financially savvy is another way to glow up your life.
If you aren’t already, be sure to clearly layout financial goals you wish to accomplish over the next month or year.
For instance, this could be saving $1000 this month to buy a new laptop.
Or, you could have a goal of paying off the entirety of your student loans in 1 year.
Just be sure whatever financial goals you set are reasonable and realistic.
Otherwise, setting unrealistic goals can make you 1) less likely to follow through with your goals and 2) disappointed when you don’t achieve them.
25. Listen to podcasts that interest you
Podcasts are a great way to expand your knowledge on a variety of topics.
Whether you’re curious about self-help, productivity, relationships, financial literacy, there are sooo many amazing podcasts available.
Not to mention, you can easily multitask and turn on a podcast while you’re on a walk, cooking, cleaning, or whatever it may be.
26. Donate Old Clothes
Donating old clothes can be a great way to both 1) clean/ organize your closet 2) give back to those in need.
If you find your closet is full, but you can never find anything to wear, this may be the sign you need to take the time to go through and donate all your old clothes!
This will also help create more space in your closet and will give you a better idea of where your wardrobe may be lacking.
27. Complete Tasks you’ve been procrastinating
We all have things that are on our to-do lists, but never get done.
Whatever your reason for procrastinating, during this 30 day glow up challenge, this can be the perfect time to finally complete all those tasks you’ve been holding off.
Plus, this can also help you incorporate to-do lists moving forward in your life, and stop procrastinating!
28. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
Your skin goes through a lot on a daily basis.
Therefore, be sure to moisturize both your face and body.
Dry skin is not only unflattering, but can get itchy, flaky, and cause irritation which is never good.
Be sure to use the appropriate moisturizer for your face and body.
Don’t forget to moisturize your lips too!
29. Practice Self Care
Self care is a great way to physically and mentally work on yourself.
This can be as simple as intentionally taking the time to have a self care bath or shower.
Life can be busy, that’s why it’s important you’re intentional with your self care and schedule out when you practice self care.
Otherwise, your life may very well get in the way of that much needed time to yourself that you may need to feel rested and recharged.
30. Set Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Goals help guide your life.
Without goals, it can be difficult to take action and know what to do/ what you want out of life.
Therefore, be sure to set clear short-term and long-term goals for yourself.
This could range from personal to professional goals.
For example, you may have a short-term financial goal to save $5000 this year.
Or, you may have a long-term goal of achieving a certain job title in X number of years.
Whatever, your goal, be sure to make it specific so you can better take actionable steps towards achieving each of your goals.
Setting goals can also help keep you accountable in striving to be better, even after this 30 day glow up challenge!
Take Action: Start Your 30 Day Glow Up Challenge
There’s no time like the present to start your glow up journey!
Remember, consistency and patience is key to truly glow up.
While this 30 day glow up challenge is a great way to kickstart your journey, try to continue these healthy habits after the 1 month challenge.
Just imagine who you can become by just getting 1% better each day!
Other Posts You May Like:
17 Simple Tips to Glow Up Mentally
The Ultimate Glow Up Checklist to Be Your Best Self
Top 10 Beauty Tips for Face at Home for Glowing Skin
