7 Inspirational 30-day Challenges to Beat the January Blues ...

Such a simple habit to drink 5-8 glasses of water a day and yet so many of us are not drinking our recommended daily quota. Our bodies are made up of 70% water, so by hydrating we are fueling our body to help it run at its best. Water is great for our skin, brains and waistline, so why wouldn’t we take up any of the 30-day challenges to drink 8 glasses of water a day? Stop feeling sluggish and make this simple lifestyle change; this is a great habit to start in 2014.

The 30-day challenges are about making small steps in your lifestyle, things that are attainable and can hopefully maintained long after January. One of my personal vices is having sugar in my tea. Rather than kicking tea or coffee altogether, perhaps start slowly by drinking your beverages without sugar. Similarly another great habit to kick is to say goodbye to sugary fizzy drinks such as cola and instead opt for healthy choices. You will be surprised by just how much sugar you are guzzling!

We have all had those hellish days at work, where when you get home you just don’t have the energy or enthusiasm to socialise after work hours, but frequently turning down your friends in favour of a cosy night on the couch is a bad habit to get into. This January make a greater effort to see your friends by either by setting up social engagements every night of the week or simply accepting all offers to socialize for the whole of January. Snuggling up on a friends couch to watch a film is way more fun than watching a film solo.

Health experts recommend that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. A fantastic 30-day challenge is to build in a 30 minute walk or jog into your morning routine. I recently started walking two miles to work every day, simply because it took the same time as catching the bus – and now I feel fantastic. When I arrive I feel full of beans and ready to go, and would recommend to everybody to make this change in their lifestyle, your body will love you for it.

Make January the month to relax and spend time with yourself. Everyone is different in how they like to spend their time alone, you may want to try 15 minutes of daily meditation, yoga, reading a book, playing guitar or writing in a reflective journal. The important thing here is to pick something than will help you relax and reflect, and get rid of any unwanted stresses from the previous year.

Set yourself a sexy feminine challenge – something fun, that will boost your self-image. You might want to opt to wear a dress or skirt every day or try a new make-up or face care routine. Another great one is to see if you can wear a different hair style for 30-days – it will be difficult to go back to wearing a pony tail every day once you have discovered some new hair care tricks. Setting a beauty challenge is a great way to reassess your style and beauty habits.

My final suggestion is a 30-day cooking challenge. Pick a new recipe every day and spend your evenings making delicious meals for yourself and your family. This is an awesome excuse to try new meals and cooking styles. You could even take it up a notch by choosing dishes from around the world, cooking a classic dish from each country. Have a culinary self-discovery and at the end of the month invite all your friends over to show of your new cooking skills.

Remember 30-day challenges are about making new habitats that could last a life-time. The challenges need to be fairly easy and attainable, otherwise you won’t stick to them. They are a great way to reinvent who you are. If you have always been envious of girls that can wear high heels every day, well why not give it a try for 30 days? Maybe you will like the change, or maybe you will be missing your UGG boots, either way January is a great opportunity to be the girl you always wanted to be. What 30-day challenge will you be taking up this New Year?