# 30-day self care challenge for softer days

Self care does not need a spa day. It is a few small, kind things, done most days. Keep four tiny habits for 30 days, and let each day add one small prompt on top.

30 days, four habits a day.

## The rules: four small habits

Small enough for a busy day, kind enough to look forward to. Do all four, every day.

| Habit | How often | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Morning glass of water | Every day | Morning |
| Step outside | Every day | Midday |
| Journal one line | Every day | Evening |
| Wind down, phone away | Every day | Before bed |

- **Morning glass of water**: Before coffee, before your phone. Keep a glass by your bed so it is the first thing you reach for.
- **Step outside**: Ten minutes of fresh air, in any weather. A walk to the shop counts.
- **Journal one line**: One line about today: how you felt, or one good thing. Then close the notebook.
- **Wind down, phone away**: Put the phone down 20 minutes before sleep and do something soft: a book, a stretch, a warm drink.

## The plan: 30 days, one small step each

Keep the rules every day, and add the day's prompt on top. Swap any prompt for one you like better.

### Week 1: Notice what helps

- Day 1: Write 3 things that cheer you up
- Day 2: Make your bed
- Day 3: Eat one meal without a screen
- Day 4: Text a friend just to say hi
- Day 5: Tidy one small corner
- Day 6: Take a slow shower
- Day 7: Go to bed 20 minutes early

### Week 2: Look after your body

- Day 8: Stretch for five minutes
- Day 9: Cook something simple and warm
- Day 10: Wear your comfiest clothes
- Day 11: Dance to one song
- Day 12: Take a longer walk
- Day 13: Drink something warm, slowly
- Day 14: Have a lazy morning

### Week 3: Be kind to your mind

- Day 15: Write yourself a kind note
- Day 16: Unfollow one account that drains you
- Day 17: Read a few pages for fun
- Day 18: Sit quietly for five minutes
- Day 19: Say no to one thing
- Day 20: Make a playlist that calms you
- Day 21: Spend an hour offline

### Week 4: Your space and your people

- Day 22: Open the windows for fresh air
- Day 23: Put fresh sheets on the bed
- Day 24: Call someone you miss
- Day 25: Pick or buy yourself flowers
- Day 26: Clear your phone's home screen
- Day 27: Do something just for fun
- Day 28: Plan a small treat for next week

### Days 29 and 30: Keep what you loved

- Day 29: Read back your journal lines
- Day 30: Choose the habits you'll keep

## If you miss a day

Missing a day is part of any challenge, not the end of it. Pick up with the next day's prompt and carry on. A month of most days is still a month of small habits kept.

In Cozy, a busy day does not have to cost you a streak: skip the habit for the day and its streak holds. Away or unwell for a while? Pause the habit, and its streak waits for you.

More on [what to do when you miss a day](https://www.cozyhabittracker.com/blog/missed-a-day).

## Keep the challenge in Cozy

Make these four habits in Cozy and tick each one off as you go. The cards fill with color and your streak counts the days.

## Three tips for 30 days

### Shrink it on hard days

A sip of water and one word in your journal still count. The point is to show up, not to do it perfectly.

### Tie it to what you already do

Water when your alarm goes off, the journal line after dinner. Linking habits like this is [habit stacking](https://www.cozyhabittracker.com/blog/habit-stacking).

### Make the prompts yours

Swap any day's prompt for one you like better. For more small ideas, see these [self care habits](https://www.cozyhabittracker.com/habit-ideas/self-care).

## Rather use paper?

Print the [self care tracker](https://www.cozyhabittracker.com/printables/self-care-tracker), stick it on the fridge and color in a box for each day.

## Questions

### What is a 30 day self care challenge?

A month of small, kind habits done every day, often with a little prompt for each day. It makes looking after yourself a normal part of the day instead of a rare treat.

### What should I do every day?

Keep it to three or four small habits, like a glass of water, a few minutes outside, one line in a journal and a calm wind down. Add the day's prompt when you have time.

### How long does it take each day?

Only a few minutes per habit. The walk and the wind down take the longest, and both can be short on a busy day.

### What if I miss a day?

Carry on with the next day. In Cozy you can skip a habit for a busy day without losing its streak, or pause it for a while.

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This page on the web: https://www.cozyhabittracker.com/challenges/30-day-self-care-challenge