30-day glow up challenge
Let's glow up together! Spend 30 days with us working towards becoming the best versions of ourselves. Feel free to share and tag us on your socials if you come along on this challenge! @sisterlytribe 
Day 1: Start drinking at least two liters of water daily
You have probably heard this before, but we can't stress it enough. Year after year, the new year's resolution is to drink more water – let's make it happen this time!
Studies show that water helps with skin hydration, helps your physical and mental performance as well as it can help to prevent headaches. Drinking lots of water is a great way to start off your glow up-journey, get yourself a nice water bottle and keep it close to you at all times!
Day 2: Start meditating at least five minutes a day
Your glow also comes from the inside, so why not start there. The challenge for day two might speak for itself – the health benefits of meditation are many. It reduces stress and anxiety, can promote emotional health through improved self-image and even enhances self-awareness. Moreover, meditation lengthens attention span and can help you with mind-wandering and worry. And the best part, you can do it anywhere!
Day 3: Drink peppermint tea before bed
Peppermint tea does not only taste good, it can also improve your sleep. It is caffeine free and helps your muscles relax. On top of this, peppermint tea may freshen your breath, and can relieve digestive symptoms such as bloating.
Day 4: Start walking on a daily basis
Walking is a great glow up-tip for multiple reasons. First and foremost, walking strengthens your heart and lowers your blood sugar. As for your mental health, walking boosts your energy, improves your mood and may help with creative thinking.
It's free, easy, and can be done whenever you feel like it. While you do it, breathe in some fresh air and appreciate your surroundings!
Day 5: Sleep around 8 hours every night
Enough sleep is everything if you are looking for a glow up. Getting enough sleep can maximize your athletic performance, enhance your endurance and prevent depression. In addition, your ability to regulate emotions and interact socially may improve.
Eight hours is said to be the magic number, but keep in mind that your need depends on your lifestyle, biology and environment. However, make sure to have a sleeping routine that you stick to.
Day 6: Start journaling
If you're not already journaling, start now. Journaling can help you cope with stress and process feelings if you're feeling overwhelmed. It may also boost health and wellbeing as it can improve your mood and lower blood pressure. If you want to deepen your self-discovery, journaling is a great way to do so – writing down your feelings, thoughts and experiences can help you discover new parts of yourself.
Tips on what to write in your journal
- Feeling and thoughts that you feel in the moment
- Things or people you are grateful for.
- Goals and aspirations.
- Affirmations.
Day 7: Do yoga
We all want improved strength, flexibility and mental health, right? The challenge for day seven is to do some yoga – and preferably to keep doing so a few times a week to keep the routine. Besides this, yoga can help you relieve stress, inflammation and anxiety, as well as it can improve your self-esteem. Hot girls have great self-esteem (and wear Sisterly Tribe😉).
These accounts are have some of our favorite routines
Day 8: Create a skincare routine and stick to it
A nice morning- and night routine is not only calming, but also good for your skin. Find your most loved products that fit your skin type and take some time for yourself. Never forget to remove your makeup before bed!
Be gentle to your skin and take it carefully if you want to try new products with acids.
Day 9: Listen to an inspiring podcast
While taking a walk, cooking dinner or cleaning – listen to an inspirational podcast. This can spike your motivation. Also, learning new things feels good, it just does. Podcasts are great company if you are struggling with something – often there are podcasts that you can relate to and lower your feeling of loneliness.
Good podcasts
- Date Yourself Instead
- The Mindset Mentor
- On Purpose with Jay Shetty
- Hot Girl Energy Podcast
Day 10: Write down your goals
Take some time for yourself and write down all of your goals. Big and small, long and short term. Think about what to do in order to reach them, and why it's a goal of yours. So far, this challenge is so far mostly about doing the inner work as your glow also comes from inside.
The key is to describe them as vividly as possible – it helps you remember and it can be a visual cue to spike your motivation.
Day 11: Write down at least five things that you are grateful for
Appreciation and gratitude are scientifically proven to benefit your health, but how? Well, as you practice gratitude your stress can be reduced, your immune system can get stronger as well as your sleep can improve. Get your notebook out and write down at least five things that you are grateful for and feel your mood shifting!
Day 12: Create a moodboard
Let your creativity flow and create a moodboard, after some yoga, journaling, inspirational podcasts and writing down your goals – you can probably feel a boost of energy and motivation. Let's do the best of this motivation and create a moodboard of your goals, intentions and aspirations in life. This is really a great way to manifest and visualize your goals!
Do it digitally, or why not do some cutouts from old magazines. Keep as background on your phone or computer. Maybe even print it out and keep it next to your bed or refrigerator as a gentle reminder.
Day 13: Start working out at least three times a week
Doing yoga, pilates or heavier workout – that is up to you. But set your intention to move your body in the way you prefer at least three times a week, it will boost your energy, your body and your mind. Combine strength, balance, cardio and flexibility. And make it fun!
Day 14: Scrub your body and moisturize
Even though working on internal aspects of your body, taking care of your external is of importance as well. A great way to glow (quite literally), is to scrub and moisturize your body. If you really do it mindfully, it can be considered as a form of meditation. Win-win!
Day 15: Spend time with your friends and family
Spending time with the people you love will prevent feelings of loneliness, reduce stress and give you emotional support. The sense of belonging is one of our needs according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs – developing and maintaining these relationships will foster feelings of belonging.
Day 16: Organize and clean your home
Some might say that cleaning is like therapy, some might hate it. But, an organized home helps to keep your mind organized too. A clean and organized home is not only aesthetically pleasing, it can also lower your stress levels. Do it mindfully, and see it as a form of meditation.
Watch some TikToks of profiles decluttering and cleaning their homes – it's both satisfying and motivating.
Day 17: Try Gua Sha
Gua Sha is trending, you couldn't have missed it. And if you have, you are in for a treat. For those who may not know, Gua Sha is a massage technique with a gua sha tool. Often focused on your face and neck, but can be performed on your back, arms and legs as well.
Gus Sha is definitely trending for a reason, it can help to improve blood circulation, headaches and neck pain. On top of that, some say it snatches and lifts your face. However, it feels good and is definitely worth a try!
Day 18: Don't check your phone the first two hours after waking up
Stop reaching for your phone the first thing you do in the morning. Just don't do it. As you immediately start to scroll through your feed on Instagram or TikTok you go straight from a so-called “daydreaming state” to being wide awake – this daydreaming state is important as it can help you tap into your subconscious mind. Try not to check your phone for at least two hours!
Things to do instead:
- Exercise or stretch
- Make a cup of coffee, smell, feel, taste – enjoy it!
- Meditate
- Journal
Day 19: Read a new book
Pretty similar to a podcast, reading a new book can be a way of learning something new. But, it can also be relaxing. Throw yourself into a fantasy world and leave all your worries behind. Reading before going to bed is a great way to wind down after a long and stressful day.
Day 20: Have a date with yourself
It's sometimes easy to forget the importance of spending quality time with yourself, and doing it wholeheartedly. Take a bath, go to your favorite restaurant, buy your favorite snack or watch your favorite movie. Be creative, make time for you, and make it special – as if you were on a date with someone else.
Being comfortable in your own company is important for many reasons, it's actually scientifically proven that alone time increases empathy and may help you build mental strength as it can improve stress management and increase happiness.
Day 21: Start doing daily affirmations
By starting to repeat positive and affirming words to yourself you will feel your confidence rise. Positive affirmations can help you counter your negative thoughts and quiet your mind.
Make sure that your positive affirmations align with your life and your values, make them personal. Write them down or say them out loud to yourself in the mirror every morning – there is no way of doing it wrong.
Examples
- I deserve to be happy
- I love my body
- I am strong/smart/worthy/enough
- I don't chase, I attract
Day 22: Tint your eyebrows
Tinting your eyebrows can save you some time in the morning, waking up with freshly tinted brows is always nice. It doesn't take long, and it can really make a difference. Make some time for yourself and get those eyebrows on fleek!
Day 23: Stretch your body
Stretch your body and feel your range of motion increase. Stretching can amongst other things improve your blood flow, improve performance in physical activities, prevent back pain and relieve stress. If you want to practice mindfulness, stretching can be a way to do so as it calms your mind.
Start slowly, listen to your body, and be careful.
Two lovely stretching-routines
Day 24: Make your favorite meal
Cooking can sometimes be exhausting, but do something nice for yourself – something you love and do it with all your senses. Make it mindfully and enjoy it. Maybe put on some music or a podcast if you want company.
Day 25: Avoid your phone two hours before bed
If you want to glow up, sleep is important – we've already stated this. So let's incorporate one more trick to sleep even better.
Using your phone close to your bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle as the blue light on your phone inhibits melatonin production and makes you more alert. Therefore you should avoid your phone before going to bed. Create a new bedtime routine and try to stay consistent, this can help you fall asleep easier.
Things to do instead
- Read a book
- Meditation
- Stretching
- Drink peppermint tea
- Journal
- Skincare
Day 26: Tell someone how grateful you are for them
Apart from writing down things that you are grateful for, actually telling someone how grateful you are for them is a perfect way of practicing gratitude. It does good, not only for you but also to the person you are expressing your gratitude towards. Practicing gratitude makes us happier.
Day 27: Do breath work
We breathe, right? But probably not consciously – the challenge for day 27 is to do some breathing exercises in order to deepen relaxation and improve your mood. It's a form of meditation and can reduce stress anxiety, as well as it can improve your focus and promote creativity.
Breathing exercises
- 4-7-8 breathing
- Box breathing
- Alternate nostril breathing
Day 28: Perform an act of kindness
Acts of kindness feels good – but not only that. By performing acts of kindness stress can be reduced and it can also improve your emotional well-being. As you do something for someone else, feelings of happiness, optimism and satisfaction can increase.
Tips on what to do
- Donate to charity
- Volunteering
- Give up your seat on the bus
- Bring your colleague or friend a coffee
Day 29: Paint your nails
Spend some time with yourself and paint your nails, fresh nails can definitely make you feel slightly more fresh and glowy. It's also a great opportunity to take some relaxing time for yourself.
Day 30: Relax.
Do whatever you feel is relaxing, it could be meditation, it could be yoga, or it could be reading a book. It can also be to simply spend the evening on the sofa with your favorite snacks or taking a walk. What relaxes us is individually, days with no musts are just as important for our mental and physical well being as it is to journal, moving your body or eating healthy. Let yourself and your mind take a well deserved rest.
