Can you survive a day without browsing your Facebook or Instagram feed? How about giving up soda, sweets or junk food? Are you strong enough to ditch alcohol, cigarettes or other vices you may have for good? If you can boast of strong willpower and commendable self-control, you can probably say yes to the above challenges without flinching. This is because you have the resilience and discipline to give up (or limit) things you like or are accustomed to, especially if doing so will bring amazing benefits. You know all too well that these are the kinds of challenges that may test your limits and bring some discomfort. But nevertheless, they help you become the best version of yourself. If you are ready to challenge yourself and transform your life for the better, you may want to try the following challenges:
- No social media challenge.
With all the things you can do on social media today, a day or two of not logging into your accounts is enough to make you feel like you are majorly missing out on something. But if you give yourself the time to ponder about your relationship with social media, being active online can also make you lose time over other more important or worthwhile activities in the offline world. Social media can indeed be very useful, but reducing the time spent on it can be more beneficial for your wellbeing. A research study proves a positive link between social media use and depression. So give yourself a mental break and try a social media detox. You will have more time on your hands and lead a more fulfilling life. In addition to social media, you may also want to take time-off from digital devices such as mobile phones and laptops. This is a good way to remind yourself that even without gadgets, you can still function fairly well.
- No negative thoughts.
Despite the popularity of all the wonderful benefits of positive thinking, many people still choose to dwell on pessimism. This is likely because it is not easy to stay optimistic and happy when things don’t go according to plan. But if you wish to turn a bad situation around, dwelling on negative thoughts will not be beneficial. On the contrary, the decision to stay positive will motivate and inspire you to overcome anything. So if you want to do yourself a big favor, try to stick to a mindset that crushes all negative thoughts. According to the law of attraction theory, thinking positively and expecting good things helps us achieve the things we desire most in life. Moreover, positive thoughts have been proven by numerous studies to relieve stress and anxiety. It also increases a person’s likelihood to succeed. Along with thoughts, words also have the power to influence our mood and behavior. So you may want to make this challenge more interesting and beneficial by resolving not to utter any unkind or negative words to yourself or others.
- No-meat challenge
People who want to maintain a healthy weight are often advised to go easy on meat and processed foods. So one thing you can do that your body will thank you for is to cut back on meat consumption. This is not a very easy task for those who enjoy meat products. You can, however, make it doable by gradually reducing your meat intake. One thing you can do is adopt a routine that is similar to the meatless Monday method. This simple challenge can go a long way in preventing diseases. A study done by Harvard University revealed that consumption of red meat increases one’s risk of developing diabetes. You may also be glad to know that aside from its health benefits, fasting on meat is also one way to save Mother Earth. Apparently, the livestock industry is one of the major causes of global warming.
It is probably tempting to daydream about a challenge-free life. A world where you can do anything you want or get everything you wish for without encountering any difficulties. However, living without risks or problems to solve would likely be pretty dull and boring. People may dread challenges, but no one can deny that overcoming trials paves the way for learning and improvement. So to keep on growing and improving, continually seek out ways to challenge yourself.
