21-Day Glow-Up Challenge: Summon Your New Best Self in 3 Weeks

21-Day Glow-Up Challenge Week One

Your first week would be the one with the most tasks to fit into your daily life.

That’s on purpose, though!

It is Now you are inspired to do this challenge, and it is Now when you’re ready to push through with the hardest stuff! The following two weeks would feel like a breeze once you’ve accustomed yourself to these four tasks.

To clarify, the tasks below are the four things you want to do every day for the first seven days of the challenge.

Daily Habit: Hydrate

I want to roll my eyes at the lack of originality pouring through my fingers!

But hey!

Listen to this: the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies states that most women need 2.7 liters of fluids entering their bodies daily (that’s water and fluids from food and other beverages). For men, this number is slightly higher—3.7 liters.

However, they also mention that those numbers should vary depending on our age and the climate of the country we live in. People in warmer countries would naturally need more fluids to keep themselves properly hydrated.

Therefore, I cannot tell you to drink more water, but I can tell you – educate yourself on how much water you need, and if you don’t meet that need, it is your first task of this glow-up challenge.

You can estimate your recommended intake by using this Daily Water Intake Calculator right here. Stick as close to the numbers it gives as you can in the next 21 days.

Daily Habit: Your Five-a-Day

Nutrition and gut health are huge parts of your glow-up because when you are healthy, your mood improves, you can trust your body, you feel good in it, and you also automatically look much better. So, it’s a “eat good to look good” type of situation.

Your five-a-day part of the challenge would be the one that requires the most effort. Why? You might have to invest some money in getting yourself those fruits and veggies (the farmer’s market is your best friend here), and you also need to include those foods in your diet actively.

No, it isn’t as complicated as it sounds. If you stick to cooked meals, you will be more than halfway sorted. Canned and frozen meals count, too.

Five-a-day means taking five portions of 80g of fresh, canned, or frozen fruit or veg throughout the day. You can mix them however you like, and there are no limitations to the variety.

Daily Task: Physical Activity

You want to aim for 15-20 minutes of physical activity that matches your lifestyle and health condition. For some, this might be nothing as they already go to the gym 3-4 times a week. For others, this could mean going on a 20-minute slow walk around the neighborhood.

The idea behind this daily task is to put some fresh oxygen into your lungs and exercise your muscles. Yoga, HIIT workouts, Pilates, Zumba, walking your dog – I do not care what you decide to do as long as you dedicate 15-20 minutes to your body for the next 21 days.

Daily Task: Stick to Skincare

I can never tell you exactly what you need to do for your skincare routine because it depends on your skin.

Cleaning and moisturizing would be the base of it, though, so start there. The goal for this task is not to add more to your plate but to stick to the skincare you know makes you feel best.

Glow-Up Challenge Week Two

Now, assuming you completed the first seven days of this challenge, you can consider yourself a winner. You’ve hydrated your body, had a healthy dose of fruits and veggies daily, looked after your skin, and exercised for 20 minutes daily.

Sticking to those four things is absolutely enough if you’ve reached your limits! However, if you are ready to take it a step further and keep your momentum, here are the two extra tasks this week.

To clarify, you keep up with your daily tasks for the week and ADD one or both of the suggested daily tasks below.

Daily Task: STOP Sugary Drinks and Junk Food

I would assume you’ve done that on day one of the challenge, but if you haven’t… What’s the point of trying to glow up if you keep sabotaging yourself with excess sugar and junk food?

Now, sugar withdrawal is a real thing, so if you cannot stay away from sugar, reduce your intake and stay clear of junk food. Once this challenge is over, you can decide if going back to your previous lifestyle is worth it.

Daily Task: Pick a Book

Most glow-up challenges that mention books advise you to choose a self-help/self-improvement book for the challenge.

I say, stay away from those for now! Listen, I love those books too, and there are times I crave to read a good Tuesdays with Morrie type of book.

But right now, we want you to glow! We want you to be inspired and happy and radiate that positivity. Reading something you are absolutely obsessed with is so much better. It gives you that extra energy boost you might be missing during the second week of the challenge.

To put it this way: replace the junk food addiction with book addiction.

The options are limitless, and if you don’t have time to read, listening to audiobooks is just as fun! If you don’t have money to buy a book, go to the library. If it’s too far away, find something on YouTube!

Glow-Up Challenge Week Three

This would be the easiest week so far! You can choose only one of the tasks I suggest below, and it’s a success.

Daily Task: Gratitude

Write 3-5 things you are grateful for every day. The time of the day depends on your availability. You could write in your journal every morning, open your note app on your phone, and type your list while waiting for the subway, or you could grab this gratitude jar printable and keep it on your bedside table.

Daily Task: Meditate

Dedicate 10 minutes of your day to mental clarity and calmness and to staying in the present moment. You can sit in silence, focusing on your breathing, or follow a free meditation video on YouTube. Regardless, the effect will be quick and satisfying.