The 30-day thinking well challenge
Thinking well helps you to live well. With practice, you can learn to think about things in ways that help you to be a more positive, open-minded and healthy person. As many experts have pointed out, ‘you are what you think’.
To help you to think well, here’s a list of 30 small activities. If you start with number one on the first of the month, it’ll be easy to keep track of where you are. You can swap them around if you wish; just remember to keep a note of the changes you’ve made. The main thing is to complete a different activity every day for 30 days. Enjoy.
Thinking well daily activities
1.Make a list of five things you are grateful for.
2.Respond positively to everyone you interact with.
3.Write a poem about your favourite topic.
4.Have a go at a cryptic crossword.
5.Choose a favourite book and start reading it again.
6.Send a message of gratitude to someone who supports or helps you.
7.Write a letter to someone you are missing and tell them what they mean to you.
8.Play a favourite song and write down the memories you associate with it.
9.List all the things you would do if you won a million dollars.
10.Phone a friend and reminisce about the first time you met.
11.Watch a fact-based documentary on television or Netflix.
12.Do the word builder in today’s newspaper.
13.Complete a jigsaw puzzle.
14.Listen to a talkback radio station for 30 minutes.
15.Look at old photographs and write captions for your favourites.
16.Write a letter to your 40-year-old self about all the things you’ve achieved.
17.Make a list of five people who inspire you and explain why.
18.Make a list of foods beginning with P.
19.Listen to classical music for 30 minutes or longer.
20.Try a Sudoku puzzle.
21.Plan three acts of kindness and carry them out.
22.Set a goal that involves learning something new.
23.Tell someone how you are feeling today – happy, sad, worried, lonely.
24.Ask someone how they are feeling and take the time to listen.
25.Compliment the first person you speak to today – even if it is yourself!
26.Watch a TV show or read a book that makes you laugh out loud.
27.Play a game of cards with someone or Patience if it’s just you.
28.Phone a neighbour or friend to check in on them.
29.Make a list of all the countries you have visited or would like to visit.
30.Make a list of names beginning with J.
