The only challenges I participate in are those typical exercise-motivation challenges: 30-day ab challenge, 30-day plank challenge, 30-day push-up challenge, butt challenge, thigh challenge, arm challenge, etc.
There seems to be a challenge for every single body part that you can think of, and improving that body part. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a 30-day foot challenge. Or a 30-day chin challenge.
All these body challenges are helpful, don’t get me wrong, but they can be a bit overwhelming because of this constant pressure to perfect and sculpt every inch of your body. After all these fitness challenges, you might not feel so great about yourself if your body doesn’t look like the svelte, oil-muscled model whose picture is plastered all over the challenge calendar.
Sounds like all these fitness challenges provide the perfect opportunity for a self-esteem challenge.
Sounds ridiculous, right? I bet some of you are even staring at your computer right now going, “Pshhh, how is my self-esteem going to improve in 30 days?” Trust me, I am with you because I thought the same thing when my best friend suggested it to me last week.
But I’m committed to recovery, whatever that entails. I am committed to becoming a better person. A more confident person. A person who is certain in who she is without needing the scale’s nod of approval. And if that means participating in a 30-day self-esteem challenge, then so be it. The way I see it, a challenge like this can’t HURT my self-esteem, and if this helps, then why not? Just quit your griping and do it.
If we can spend 30 days working on our abs and whatnot, we can dedicate 30 days to improving our self-esteem and making ourselves a little more confident.
I will do the challenge every day, continually updating this post with my responses written under each day’s tasks. I invite you to do this with me and post your self-esteem responses for each day in the comments section of this post.
My next challenge (and one I am honestly NOT looking forward to) will be setting up an Instagram account and doing the “30 Day Self-Esteem Picture Challenge,” which riddles me with anxiety because some days require photos of myself (maybe even a dreaded selfie). I absolutely ABHOR photos of myself. Alas, in this process of recovery and my journey to self-acceptance, I will face my fears and just do it. Maybe this challenge will give me some confidence to start the Instagram challenge!