Glow Up List: Ultimate Self-Improvement Ideas

Want to show up as your best self and ditch the mediocre? Then keep reading to find out how to glow up your life.

This life glow up challenge list is not about looking pretty, it’s about looking at your life and changing what is not working, to be your best self.

A list of ideas for personal growth, to glow up your mental, physical and all-around well-being.

Helping you practice self-acceptance, self-love and self-care.

Sure, a glow up challenge will get you fast results, but a life glow up where you focus on long-term personal development will have more lasting results.

If you are not sure what a glow up is, read this post: How to Glow up And Transform Your Life in 2021

Now, let’s get started with glow up check…

Nurture Your Relationships

First, look at your relationships with your friends and family.

Are they serving you? Are they positively or negatively impacting your life?

For those dear to our hearts, don’t take them for granted, love and appreciate them.

Lately, my relationship feels out of balance and that’s because I haven’t been putting time and effort into it.

Be grateful for those around you and never let a moment go by without letting them know how you feel.

Besides, your relationships affect who you are, since they can influence your mental health.

Cater To Your Mental Health

Discussion of mental health is becoming more normalized.

People are realizing that it’s ok to not be ok, all the time. That simply going to church or smiling more fixes nothing.

For me, I had a smile on my face in my darkest moments. But I was privately suffering.

It’s necessary to have an open dialogue around feeling out of balance. And you don’t need to be at rock bottom to seek help.

I often wonder what’s wrong with me when I am feeling depressed and low for no reason.

But I realized it’s not what’s wrong with me, it’s what happened to me. And what “happened” to me is unresolved childhood trauma.

Discussing mental health can help you understand your behaviours and emotions a lot better. So you can treat yourself with love and compassion.

Sometimes, in order to grow and be our ultimate self, we need to uncover and heal from what hides in our past.

Spend Time Alone For Inner Peace

Alone time is important for mental clarity. For us introverts, it’s vital.

It is a moment to listen to your inner voice and gain a new perspective on how you feel and why you make the decisions that you do.

Alone time also allows you to unwind, increase productivity, for a clear thought process, and for self-reflection. Alone time is also good for creativity and helps build mental strength. (source)

Meditation For A Glow Up

If you’re trying to manifest something or want to get closer to God or the higher power, then meditation is also important.

It’s where you quiet your mind and drift into a peaceful state.

Meditation increases calmness, reduces blood pressure, and enhances overall health and well-being.

Lose Expectations & Create Your Version Of Happiness

Happiness comes from not having any expectations of others. Directing your own life and not relying on the actions or thoughts of others to make us happy.

When we have expectations of others, we create room for disappointments. Because we expect them to act and respond to us a certain way and when they don’t, we get mad.

Manage your own expectations and know you cannot control what people expect from you, but you can control how you show up.

Never let your expectation of people or their expectation of you dictate your happiness or rob you of being the best version of yourself.

Put Yourself First

A life glow up is not complete without catering to your needs and making self-care a priority.

You cannot show up as your best self without making your health and well-being a priority.

Prioritize your needs, know when you’ve had enough, and always speak your truth. And never sabotage your happiness at the expense of others.

Self-care is such a vital part of your well-being. So, create a self-care routine where you take time out for your mental, physical and emotional self.

And do what makes you happy, live in the moment and find hobbies that spark your joy.

Always Look Your Best

Creating healthy habits and working on your mind and body is not complete without upgrading your appearance.

Looking your best includes:

Appearing confident.
Dressing in clothing appropriate for your body type that also makes you feel good.
Proper hygiene.
Having confident body language.
Healthy looking hair and nails.
Glowing, hydrated healthy skin.
Having self-confidence and loving the skin you’re in.

Be True To Yourself

If you really want to glow up your life, try being true to yourself.

Being true to yourself means behaving and thinking in a way that aligns with your own values.

You pursue goals that lead to your happiness rather than trying to please others. You show up to the world as your authentic self, not a people pleaser.

Look deep within yourself and identify what makes you, you.

Your uniqueness, flaws, the good and bad, embrace them. And never dime your light to let others shine.

Being true to yourself is a good way to build self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-respect.

Take A Break To Unwind

If you are trying to make positive changes in your life, another thing to keep in mind is to know when to stop and take a breather.

Knowing your body is key to identifying when you need to take a step back from work or family to focus on mind and body.

Am sort of a workaholic, so sometimes when I am in the zone. I don’t want to be bothered. But the downside to this is I get burnt out quite often.

So now I’m training myself to know it’s ok to take a break. Because work will always be there.

Taking a break increases productivity and creativity, improves mental health, and allows for self-reflection.

Step away from work or your daily routine to cater to your mental health. And do things that bring peace and alignment.

Taking a break is also a form of self-love, self-compassion and self-care.

Ditch Bad Habits And Glow Up Your Life

Your life is made up of small daily habits. Some we are aware of and some we do without giving much thought to.

Not all habits are bad and some only negatively affect your life if done consistently. Like having a chocolate bar once a week. But having multiple bars of chocolate every day will add up.

So if you want to become your highest self, learn how to break your bad habits and change your behaviour.

Most habits are hard to break because they are deeply wired and require consistency.

But it will be worth the effort.

Reevaluate Your Priorities To Glow Up Your Life

Doing things that do not align with your values and goals only sets you up for failure.

Glow up your life by reevaluating your priorities. Like knowing what’s important to you in your current situation.

Because what was important to you 10 years ago is probably not a top priority now, is it?

Identify your values and know what you really want in life, then reevaluate your priorities accordingly.

List of Priorities

Healthy relationships.
Family.
Mental health.
Finances.
Self-improvement.
Work.
Education.
Physical health.

Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are uplifting statements repeated to improve the mindset.

Use positive affirmations to focus your mind on what you really want. Choose affirmations that are true to you that represent the person you want to become.

With positive affirmations, you become more aware of your thoughts and words and reduce your negative mindset.

Assess Your Inner Circle

If you don’t already know, you are the sum of the people you surround yourself with.

This is why glowing up your life should also include assessing your inner circle and remove people that no longer serve you.

This also includes family. Sure, you might be stuck with them, and cannot cut them out completely. In some situations, it’s necessary.

But you can definitely reduce the amount of time you spend with them. And also make them aware of your boundaries.

To take your life to the next level, do an audit of your inner circle and cut ties with people negatively affecting your mental health.

Social Media Detox

There is no doubt about it, social media can be toxic to your mental health.

Am not saying it’s all bad. But you can easily lose your sense of self and get lost in the fake reality.

Not to mention how time-consuming it can become.

Just take a step back now and then to focus on yourself.

Create A Health & Fitness Plan To Glow Up

A life glow up is not complete without improving your health and fitness.

Since nutrition plays a major role in looking and feeling your best. Enjoy a wide variety of fruits and veggies. Reduce processed foods, salt and sugar intake.

If your body is not where you want it to be, then create a plan to get your dream body.

My fitness goal is to have my dreamy, toned, and healthy body in 12 months.

So, I created a mini-workout schedule for 5 days per week with 2 rest days. Each day targeting a different body area.

Find workouts on YouTube like Chloe Thin’s 2-week shreds. They are easy to follow and actually work.

Regular exercise increases muscle mass, strength and mobility, reduces the risk of diseases, reduces stress and leads to better health and well-being.

Keep in mind consistency is key to maintaining and reaching your health and fitness goals.

Identify Your Limiting Beliefs & Remove Them

Another how to glow up tip is to remove those limiting beliefs blocking your greatness.

Limiting beliefs are those thoughts and beliefs about ourselves ingrained in our subconscious that can limit our potential.

It’s your state of mind, or conviction, you believe to be true. These beliefs are typically ingrained from childhood and life experiences.

They are the building blocks of our decisions and why we think and behave a certain way.

Ways to remove limiting beliefs (source)

Positive affirmations.
Identifying what limiting beliefs you have.
Continuous personal development.
Meditation.
Counseling or using a life coach.
Organizing and decluttering your space.
Be open to new ideas and challenges.

Develop A Growth Mindset For Personal Development

Having a growth mindset means you acknowledge you don’t know everything but are willing to learn and get better.

Personal growth is also the belief that your knowledge and talent can be improved.

Like when you fail, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it’s about learning from your mistakes and viewing each setback as a setup to propel you forward.

Sure, it’s easy to beat yourself up when things don’t work out, but growth happens through difficulties, not perfections.

Never let your fear of failure outlive your desire to succeed.

Create Your Dream Life

Spend some time alone reflecting on what is important to you. Asking yourself self-discovery questions to identify your true desires.

Where you want to be in 5, 10 years from now?
Who do you want to be, how do you want people to perceive you?
What can you start doing that will get you closer to your dream life?
Who or what brings out the worst and best in you?
Does your daily habits and routine contribute to your overall vision of the future?

Final thoughts on glow up your life checklist

Don’t just do a 30 day glow up challenge, then revert to your old habits. Use these self-improvement ideas to create your own glow-up checklist.

Create a lasting environment for change by working on your self daily to build a solid foundation.

Because you deserve to be your best authentic self.

So, why not dedicate some time and energy and do a life glow-up. A mental glow up and physical glow up.