Do Good, Feel Good: kickstart new habits and do good

Looking for a way to change your habits and even impact lives? Earlier, we talked about why change is good. Now there’s a way to kickstart changing your habits and have fun at the same time! It’s called Do Good, Feel Good.

Recently, all of us at Beauty Edit and GSO Stockholm tried this 21-day challenge, and it helped get us moving more while we raised money for SOS Children’s Villages. Why 21 days? Researchers say it takes at least 21 days to change a habit or for a new habit to become a part of your normal routine. They also say that exercising and volunteering make us feel happier and more successful, so this is a great win-win.

Want to try Do Good, Feel Good? Here are a few suggestions to help get you off to a great start.

1. Sign up for a 5K race and train with friends
Instead of focusing on getting ready for bikini season, focus on a more concrete goal of getting in shape for a race. Even better? Organize a team and get some from friends or colleagues to train with you. This will make it easier for you to stick with a new habit. Your training buddies can help you stay motivated and just think how great it will feel when you all cross the finish line together.

2. Skip your takeaway coffee and donate money to charity
Every day, many of us spend more than we should on takeaway coffee when we could bring coffee from home or grab some the office. The average Briton visits cafés 3 times per week and spends approximately £13.85 per visit. That adds up to spending around £2,160 annually. Instead of buying a latte and a muffin on the way to the subway or bus, put your change in a jar and save it until the end of the month. At the end of the challenge, donate the money you’ve saved to your favourite charity and see how good it feels.

3. Ask your employer to give back
As we mentioned earlier, research shows that volunteering and supporting charities makes people feel happier. It also helps increase employee engagement and satisfaction. These are great reasons to use when you ask your employer to sponsor a local charity. Make a list of community organisations and local charities that would be a good fit for your company’s philosophy or core values. Suggest to your employer how volunteering or raising money for charity could be a great way to improve employee morale. If your company is unable to donate money, perhaps they’ll be amenable to donating time and allow you and your colleagues to volunteer. Every little bit helps!

4. Say goodbye to plastic bags, invest in a tote bag
Now more than ever we see the negative effects of plastic polluting our waterways and affecting our ecosystem. One easy way to help reduce the amount of plastic refuse is to opt for reusable options like cloth tote bags when shopping. This is one small step that can help do so much for our environment.

5. Move more – take the stairs
Let’s face it: we all get a little lazy from time to time and take the elevator or escalator when we could easily take the stairs. Ideally, we should aim to walk 10,000 steps per day to burn up to 500 extra calories per day and keep us fit. Taking the stairs is a great way to get in those extra steps. Plus, it’s a great cardio exercise and it helps increase your core muscle strength. Make it fun. Challenge your colleagues to a stair climb.

Our 21-day challenge may be over, but that doesn’t mean everything has ended. We’ve all committed to continuing our new habits of moving more and supporting charity. Try it yourself and see how a few small changes can have a positive impact.