December Gratitude Challenge

About This CHALLENGE

Transform your mindset this December with our free 31-day Gratitude Journal Challenge. Write down what you're thankful for daily and experience improved mental health, better relationships, and lasting happiness. Here are just a few scientifically backed perks:

Increased Happiness & Optimism

After 10 weeks, gratitude journalers were more optimistic and felt better about life. (source)

Better Mental Health

Gratitude interventions significantly reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.
(source)

Improved Heart Health

Gratitude journaling causes significant drop in blood pressure and reduces stress.
(source)

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INSTRUCTIONS for this Challenge

Commit to writing in a gratitude journal daily for 31 days in December. Just 5-10 minutes each day listing what you're thankful for can transform your mindset, improve relationships, and boost happiness. No special skills needed—just a notebook and willingness to appreciate life. Join now and end the year with gratitude!

Rules: Follow these guidelines daily for 31 days:

- Write Daily: Spend 5-10 minutes writing 3-5 things you're grateful for each day.

- Be Specific: Instead of "I'm grateful for my family," write "I'm grateful for my sister's encouraging text today."

- Feel It: Don't just list items - truly connect with the feeling of gratitude as you write.

- Mix It Up: Include big things and small moments, people, experiences, and personal qualities.
Helpful Tools & Tips: Make your gratitude practice successful with these strategies:

- Same Time Daily: Morning gratitude sets a positive tone, evening reflection helps you sleep better. Choose what works.

- Use Prompts: "What made me smile today?" "Who helped me?" "What went better than expected?"

- Share Gratitude: Tell someone why you're grateful for them. Share entries with family at dinner. Text appreciation to friends.

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things to write
daily minimum

minutes needed
per day

consecutive days
of December

Notable PRACTITIONERS

These are some of the most successful people who publicly practice gratitude journaling

Arianna Huffington

Starts and ends each day with 3 things she's grateful for. Recommends sharing gratitude lists with family and friends daily. (source)

Tony Robbins

Practices gratitude every morning for 10 minutes. "You can't be fearful and grateful simultaneously." Part of daily priming routine.
(source)

Oprah Winfrey

Autorstwa Maryland GovPics - Pre Inaugural Reception, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=134838676

Kept a gratitude journal for over a decade. "I got everything because I practiced being grateful." Writes 5 things daily.
(source)

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Our Mission

We explore the effects of popular habits and routines on physical and mental health. Through monthly challenges, we gather concrete data and share valuable knowledge with our community & and the world.

As of now 79.2k people from 96 countries have signed up for our 12 Challenges: Ice Challenge, Yoga Challenge, 10.000 Steps Challenge, Meditation Challenge, Intermittent Fasting Challenge, Strength Challenge, Digital Detox Challenge, Stretch Challenge, No Sugar Challenge, October Reset Challenge, November Readathon Challenge, December Gratitude Challenge

The December Gratitude Challenge has been successfully joined!

Further updates will be sent by email. We also invite you to follow us on Instagram here to get all the updates about this incoming challenge and during the Challenge.

Want to make the Commitment Stronger? According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology: Individuals who made their commitments public were 65% more likely to stick to their goals compared to those who kept them private.

This is optional but if you want to take it to the next level Share your commitment on your social media or with friends and family. This can be as simple as saying:

"I have decided to do a 31 consecutive days of The December Gratitude Challenge in December. Keep your fingers crossed!:) #TheDecemberGratitudeChallenge"

Join the DECEMBER GRATITUDE CHALLENGE Now!

We will notify you via email when it goes LIVE on 1st of December!
Share your journey with other participants using hashtags #TheDecemberGratitudeChallenge, #DecemberGratitudeChallenge and tag @theorgchallenge to get featured on our social media channels.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I join a Challenge?

There is a "Join Challenge" button for any active challenge. There will be 12 Challenges per year. You are free to join any time however joining on the first day of a given month is how the game is meant to be played to experience a full month of a given challenge.

Where are the instructions for a Challenge?

All necessary instructions are always found on the page of a particular challenge. Just however over the "Challenges" item in the top navigation bar and choose the Challenge you are looking the instructions for. If you haven't received the email 1 day prior to the Challenge don't worry! The email only contains a part of the message which is included on the Challenge page anyway. But the instructions are really extremely simple. For the "10.000 Steps Challenge" it could be "Just walk at least 10000 steps per day". For the "Meditation Challenge" it would be "Just sit and meditate for 15 minutes a day, anywhere, at any time, with any meditation method you can find online".

Where are the Challenges happening?

All Challenges can be done from your location. Each Challenge is done in such a way that there is no particular location to attend to.

At what time during the day do I have to do a Challenge?

Challenges can be done at any time during the day, whether it's morning, evening, or mid day. Though it is much easier to stick to a routine in the morning as mornings can be typically controlled whereas the evening tends to be more chaotic and have unscheduled tasks that need attending.

Is this FREE?

Yes, all challenges are and always will be free to join and participate in.

Why trust us?

We’re not selling anything. We’re learning alongside you

I don't have an Instagram or YouTube account, can I still participate?

Absolutely! You don't need to do anything to participate since the challenges can be done from anywhere. To sign up and receive updates about the challenge or to be able to contribute to a science questionnaire at the end you just need to have an email and join a Challenge on the website.

Is this a non-profit organization?

TheChallenge.Org is a for-knowledge organisation. The organisation is not a typical non-profit. It will have an optional donation model for people wanting to support it and help cover the cost of operations.

Who are the people behind this project?

Karol Banaszkiewicz, our founder, is a seasoned technologist and lifelong health-hacker who noticed a glaring gap in how we track the real effects of daily routines. Driven by a passion for data-backed self-improvement, he committed his own time and resources to launching TheChallenge.Org—to rigorously measure how habits shape our physical and mental well-being.