We know TikTok loves a good wellness challenge, but we’re over the restrictive, extreme, punishment-as-self-care regimens set out to “fix” us. We know better by now; they’re neither sustainable, nor remotely enjoyable—two factors that actually matter if you want to feel good. TikTok creator and psychiatrist Margaret Duncan gets it. Her antidote to the grind is her own version of a transformative challenge, dubbed 75 Grow. A refreshingly realistic take on self-improvement, there’s no “lock in,” no crash course in discipline disguised as empowerment. Instead, it’s about showing up with consistent, small rituals that allow you to grow at your own pace. Read on to get the full breakdown of how 75 Grow works, and why it might just be the reset we all could really use.
Experts Consulted
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TING TING GUAN
Ting Ting Guan is a globally-recognized pioneer in the movement, wellness, and lymphatic health space. With over two decades of experience blending somatic practices and Eastern healing traditions she helps people move, breathe, and feel better from the inside out. Her signature Guan Jing Method is rooted in Chinese medicine, martial arts, and fluid movement.
What Is the 75 Grow Challenge?
Consider 75 Grow the much, much gentler approach to 75 Hard. Rather than subscribing to a “no excuses” rhetoric and routine, participants commit to three habits they’d like to “grow” over the course of 75 days. The only “rule” is that you must choose one goal from each of these three groups: movement, avoiding avoidance, and creativity. “Purposefully, these are broad categories that I encourage people to get specific and measurable with,” Duncan told Popsugar. “The biggest thing is making the challenge small enough.”
The ultimate goal? Progress with a compassionate, growth-first mindset and positive change rooted in consistency. Not changing who you are entirely, but becoming your best self. “This challenge is about growing and making daily efforts to get ourselves growing,” Duncan added. “I hope it makes us more deeply feel like ourselves and in community.”
Movement
Maybe you’re set on upping your walks to 30 minutes a day, kickstarting your day with 50 jumps for an instant boost of energy, or offsetting your sedentary desk job ways with some soleus pushups. But don’t get too overambitious—pick a movement that you know for sure you can stick with for the long haul. “Especially in these challenges, the language is often about ‘locking in’ and isolating from those around you while you hyper-focus on two workouts a day,” Duncan explained to Popsugar. “I think those kinds of challenges can and have been really helpful for many, and I think they have led to repeated failure and a sense of stuckness, guilt, and worsened brokenness for just as [many], if not more.”
And it’s not just about being kinder to your body (even though that would be benefit enough)–you feel incredible results too. Ting Ting Guan, a globally-recognized pioneer in the movement and wellness space shared that in Chinese medicine, movement is more than exercise—it’s communication with your Qi, AKA: your life force energy. “Gentle, consistent movement harmonizes the nervous system and clears stagnant energy, attuning you to your body’s natural rhythm, helping Qi flow freely, and restoring energy over time. 10 mindful minutes can be more transformative than an hour of pushing.”
Avoiding avoidance
“Avoiding avoidance” is just that—no longer putting off the things we perpetually put on the back burner, whether intentionally or not. Be it checking and responding to emails, tackling the ever-growing piles of laundry, or flipping negative self-talk, it’s about facing them head-on. Carve out a little time each week, say 30 minutes, to get one task done, so you free up valuable mental space (you can even break it up into 10-minute increments). If you need some accountability in the form of a treat (think: getting a matcha latte (my personal reward), ordering takeout, or watching an episode of a comfort show), make it part of the ritual.
“When we face what we tend to avoid—whether emotions, thoughts, or daily responsibilities—we reclaim lost energy,” Guan said. “Meet resistance through gentle presence instead of pressure. Each time you stay with discomfort, your Qi strengthens and clarity returns.”
Creativity
There’s a misconception that you have to be an artist, writer, or performer to be creative. But really, if you’ve played around with a new outfit combo, winged it in the kitchen, or tried your hand at a new hobby, you’ve flexed creativity. Creativity isn’t about what you produce; it’s about what happens when you let yourself play and curiosity takes the wheel, infusing joy into what you do while you’re at.
Fostering your creativity doesn’t just help you grow. A 2024 study showed that creative expression can promote cognitive, emotional, physical, and social well-being, that even low-stakes activities like doodling and journaling can reduce stress and lift your mood. “Creativity is Qi in motion—when we move energy through the body, inspiration naturally follows,” Guan said. “The more freely Qi flows, the more effortlessly joy and ideas emerge.”
@bad_art_every_day its time to get out your paints, crayons, pencils, whatever, and make your #habittracker
#winterarc #75grow #75hard
♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer
How to Make the Most of Your 75 Grow
It’s obvious, but worth saying: Growth isn’t one-size-fits-all, and it’s going to take a minute to find your rhythm. If you’re not sure where to start, Guan gave these tips for trying the challenge:
Movement
- Begin your day with 5-10 minutes of “T” hip spirals to awaken your spine and open energy pathways
- Focus on the feeling—let each motion be guided by breath and curiosity
- Close your eyes while moving to be more in tune with your body
Avoiding Avoidance
- When you notice procrastination, pause for three deep belly breaths and place a hand on your heart—this re-centers the nervous system
- Keep a short evening ritual: reflect on one thing you faced today that you’d normally avoid, and celebrate it
- Try a simple grounding move, like slow twisting from your waist while exhaling tension, to re-anchor the mind in the body
Creativity
- After movement, take five minutes to journal or draw whatever thoughts or sensations arise (don’t overthink it)
- Practice fluid arm and hand movements, like tracing circles in the air, to awaken the Heart and Pericardium meridians, which are linked to joy and expression
- Replace scrolling with one creative micro-moment daily: sing, doodle, cook intuitively, move to music you love, etc.
And Duncan had this final piece of advice: “View [the 75 Grow challenge] as an experiment. Try it out one way for a week, then review your data. Ask yourself what worked and what didn’t, what felt easy and good, and what felt challenging.” How do you know if you’re on the right track? Duncan said that once you break the cycle of chasing perfection and burning out, you’ve truly grasped the principle of 75 Grow. “The biggest thing I’ve learned in creating 75 Grow originally and over the past year is that the primary skill we are building is the ability to tolerate and show up for practice, every day,” she shared. “So long as it works for your life, keeps you motivated, and continues to spark joy, you’re doing it right.”
Katherine Chang, Wellness Staff Writer
Katherine Chang is The Everygirl’s Wellness Staff Writer with over five years of experience in the health and wellness space. She navigates the latest wellness topics and trends through expert interviews and studies, and she’s always first in line to try them firsthand.
Feature graphic images credited to: SB | Dupe, Cora Pursley | Dupe, Emilie Faraut | Dupe, Tuna Ghazi | Dupe, Malu Rad | Dupe, Ashley Singerling | Dupe
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Source: Cosmo Politian
