75 Soft Challenge for Students: Rules and Tracker
The 75 soft challenge for students is a 75-day habit challenge with four or five simple daily rules that fit around school, like moving your body, drinking water, reading, studying for an hour and cutting back on your phone. It's the chill cousin of 75 Hard: miss a day and you just keep going, instead of starting from zero. Below are student rules, a copyable tracker, and tips for surviving the day 12 slump.
If you're adding a screen-time rule and want to know where you're starting from, Check my brainrot gives you a 0 to 100 score before day 1.
What the 75 soft challenge is
The 75 soft challenge blew up on TikTok as a gentler take on 75 Hard, a much stricter program with rules like two workouts a day and restarting from day one if you slip.
The common 75 soft challenge rules online look like this:
- Eat well (the original says "drink only on social occasions"; for students, just skip that part).
- Train for 45 minutes a day, with one active recovery day a week.
- Drink about 3 liters of water.
- Read 10 pages of any book.
That's the adult version. It's a glow up challenge vibe, not a diet plan. For school, we can do better.
A quick note: this is a habit challenge, not a fitness or nutrition program. Don't add strict diet rules or extreme workouts, especially if you're a teen. If you have health questions, ask a doctor.
Student version rules (the 75 soft challenge school version)
Here's a 75 soft challenge for teens and uni students that actually fits around classes, homework, work shifts and sports:
Rule 1: Move 30 to 45 minutes a day
Walking to school counts. Gym class counts. Practice counts. One rest or light day a week.
Rule 2: Study for one focused hour
One hour of real work, phone out of the room. Homework, revision (UK) or studying (US), flashcards, a project. Break it into two 30-minute blocks if you want.
Rule 3: Read 10 pages for fun
Not a textbook. A novel, manga, a biography, whatever. It's a small daily win against short attention spans.
Rule 4: Drink water through the day
Keep a bottle with you. No need to hit a big number; aim for "noticeably more than before."
Rule 5: One screen-time rule (see below)
This is the one that makes the other four easier.
Optional add-ons (pick one, not all):
- Bed by a set time on school nights.
- Journal three lines before sleep.
- Tidy your room for 5 minutes.
- Learn one new word or one line of a language.
These are good 75 soft challenge ideas if you want a slightly spicier version, sometimes called the 75 medium challenge.
Adding a screen-time rule
This is where the 75 soft challenge for students can really level up. Pick one rule you can realistically keep for 75 days:
- No phone in the bedroom overnight. Charge it in the kitchen.
- No phone for the first 30 minutes after waking.
- Phone in another room during your study hour.
- A daily cap on your most-used app (set with iPhone Screen Time or Android Digital Wellbeing).
- No scrolling on study breaks. Here are study break ideas that don't involve your phone.
Start easy. "Zero social media for 75 days" sounds iconic and usually lasts until day 4.
If willpower alone keeps failing, pair the rule with a blocker. We compared apps that lock your phone while studying.
Wondering what "a lot" of screen time even is? See the average screen time for Gen Z to get a sense of normal.
A 75 soft challenge tracker you can copy
Copy this into your notes, a bullet journal or a spreadsheet. It works as a 75 soft challenge printable too: paste it into a doc and print one page per two weeks.
| Day | Move | Study hour | Read 10 pages | Water | Screen rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| 2 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| 3 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| 4 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| 5 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| 6 | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |
| 7 (rest day) | light | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Repeat for 75 days. A 75 soft challenge checklist works best somewhere you'll see it every day, like your mirror or the inside of your planner.
Weekly check-in (Sundays):
- Which rule was easiest?
- Which one did I skip most, and why?
- One thing to change next week.
The hardest part of any tracker is being honest about the screen rule. It's easy to tick the box when you "mostly" kept it. Brainrot Test gives you a score from 0 to 100 and measures it again every Sunday, so your weekly check-in has a real number. Each two-minute daily drill you finish takes a point off, and the streak forgives one missed day. Check my brainrot
How to not quit on day 12
The excitement wears off somewhere between day 10 and day 20. Here's how to push through:
- Plan your "bad day" version. On a test day or a late shift: a 20-minute walk, 30 minutes of study, 5 pages. Something still counts.
- Stack rules onto things you already do. Read on the bus. Study right after dinner. Walk while calling a friend.
- Get a challenge buddy. Send each other a thumbs up each night. Low effort, high accountability.
- Don't restart. That's the whole point of "soft." Missed a day? Mark it, move on.
- Remove the one rule that's wrecking you, and swap in something smaller, not nothing.
- Celebrate small milestones. Day 7, day 25, day 50. A nice meal, a movie night, a new book.
- Watch for exam season. Pause the add-ons during finals or mocks, but keep the study hour and screen rule.
75 soft vs 75 hard
| 75 Soft (student version) | 75 Hard | |
|---|---|---|
| Workouts | One 30-45 min session, one rest day | Two 45-min workouts, one outdoors, no rest days |
| Diet | No diet rules for students | Strict diet, no alcohol |
| Reading | 10 pages, any book | 10 pages of nonfiction |
| Miss a day? | Keep going | Restart from day 1 |
| Good for students? | Yes | Tough to fit around school, and not designed for teens |
The 75 hard challenge for students sounds impressive, but most people burn out. The soft version builds habits you'll actually keep after day 75.
Know your starting point on day 1
A 75-day challenge is way more satisfying when you can see progress. In about a minute, Brainrot Test gives you a 0 to 100 score for your phone habits and shows how you compare with everyone else. Then a two-minute daily drill gets checked off alongside your tracker, and your score is measured again every Sunday.
FAQ
What is the 75 soft challenge?
It's a 75-day challenge with a few simple daily habits, usually moving your body, drinking water, reading 10 pages and eating well. Unlike 75 Hard, you don't restart if you miss a day. Students often swap in a study hour and a screen-time rule.
What are good 75 soft challenge rules for students?
Move for 30 to 45 minutes, study for one focused hour, read 10 pages for fun, drink water through the day, and follow one screen-time rule like no phone in the bedroom. Keep it realistic so you can stick with it through busy school weeks.
Is there a 75 soft challenge printable or PDF?
You can copy the tracker table above into a doc or spreadsheet and print it. Many people also draw one in a bullet journal. The format doesn't matter much; seeing it every day does.
75 soft challenge vs 75 hard: which is better for teens?
75 Soft is the better fit for teens because it has no strict diet rules, allows a rest day and doesn't reset if you slip. 75 Hard was designed for adults and is very demanding. If you want more challenge, add one extra habit rather than switching.
Can I do the 75 soft challenge during exam season?
Yes, but simplify it. Keep the study hour and the screen rule, and use a shorter "bad day" version of the rest. The goal is consistency, not perfection.