Make Changes with Small Steps

MAKE CHANGES

with Small Steps

BY JULIE PRESCOTT

So, you want to up your wellness ante! We’re big believers in making small changes toward optimal health and we’re here to help.

Information on how to be better, stronger, faster, happier, kinder, and calmer is all around us. But how you tailor and apply great advice to your life makes a difference to your success.

Like many things in life, one size—one approach—doesn’t fit all. So, let’s talk about…

Where do I start?

Embrace the way you are right now and appreciate that your very existence is a marvel.

Any change you want to make toward wellness can only benefit you more.

Pick one thing.

Choose what you’d like to improve or change, in any realm: physical, mental, emotional, environmental, social, or spiritual. You may want to start something new or stop something that no longer serves you— like too much couch time or that glass of wine at dinner.

Mindset

We often equate our value and how well we measure up—or don’t—to others, and can be our own worst critic. Stop it!

Small Steps Lead to Big Change

One small change, done consistently over time, creates a new habit. Before you know it, the new behaviour becomes ingrained and done automatically.

“You cannot change your destination overnight but you can change your direction overnight.” —Jim Rohn

Know why.

Why is this meaningful to you? Be specific. Visualize what life looks and feels like when you are successful.

Not: “I want to be fitter.”

Yes: “I want to be strong and energetic to keep up with my kids.”

Record it.

Draw a picture. Take a photograph. Write it down or do a dream board. Display it in a strategic place where you will see it often. Create a chart or checklist to mark your daily progress.

Change isn’t an easy, success-only journey. Expect some bumps along the way; to fall down, learn, and get back up again. Listen to your body and take small steps. Challenge yourself to make small, measurable daily changes.

Consider your rhythm.

Be realistic about the constraints and opportunities to incorporate a change in your life. Work with them. Find a little pocket of time into which you tuck your new habit.

Commit to at least 30 days.

The amount of time for a new habit to settle in depends on the degree of change and the person. A month’s commitment is a great starting point.

WELLNESS DEFINED

Wellness is a whole body and mind, multidimensional state—the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyle that lead to a state of holistic health. Two important aspects of the pursuit of wellness:

IT’S ACTIVE

This is about an ongoing process and an intention to make choices that lead to optimal holistic health.

IT’S INDIVIDUAL

This is about self-responsibility and recognizing that everyone is different.

• Physical: Nourishing a healthy body through exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc. • Mental: Engaging the world through learning, problem-solving, creativity, etc. • Emotional: Being aware of, accepting and expressing our feelings, and understanding the feelings of others. • Spiritual: Searching for meaning and higher purpose in human existence. • Social: Connecting and engaging with others and our communities in meaningful ways. • Environmental: Fostering positive interrelationships between planetary health and human actions, choices and wellbeing. -The Global Wellness Institute

MAKE SMART GOALS

What will make this easier? Set yourself up for success.

• Find a friend to join you in a spirit of support, healthy competition, and fun. • Organize what you need: environment, equipment, information.

Consult a professional, join a class, buy walking shoes, find a place to put your yoga mat. • To break a bad habit, remove temptations. SPECIFIC Be precise. What exactly do you want? MEASURABLE What would need to happen to know you’ve been successful? What are the milestones along the way? ATTAINABLE Do you have the means, ability, and time to make it happen? RELEVANT Does your goal realistically fit into your life? TIME SPECIFIC By when you want to achieve your goal? When and how much time can you dedicate to achieving it? Build in some flexibility to accommodate the unexpected.

JOIN THE

Share your #WellnessDaysChallenge

Celebrate small daily acts of wellness with us and you could win!

SCAN TO LEARN MORE 

Link a new habit to an old one.

• Put your vitamins by the coffee maker. • Squeeze your glutes waiting for the bus. • Walk for 15 minutes right after dinner.

Schedule it.

Make unbreakable dates—to walk, read, talk to a friend, go to the gym.

Reward yourself.

• Acknowledge and celebrate every milestone reached. • Choose an experience, like a fun outing with friends. Not candy if you’re trying to lose weight, or shopping if you want to save.

TIPS Be patient and positive. Expect success to take time, effort, and focus. Successful people keep going, even when it’s inconvenient or they don’t feel like it. Pay attention to your inner voice and keep the script positive.

What if I fail?

There is no pass or fail on this one, only lessons and adjustments to be better next time. • Why isn’t my new routine working? • What do I need to make this easier or more convenient?

If you pause in your new habit, that’s okay. Start again tomorrow.

Top 7 Habits to Boost Wellness

1Drink more water. You need enough water to function well, physically and cognitively. How much depends on your health, activity level, and environment, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Generally, every day: • Men need about 15.5 cups (3.7 L) • Women, about 11.5 cups (2.7 L)

Tips

Keep a glass of water by your bed to drink first thing in the morning. Put a jug on your desk and keep refilling your glass during the day. Drink a glass when you start to prep a meal (half an hour before you eat).

2Eat more plants. • Stock your pantry, fridge, and freezer with fruit and veg to give you easy options. • Put a bowl of fruit on the counter or on your desk. • Eat one fully plant-based meal a day. • Ask friends for their favourite plant-based recipe. 3 Move more. • Dance during TV commercials. • Unroll a yoga mat in your living room. Stretch during your favourite TV show. • Walk. Park away from your destination or get off the bus a few stops early. • Set a timer to get up from your desk every hour. • Take stairs, not elevators.

4Take a multi-vitamin. If you’re eating enough whole foods, including fruits and veggies every day, great! If not, you may benefit from a daily multi-vitamin to make sure you are getting essential nutrients. 5 Laugh every day. Laughter really is medicine and: • Reduces stress hormone levels; • Strengthens your immune system; • Provides a physical and emotional release; • Works your abs and diaphragm; • Gives a more positive, lighthearted perspective; and • Connects you to others. Be active to find something to laugh about. Watch a sitcom or your favourite comedian on YouTube.

Tip

Ask one of our Health & Wellness experts to suggest a multi-vitamin for you.

6Be kinder. Kindness changes us, in a good way. When we think about, witness, or practice kindness, our brain releases feel-good hormones oxytocin and dopamine, giving us a natural high. If you feel low, the best antidote is to do something for someone else.

7

Get outside every day.

Breathe fresh air in a green space to: • Boost your immunity; • Feel calmer; • Sharpen your focus; • Improve your memory and vision; and • Live longer.

Sources www.globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/ www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art20044256 www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/fandv_2011_web_tag508.pdf www.verywellmind.com/the-stress-management-and-health-benefits-of-laughter-3145084 www.askthescientists.com/outdoors/