One Small Step

4 minute read

Anything that says X or Y will ‘change your life’ is generally best taken with a hefty pinch of salt. Who has the energy for anything life-altering these days? Just trying to get through each day is a task in itself with work, families and life admin to tend to. However, ironically, the toughest of times can be a remarkable catalyst when it comes to beginning anything anew. In this way, the things that genuinely do have a transformative effect are often the minute, slow-burners – small, easy practicalities that help, not hinder, your day-to-day. In the wellness world, ‘micro-habits’ are currently spoken of a lot; small enough that they take less than two minutes to do, and useful enough to spark action for good. The trick to getting a habit to stick is starting now -mostly just starting in general.

micro-habits

Here are 10 micro-habits you can start now and feel happier about later:

The one-minute rule

The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin, came up with this gem. It’s easy: If a task takes less than a minute to complete, encourage yourself to do it on the spot. Make the bed, throw something out, hang up your coat, respond to that text, change the bin. It’s one more thing ticked off your list and it took barely an effort.

Fulfil your base needs first

Your body and life require that you fuel it in certain ways to keep it running, something we can forget when we’re focused on anything other than our own wellbeing. Eat when you are hungry. Sleep when you are tired. Not looking after the basics ultimately sets everything out of sync.

Organise your calendar (as far out as you can)

Routinely carving out time to organise your online calendar helps you see important happenings, like upcoming bills, birthdays, and events, weeks and months in advance, signalling you to prepare – and relieving you of a significant mental load. Once it’s in the calendar, you can tick it off until you get the reminder.

Write one paragraph

Whether you have a book you've always dreamt of authoring, a business plan that's been in the works for a while, a journal gathering dust, write just a few sentences each day. The momentum will build on its own and you'll find yourself effortlessly writing more. But commit to just beginning with one paragraph – that in itself is an accomplishment. Watch it grow.

Check your bank account

Getting a better grip on your finances begins with having a consistently accurate mental layout of your accounts and in tough times it can be easy to keep this side of your life in the dark, but it’s better to pull the plaster off. Make it a habit to check in on all of your accounts at least once a day if you’re finding it hard to stick to a budget or trying to overhaul your finances. Keeping yourself aware of exactly what you have, and where it's going also means you’re less likely to run into pitfalls.

Take action on the spot

In Mel Robbin's The 5 Second Rule, she explains that a lot of what holds people back is those few seconds between when you have an amazing idea, and when your brain interferes. To really move your life forward, you need to act on your ideas before you convince yourself not to. The person you need to ring, the list you need to write, the email you must send, do it when it pops into your head and it’s done – before your inner voice says otherwise.

Practice saying no

Your energy is limited each day. You should not feel bad about saying "no" to some things. It is a means of self-preservation and has as much of a positive outcome as saying yes. Saying no means boundaries are set and it takes only seconds to say.

Drink one more glass of water

You can’t function if you’re not hydrated – and extra water is always a better option than more caffeine. Don't worry about pressuring yourself to get the recommended amount. Just focus on drinking one more glass. Then, when that's part of your routine, add another, and so on.

Add one more to your plate

Similarly, if you’re trying to change your diet, add one more healthy vegetable to your plate at every dinner meal. You’ll slowly but surely up the count per day and feel better overall, too.

Follow the 20–20–20 rule

The 20–20–20 rule is simple: Set a timer for every 20 minutes to look away from a screen for 20 seconds at an object 20 feet away. Make sure to blink while you are focused on the object in the distance. We weren’t built to stare at a screen constantly for hours on end and it helps relieve strain on your eyes and gives you a few minutes to switch off.