Change

As a health coach, I have been implementing changes in my daily life, adhering to a healthy diet, walking daily, strengthening my body through Pilates and always looking for those moments in which I can appreciate the life’s small wonders.

Then I read Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg ...

If ever there were a book that could transform your life, this is it. I love the idea of introducing behavioural change in tiny steps that seem almost insignificant. We naturally balk at taking on more in our already oh so busy lives, but this approach makes change seem like a game, a little bit of fluff, nothing too hard, and suddenly here you are doing all sorts of things that eluded you until now.

What do tiny habits look like in practice? They are small commitments we make to ourselves to do immediately before or after another activity that is already an established habit. Most people get up and brush their teeth, which provides an opportunity for tagging on a new habit. You may then head to the kitchen to boil the kettle, here is another opportunity to introduce a small healthy habit such as drinking two glasses of water while you wait for the kettle to boil.

A few months ago, I had a bad fall and broke my collar bone. In my determination to regain the strength in my right arm and shoulder I decided to introduce a 1-minute plank every day after my meditation practice (an established habit). I am still only managing one minute, but I have now added two sun salutations after the plank. In a previous blog I wrote about cold showers that have now become an established habit, to which I have added oil pulling for the length of the shower. To make it easy I put the coconut oil in the bathroom next to my toothpaste.

Each time I brush my teeth I do at least 10 calf raises, another tiny habit that demands no extra time or effort. When I enter the bathroom upon rising, I drink two glasses of mineral water. I keep a bottle of mineral water and a glass in the bathroom.

This is how one can build many tiny habits into the day. They work so well because we feel instantly successful for accomplishing them, and we must celebrate our success. The feeling of success is what guarantees that the new habit become entrenched. Thus, before we know it, we are adding good habits or replacing poor habits for a better, healthier life.

If you are reading this blog, let me know which tiny habits you have introduced or are keen to introduce, I would love to hear from you!