Making changes, one small (habit) step at a time
“Success” is the product of daily habits - not once-in-a-lifetime transformations”
James Clear
Visualising the future you
Can you relate? When I decide I need to make a change in my life, aiming towards an improved future version of myself, I do research, visualise how ‘great’ it’s going to be and then do that thing of starting on a Monday with an expectation that the new version will kick in with ease, just because I’ve made the decision to make the change. What happens a short while afterwards? I forget to do ‘the thing’ and the new version ‘streak’ ends and a negative spiral ensues.
“Motivation gets you started. HABIT keeps you going” Jim Rohn
I have no problem with the initial motivation, but remaining consistent tends to be the hardest part. The reason i feel I’ve let myself down is because I actually set myself up for failure from the outset. I expected to be able to sustain a huge shift change, just because I’d decided to, rather than building up gradually until the new version was created by simple regular habits.
How to actually start moving more in daily life
‘Try to add in more daily movement’, I say! ‘Not that easy’, you reply! I get it. So here are a few tips that are more likely to set you up for success.
Habit forming is hard! The key is start small (and I mean really small!) to avoid overwhelm and celebrate each small win. Make it easy for yourself and then it's more likely to be sustainable.
Movement (habit) stacking
This was my favourite way to start adding in new movement habits. James Clear writes about ‘habit stacking’ in this is an article that summarises it really well.
When we think of all the tiny habits we have throughout the day that are already embedded, it makes sense to jump on them to add another small movement habit - linking the two makes it much easier to remember the extra movement.
Examples in my life:
When removing the water from my shower screen, I do so with my non-dominant hand and move my body down low as I scrape the water down.
When I put on my lower half clothing or shoes, I add in balancing seconds on each leg
When I separate and fold the washing, I do so on the ground to add ground sitting, movement and get up
When I brush my teeth, I do a calf stretch on my foam dome
You can see the pattern. ‘When I do X, I also do Y’ ( = type of movement). We start to associate the initial habit with the new movement, and Voila! It becomes another embedded habit.
I see movement stacking as a way of getting the most out of my time, when I have to do a task regularly anyway. This makes chores less boring as they have a dual purpose - they get done and they benefit our bodies with healthy movement, without having to add extra time. Win, win! For these reasons moving more by using ‘movement stacking’ was the best way I found to get started.
Feel the benefit: assess yourself to convince yourself to keep going
Consciously checking in on how you feel before you move is a great way of really being able to appreciate the change in you afterwards. Were you feeling stiff, creaky, lethargic or frustrated before you moved?
Then, re-assess afterwards. Do your joints feel more ‘oiled’, muscles less tight, have you increased your level of energy, improved your focus and do you feel happier because you’ve had a bit of movement fun?
In addition, writing down how you feel at the start of the day and comparing it to the end of the day and comparing the way you feel between days with more or less movement, can help motivate you if you find yourself struggling.
Mini movement breaks; the triggers that work best for you
Once you’ve convinced yourself that you feel better from more frequent and varied movements, you can start to add in some mini movement breaks. To help form this habit, work out which triggers to move that work for you. Here are a few suggestions that I use:
Time - choose times of day that work for you; as soon as you get out of bed, whilst running a bath, whilst the kettle boils, sliding off the sofa to move on the ground for 5 minutes whilst watching TV, or just before bed. Use those moments that work best and make them a part of your routine.
Place - see your stairs as a tool to help you move more in different ways and speeds, see your kitchen sink as somewhere you can add stretches or supported deep sqauts, put items you need regularly in low kitchen cupboards or up on high shelves.
External triggers - put an alert for a ‘movement break’ in your diary between meetings, so they are part of your schedule. For longer stints on a screen, set a buzzer (on your phone on watch) to work for half an hour and then reward yourself for focussing by moving for 5 minutes. Not only will you feel better, but research proves you’ll be more effective in your work. This timing method is called the ‘Pomodoro technique’ and using it can be a great way to add in more movement and become more productive than you would have been otherwise. Again, test it by noting how you feel when you don’t use it and then comparing it to a day when you do.
Reward yourself & be kind to yourself
If it’s not enough to reinforce the habit by applauding yourself for moving, or by tuning in to how your body feels afterwards, then choosing a healthy reward is a great way to stay motivated. It could be a lovely cup of coffee or tea that’s brewing whilst you move or a regular chat break with a colleague whilst you both move and help each other be accountable for those 5 minute breaks daily.
“Doing a little bit is infinitely bigger and better than doing nothing” Stephen Guise
If you add in small additional movements daily, over time these can add up to big changes. Don’t push it, be kind when things don’t go to plan (after all, there’s always tomorrow!) and enjoy watching the improvements over the longer-term.
Consistency is the key and really noticing the slightest changes in your own capability may even become all the reward you need.
Movement break ideas - let me help
“Taking a break can lead to breakthroughs.” Russell Eric Dobda
In the Reclaim Movement membership there are over 80 min movement videos of about 5 minutes. Video collections like the ‘Coffee Break Series’ or ‘Ground Sitting & mini movement breaks from each’ all provide ready-made mini movement breaks you can easily follow on the app your phone, so you don’t even need to remember what to do.
Remember - all movement counts, so every 5 minute break counts towards a healthier, stronger and more mobile future version of you, especially when the movements are varied and make us moving in more ways than we would do in our usual daily lives.
Here’s an example of one of the 8 ‘Ground Sitting’ series that is on YouTube to try & if you like it, you’ll love the membership.
To help you move more and bring in greater variery in your movement patterns, join me in the Reclaim Movement membership. For all the details about classes, both live and all by reply, mini movement break videos, movement tutorials, community and more click here https://reclaimmovement.co.uk/membership and enjoy your 7-Day-Free-Trail.
