Small steps to good health

I remember that sick feeling in my stomach when I was diagnosed with Grave’s disease, a debilitating hyperthyroid autoimmune condition. Not only because I had just been diagnosed with what felt like at the time, a life sentence of bad health, but also that overwhelming feeling of everything that was ‘wrong’ with my diet and lifestyle, and a wave of unachievable health standards on myself. I felt bombarded and confused on where to start, what to do and how I would achieve this ‘pinnacle of health’.

The pressure I put on myself became unbearable at times, often doing well with my goals for a few weeks or months, to then ‘fall off the wagon’. I had an all or nothing approach when it came to health, and I’d beat myself up if I had a slip up or had eaten something that wasn’t ideal.

It took me years to embrace the small steps every day to create, not only a wholesome mindset around health, but also healthy habits that would stick with me for life. There is no ‘pinnacle of health’, only the natural ebbs and flows of life and the choices we make every day for change.

Whilst some people find it easy to change or stick to habits, many of us find it hard to cement new healthy behaviours. And if you’re one of those people, welcome to the club! Below I am going to share some simple tips that I have personally implemented on my 10+ health journey – and spoiler alert, I still have struggles some days.

Start small

If you feel overwhelmed with where to start, pick one habit that’s easy and achievable. An example might be drinking an extra litre of water a day, which could be measured by tracking the number of times you fill up your water bottle throughout the day.

Habit tracking is a helpful tool gaining a lot of attention online in where you note down when you have achieved a goal every day. It’s very effective in that it provides a visual representation that you are achieving your goals, plus an empty square that needs ticking can motivate you to fill it in each day.

Once you’ve mastered a small achievable goal over a week or two, it’s time to add a new health goal to the mix. With time, these goals become habits and will form new daily routines.

Habit stacking

Habit stacking is a way of adding a new habit to an already formed routine. An example of this could be if you wanted to start implementing morning meditation, you could pick a habit that you already do, such as a morning cuppa in the sun, and then complete the meditation straight afterwards. Your current habit of a morning cuppa is already cemented in your brain, and by linking this new behaviour to a current one, you’re more likely to stick to it.

Be kind to yourself

With the rise of social media, information overload, and the busy lifestyles we live, it’s easy to feel discouraged with progress made or feelings of needing to do more. However, never underestimate the power of the little things. Those small healthy habits that might seem almost insignificant will add up and form a big picture.

If you are someone who has thoughts around ‘falling off the wagon’ or has an all or nothing approach to health, try journaling around why you’re having these thoughts. Remember that life ebbs and flows, and each day is a new opportunity to make better choices for yourself.

Health is not about perfection, it’s about imperfectly improving every day and allowing yourself to move forward, learn and grow from the journey.

 Yours in health,

 Chloe x