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We will regularly feature articles from The Synergy Health team and in this article they delve into how you can develop Micro-Habits to improve your health and wellbeing.

We can unknowingly create a limited checklist for our health and wellbeing, focusing on one aspect of our health while ignoring the others. For example, we might tick off our scheduled exercise time but forget about the importance of sleep, nutrition or managing our stress on our health.

We can fall into the trap of believing that our weekly exercise sessions tick the health box and if we just do that one big thing then we will be healthy. We don’t realise the impact that small, bite-sized habits can have on our health and wellbeing.

Think of it this way – it’s like scheduling a weekly ‘deep clean’ session with our dentist while failing to brush or floss our teeth throughout the week. We know, nobody wants to see the dentist weekly but hear us out. Forgoing the small little habits we can do within a few minutes in the hopes that one longer session will take care of our dental hygiene is analogous to scheduling a couple of workouts per week but eating crap, ruminating on unhelpful thoughts and sleeping poorly throughout the week.

Don’t get us wrong - planning out and spending time exercising is certainly a win and if you’re doing that keep going. The invitation here is to build some micro-habits alongside the planned big-ticket events.

This also helps offset the ‘all or nothing’ perfectionist mindset many of us can fall into, which often sounds like: “Oh well, I slept in and don’t have a full hour to go to the gym, so I can’t work out today.”

Or when you’re trying to cut down on sugar, “Well I’ve already had one bite of cake, I might as well eat the whole thing.”

TRY A MICRO-HABIT

Look for micro-moments to invest in your health and don’t underestimate the power of tiny habits and choices throughout your day.

• Create opportunities to stand up for just 2-3 minutes or move around several times throughout your day to offset the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting.
• Try winding down and heading to bed 20-30 minutes earlier throughout the week instead of hoping to play catch-up with a sleep-in on the weekend.
• Go for a 10-minute walk in the sunshine for a more energising break than a ‘pick me up’ coffee and social media scroll.
  
  

Get creative and think of some bite-sized habits that you can weave into your day. It’s like doing the daily maintenance of brushing and flossing regularly rather than relying on a weekly/monthly/yearly ‘deep clean’ approach.

It’s easier to remember to floss when you’re already in the habit of brushing your teeth.

Likewise, it’s easier to stack some bite-sized habits on top of something else you’re already doing. Have a regular team WIP meeting? Make it a standing one. Already make a morning cup of tea or coffee? Slow down and give yourself space to notice your thoughts, be present and really enjoy it.

KEY CONCEPT

When we diversify our health strategies, the impact of slipping up in one area has less of an impact because we have a steady stream of other habits in place. The other benefit is that once we’re in a groove of implementing one bite-sized habit, it’s easier to stack another on top of it, creating a kind of snowball effect as one rolls into another, picking up speed and making a bigger impact.

This is why we focus on our 10 Healthy Habits. You don’t need a massive lifestyle overhaul; you just need to add in some bite-sized strategies that add up to make a big difference in the long run.

The good news is that each one of us has the power to elicit more fun in our lives - sometimes we just need a little reminder or a nudge in the right direction. Consider this your nudge!

The New Year is often filled with good intentions and commitments to make better choices and an increased focus on our health and wellbeing. When thinking about ‘wellbeing’ though, some would say that it’s all become too complicated, too confusing, and too time-consuming. The result for many people is they dive headfirst into focusing on just one or two aspects of health and wellbeing but forget about the bigger picture. This can end up being a very ineffective way to boost our overall wellbeing.

What is often overlooked is how the decisions we make across the course of our day influence our wellbeing. The small daily decisions that do not necessarily take more time or effort, but can significantly impact our overall wellbeing.

The ‘10 Healthy Habits’ presentation provides participants with simple and practical strategies that can be incorporated into participant's day that result in noticeable improvements in wellbeing. The strategies presented have stood the test of time – no fads, no gimmicks!

They are designed to enable even the busiest of person to be proactive in promoting their overall wellbeing and achieving more of what’s important in their life.

Come and learn how HealthCarePlus Members, their Whānau and selected Friends can benefit from:

• The ’10 Healthy Habits’, and
• The best way to promote your overall health and wellbeing, and
• How you can access a FREE program to help improve you, your Whānau, and selected friends health and wellbeing

To register, please click on the CTA below