I noticed a different flavour to the usual January blitz of ‘New Year, New You’ filler in the papers this year. Calls to action were hedged with novel warnings about not being over ambitious, about starting small, suggesting only working on a few goals at a time not a complete list of life transformation. Hurrah, I thought! At last, some psychology about change and habit formation is getting through.
On the first day of the new year, the Guardian ran an article, ‘100 small changes that really work’. The 100 entries that make up the article were sent in by experts and readers. Tried and tested then. I found it interesting reading and was delighted to find that some of them I had discovered myself.
Here are my top ten.
1. Not setting a morning alarm. This is a bit of a cheat as it’s something I have done myself since I have regarded myself as ‘semi-retired’ and let myself off my weekday 7.00 a.m. alarm. At first, I found the extent of the resultant sleeping-in so alarming that I did set a ‘that’s enough’ 8.00 a.m. alarm, but I did treat myself to a new alarm clock with a SAD light that gradually lights up for the half-hour before the gently increasing sound of an Amazonian dawn chorus kicks in at the allotted time. Now I seem to have exhausted my sleep deficit and regularly wake before the alarm. I absolutely agree with the quoted Guardian reader who said that it means ‘I don’t start the day with the hideous stress of the alarm going off’. Highly recommended if your lifestyle allows.
2. Leaving the phone downstairs at night. Already do it.
3. Making homemade soup. Another one great winter idea I discovered myself. I use a soup maker and make two batches at the weekends but only when it feels doable, so it doesn’t become a chore. I bag it up in Lakeland soup ‘n’ sauce bags (perfect two portion size) and freeze. I can have a hot, quick, nutritious and tasty lunch any day of the week as long I remember to take out it the night before. You can reheat from frozen but it’s a faff.
4. Walking outdoors every day. I try! I try! It very cold right now though! And the daylight is so short. I know it’s good for me, but it is a habit that lapses. Also, it’s not a small change in my book because it takes time.
5. Buying a rowing machine. This isn’t on the list but is one of mine. A fold away one cost about £200. Use it once or twice a week. 4 kms. Headphones on to loud rock music. Walk to it from the bedroom. Takes 25ish minutes. Terrific. Works up a good sweat. Gets blood flowing, heart beating. Can breathlessly sing along. Can think about day ahead. Much nicer than standing bike for some reason. Shower. Then coffee. Ready start working day. And no going out in the cold. Love it! Easy cardio-vascular activity!
6. The squeezy app. If you are a woman of a certain age with a dodgy pelvic floor this app is great. It reminds you to do your squeezes, and it counts and times them for you. With practice, you can do them while reading the paper, eating or probably answering emails. Have been using for months. It really has become a habit. Highly recommended.
7. Lighting candles. I have a horde of candles. Never seemed to find the occasion to light them. Now, when doing my ‘creative writing’, I light a candle. I love the scent and the flicker of the flame. I think it acts both as a signal that I am now entering a different mental space, and is calming in some way – maybe the scent?
8. Getting hearing aids. Been there, done that. They are better than the alternative. And if you pay the money, you can get much more attractive ones. My current dinky red and white ones bring me joy when I see them in the morning. Sadly, I can’t say the same for the depressing grey NHS ones I am currently temporarily having to wear!
9. Exercise snacks. Great idea – doing squats while you wait for the kettle to boil type thing. Super idea. If only the dishwasher didn’t offer itself for stacking, unstacking, or refilling with rinse aid, or salt during this snatch of time. Might work up to this one.
10. Focussing on joy rather than willpower. I realise I have been moving this way for years. And I used to be someone very good on willpower. Like the reader quoted in the article says, I do exercise I enjoy. I eat food I enjoy. I do work I enjoy.
And a few that I don’t see working for me
Following the one-minute rule. This is the idea that if something will take less than a minute, answering an email, hanging up the laundry, then you should do it straight-away. It is supposed to improve productivity. Hmm... I could see a whole morning disappearing in one-minute tasks. And some of these things take brain power. I prefer to relegate them to ‘low quality’ time, and cluster them together.
Two-minute cold shower every morning. I’m definitely not hardcore enough for this.
Committing to intermittent fasting. I’ve read the research. I believe it’s good for you. And I’m not willing to put myself into deprivation mode. Too many diets over the years. Never again.
There are plenty more to inspire you in the original article, The Guardian, Monday 1st January 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/jan/01/100-tiny-changes-to-transform-your-life-from-the-one-minute-rule-to-pyjama-yoga
Why not let us know if you find something that speaks to you?
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Sarah Lewis is the owner and principal psychologist of Appreciating Change. She is author of ‘Co-Creating Planning Teams For Dialogic OD’, published by BMI Publishing, ‘Positive Psychology in Business’, published by Pavillion, ‘Positive Psychology at Work’ and ‘Positive Psychology and Change’ both published by Wiley. She is also the lead author of 'Appreciative Inquiry for Change Management', published by Kogan Page.
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On the first day of the new year, the Guardian ran an article, ‘100 small changes that really work’. The 100 entries that make up the article were sent in by experts and readers. See what caught my fancy and might work for you!