I seem to be getting this message from everywhere.
Planning to train for some big run next year? Start little jogs or up your steps now.
Planning on weight loss next year? Make some small changes now – don’t write off December because of Xmas.
I totally agree – I’ve written before about how the New Year in the northern hemisphere seems a hellish time to make big life shifts. And whatever your goal, starting now in some small way, however insignificant it feels, is more effective than waiting for the “right time”.
Long term behaviour change comes more reliably from little things built slowly and imperfectly into your life as it is now, rather than the big ‘ta-da! a whole new me starts on Monday’ approach.
If sorting out your pain/stress combo is your goal, what are you waiting for?
- An arbitrary date? 1st Jan?
- To get less busy? Is that actually going to happen?
- To get diagnosed first? Does the uncertainty mean you can’t do anything to help yourself safely in the meantime?
- To know exactly what to do? That’s valid, but at some point you need to choose and try something as it’s always going to be a bit suck it and see , even with the most evidence based approaches.
I think the waiting is way more often about not putting yourself far enough up the priority list.
So here I am giving you a nudge to get things rolling in a tiny way.
Start with one small thing. A five minute walk. Step outside at lunch for even just one gulp of fresh air. Three minutes of constructive rest. A minute of mindful movement.
For help prioritising yourself and setting up one of the best habits you can get I recommend you sign up to Constructive Rest Club
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