Small changes for big results

I’ve been thinking about how small changes can make a big difference to your health. A couple of years ago, I started to follow one of Michael Mosley’s Just one thing tips to stand on one leg when brushing my teeth. It’s such a small thing, and so easy – I was brushing my teeth anyway! And I can feel that I’m stronger and more balanced every day.

I think that one reason that this worked so well was that it linked to an existing habit. So every time I remembered the existing habit (brushing my teeth), I also remembered the new one. Easy! I use a similar trick with clients when we are trying to find ways to embed new habits – could you do this every time you put the kettle on?  Or before your shower? Or during your drive to work?

A lot of what we do as practitioners are about enabling these small changes that add up to big differences. So I asked our practitioners about how they help their clients to embed new habits.

Our herbalist Dr Sue Pitt says

I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. At the start of January we are still in the depths of winter and both energy and mood tend to be at a low point for most people. I much prefer to take my cue from the changing seasons. As we come to the end of February we are beginning to see the optimistic signs of spring – the days are getting longer, the birds are busy and the spring bulbs are bringing a bit of colour to our lives. Now is the time to reset and think about our plans for the year ahead.

It is a good moment to embed a simple habit that will help you through the next winter as well. Take a few moments to make sure you get some natural light first thing. This could mean taking the dog for a walk, making the effort to walk on the school run, sitting outside for your morning coffee or even just standing under an umbrella in the rain for a few minutes.

Try it – you may enjoy it more than you think! If you can’t get outside, then try to sit by the brightest window instead. Our bodies have a natural circadian rhythm which is easily upset during the dark days of winter so we can find ourselves awake at night and sleepy during the day. This simple habit can help to reestablish it. All our other body systems depend on that clock, so it can have a surprising impact on energy and mood.

From our herbalist Sara Furness

I don’t do new year’s resolutions as such but I started the year with an intention to do more art and making, as being creative brings me a great sense of fulfilment and pleasure. This is also a meaningful way for me to explore and express my relationship to the natural world. Im following a lunar path this year, breaking down my intention into monthly chunks, noticing how my energy fluctuates with the waxing and waning of the moon.

As a newly ‘post menopausal’ woman, this my way of continuing to notice a monthly rhythm and my connection to the changes happening in the natural world through the year’s seasonal shifts.