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Change doesn't always have to be big, it doesn't have to feel over whelming and it still can be something that will make a significant difference to your life for the better.
In fact, often the subtle and small changes help your mind and body to trust and believe that other change is possible. I call these the "ripples". The small ideas or shifts in what you do that ripple out and effect other aspects of your life unexpectedly.
In our busy day we can make small changes to boost our personal happiness and health.
Remember when you learned to ride a bike, the day your stabilisers came off? You may have wobbled around or frantically grasped at the handle-bars until a subtle movement created the moment you were in free flow and cycling forward and fast, as a lasting change. There was a slight movement that made that possible. A ripple, that just put the rest in motion.
One of my most successful "ripples" was the day I decided to leave my lunch in the car. This simple gesture meant that instead of multi-tasking a pitta and an email, or attempting to avoid cottage cheese spilling on notes I was writing up- I subtly created space.
When I leave my lunch in the car I have to do a few things...
I have to break off from what I am doing, which means I usually evaluate whether the tasks I am embarking on pre-lunch is going to be completed before I get "hangry" or distracted. In turn, I have noticed I usually select complete and finish tasks before lunch rather than breaking mid-way off a huge chunk of admin, it's nudged me into prioritising in a different way.
Secondly, it ensures that at least 5-10 minutes of my lunch time (minimum) is walking and fresh air and this gives me such a boost. I often shift up my route to meander paths in a different way. On the days where I am more office based/building based this change of scene is precious.
It also gives me space to re-connect with my thoughts in a different perspective and helps me regenerate and refocus for the afternoon.
And it leads me to tasty food, that I can enjoy in a space I have created for lunch.
At the core of this behaviour change is the recollection of regularly missing lunch when I worked in the third sector; feeling too busy to prioritise this time that I really cherish now. At that time, I had forgotten the value I gave to enabling this space for myself and I often hear other describe these very patterns of "missing out" on the space of lunch.
Feeling the benefits of this "ripple" it encouraged me to share it with others and hear about the little tweaks they build into their day to create space, reflection, calm and boost health and happiness.
On reflection, people noticed they had the most subtle yet wonderfully powerful ripples. Everything from wearing their favourite socks on days where they felt there were going to be challenges or the day they looked up from the sink- mid shave -and noticed how calming it was to fix a gaze on the blowing trees outside their window, the unicorn water bottle they had bought for a relative that some how ended up being absorbed into their own repertoire and was promoting plenty of discussions around hydration at office meetings, the slippers at the door that let them know it was time to leave the day behind and relax in "home-zone".
These are the ripples that create our own health and happiness, do not under-estimate their power! They can be ones we create through full conscious awareness or they might be something you do without even realising, until now, that has a massive impact on things like comfort, focus, happiness, calm.
Seek out your ripples, be curious, what now, what next?
#health #happiness #lunchtimeadvocate #coaching #littelthings #reflection #change #changework #ripples #worklifebalance #happiness
Picture source: Unspalsh By Snappy Shutter