Made New Year resolutions?
Pledging to lose weight, join a gym or have more family time?
Set your goals too low, high or just right?
It’s the time of year when we risk putting ourselves under extra pressure as we strive to keep New Year resolutions. Here, red10 ‘s Karen Hyde describes her 5 small changes towards a Wellbeing goal.
With the help of red10 ‘s Wellbeing expert Lisa Smith’s help, I used red10 ‘s Wellbeing Wheel to score my 8 Wellbeing Spokes. I realized that making some small changes here and there would go a long way towards achieving my bigger overall goal of having more time for family and my hobbies.
Small change 1 – Posture
Niggling knee pain meant that the things I enjoy like walking the dog was becoming so uncomfortable, it felt like a chore.
Making time for an osteopath appointment then found the niggling pain in my knee and ankle was actually a problem with my lower back, likely caused by a poor sitting position at work.
Now, the new kneeling chair for the office has arrived, corrected my posture. The new chair is so comfortable!
Small change 2 – Replace Wine with Tea
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has fallen into the habit of pouring a glass of wine after work.
Perhaps we see it as reward for working so hard, or as a way to relax.
Over the holiday period, something strange happened – I found I’d rather have a cup of tea in the evening. I’m making this a habit on weekdays.
Small change 3 – Enjoy the now
Coming through a tough year of personal bereavements, I would often have a sense of guilt for feeling happiness yet I am learning to have gratitude for all I have in life and that it is okay to enjoy new relationships and different way of being.
Small change 4 – Better planning
During the holidays I had some lovely activities – I went to the Ballet, an art exhibition, a new restaurant I’d been eager to try, took children to a pantomime and enjoyed long walks. Then I realised all these things didn’t actually take up that much time, each achievable in an afternoon or evening.
I realised that the only reason I did these was because they were all planned in advance and that time was protected. I was also more focused leading up to the time away, being sure all work commitments were met.
Small change 5 – Turn off notifications
A tiny change but so effective. My devices ping every time a new email or message arrives; day and night and I am easily distracted.
I’ve turned off notifications between 8pm and 7am and then set a special rule that allows notifications of messages from specific people.
Wellbeing Wheel – How it works
Take a look at the Wellbeing Wheel.
For each of the eight spokes, score yourself on a 0 (Low) to 10 (High).
Look at your scores – how do you interpret what it’s telling you?
e.g. could it be that sleep is affecting your mood and therefore your motivation to go to gym or exercise class?
The Wellbeing Wheel is a simple yet effective tool that helps you see where you may need to make those small changes.