The Power of Tiny Habits

Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviours on any given day! Your life today is essentially the sum of your habits. Habits seem to have little impact on the day, and yet the impact they have over the months and years can be enormous. We often dismiss small changes because they don’t seem to matter very much in the moment. If you go to the gym three days in a row, your still out of shape. If you eat an unhealthy meal today, the scale doesn’t move much. Making a choice that is one percent better or one percent worse seems insignificant in the moment. But over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are, and who you could be. Good health is the product of daily habits, not a once in a lifetime transformation. Too often we convince ourselves that having massive success requires massive action. But the difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. A slight change in your daily habits today can guide your health to a different destination. Getting one percent better every day counts in the long run. These small changes can often appear to make no difference, so patience is needed. At first these tiny routines may seem insignificant but soon they build on each other and become mighty. Change can take years before it happens all at once. Your health is a measure of your habits. You get what you repeat. What you repeatedly do ultimately creates the health you have today. If you can change your habits, you can change your health. Here’s some of ours…

Since having my baby, my mornings have become somewhat unpredictable so the best way I can ensure I still have a healthy and easy breakfast is to put the ingredients out for my morning smoothie the night before, after my son has gone to bed. After breastfeeding through the night, I wake up with a great appetite, so having the smoothie almost ready-to-go ensures I can make a healthy breakfast in just a few minutes without too much thought and still enjoy it at a reasonable hour! – Niki

I love to schedule a catch up with a friend as a walk or something active so I get to catch up and have a great chat but am also able to get some exercise in. Multitasking is great for when you are super busy! – Chelsey

I work out in our garage and to inspire me to get out there four times a week I add really daggy dance tracks to my play list as often as I find them. I love warming up to the ever- evolving, coolest play list ever. In fact – if any patients have any suggestions, I am all ears! – Anna

For me exercise every day is non-negotiable to control my stress. I also have to eat the same healthy smoothie bowl for breakfast everyday – even when I am on holidays. I have been known to take stick blenders and bags full of my special ingredients all the way to Europe, Asia and even up to the Gibb River Road! – Lisa

I have no desire to judge myself for eating pizza or to feel guilty for drinking a funky wine. But I also know that I feel much better when I eat healthy. In order to balance the two, one of my habits is to never miss twice. Just because I slip up once doesn’t mean I’ve ruined the whole thing. Missing once is fine, but I try not to miss a healthy meal twice. I use this simple rule to get me back on track faster – Bobbie

Are your habits putting you on a path to health?