‘microdose’ your health and wellness habits
You might think I’m about to start talking about psychedelics…I’m not. I want to talk about micro-dosing good habits throughout your day and the positive impact it has on your energy levels - focus, clarity, sleep, and mental well-being.
In my personal practice, I’ve noticed that I have much more energy when I take my healthy habits and make them tiny habits that I can repeat at multiple intervals throughout the day.
Let me give you an example, like drinking water. We know, that on average we should consume (depending on body mass) around 3 litres of water and we do this by drinking about 11 glasses of water throughout the day. You could, drink 1 litre in the morning and then 2 litres in the afternoon/evening… but it’s not as effective. By drinking throughout the day, we receive the positive benefits of absorbing water properly for our body to function. Research shows that you can actually absorb more of water’s health benefits and improve your internal processes by drinking it at optimal times throughout the day.
I believe this principle applies to so many healthy habits including mindfulness and meditation, food consumption, exercise, and movement. Here are a few examples to get you started:
Take your journal to work and write as you go/ as you need it.
Pick a short 5-minute mindfulness track from Youtube or an app, which has a small exercise on it to help you slow down and implement morning, lunch and evening.
Taking non-negotiable water and toilet breaks every hour.
Walking and talking meetings (if I don’t need to be on a video) – it’s often the only screen break we get in a day.
A regular body scan to see if you’re holding any tension or clenching muscles and then relax them.
Snacks! Prepare your food and eat throughout your day allowing yourself to pick what feels nourishing at that point in time.
Set a timer every hour to make contact with nature - the sun on your face, your feet on the ground, look up to the sky, connect with your office plant.
Set a timer every 2 hours for 10 minutes to play on social media - connect with friends and family, reply to messages, laugh on TikTok, make a post, or read an article.
How to make it personal
Write a list of all the things that keep you healthy and all the things you love. Notice which habits can be broken into smaller parts and scheduled throughout your day. It will keep you healthy, happy, and energized.
As you do this, bring your awareness to any thoughts and feelings that may arise. For example, I used to feel guilty for sitting in the massage chair at work (even though they supplied it) because massages weren’t billable hours. But after allowing myself a 15-minute break, I noticed an increase in my productivity to sit and refocus on the task.
Give it a go! I’d love to hear your progress and creative suggestions, so please share below.
Love, Paisley