Well-being starts today.

Some people fear making a commitment to change a habit or create a new positive one—whether to exercise more, eat better, meditate or quit yelling at other drivers which only raises your blood pressure. You might think ‘it will be like everything else- I won’t follow through and then I’ll feel bad about myself.’ You already feel defeated before you start.

Picture a child learning to walk, how she falls down many times, yet keeps getting up and trying again. The child has a natural motivation to use her body to explore the world. As adults, we have a natural motivation to explore, thrive and grow. Yet we have learned to put all kinds of barriers in our way, most of them mental barriers.

We can strengthen our mental ‘muscles’ as a child does their body’s muscles when learning to crawl, walk and eventually run. Change happens for adults when we work toward thinking about things in a more positive way. Would you scold a child learning to walk for falling down, for example? Or would you smile and hold out your arms to welcome every step they take, whether clumsy or graceful?

A few things to remember to encourage yourself:

• How I think and talk to myself matters.

• I can unlearn habits of thought and action and learn new ones.

• I just need to take one small step.

Start small and simple. What can you commit to? Some ideas to get you started:

I will do something every day that brings me joy or contentment.

(ie, savor my morning cup of tea in silence; sing in the shower, spend 15 minutes in the garden,write in my journal, etc)

I will practice gratitude every day (naming aloud or in writing in a gratitude journal).

I will talk to myself with more kindness.

I will download a guided meditation and try it 2x this week.

I will walk for 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week this week

I will call to find out about the book club (painting class, volunteering, lunch with friends, etc)

Suggestions/Journaling, Collage: Get a small notebook, write down your commitment and the benefits of keeping it. Commit to a time period –one week, one month or more. Consider setting a regular time and place as this increases chances of creating a new, positive habit. Some people find creating an appointment reminder on their phone to be helpful.

In your notebook note 1) any mental, emotional and physical effects of doing or not doing your commitment, 3) what inner or outer obstacles stopped me from doing my commitment today? 4) what would help me follow through tomorrow? 5) what words, images, role models, allies will encourage me to keep going? You might try creating a collage with positive images.

After the end of your commitment time frame, see if you need to make an adjustment , continue or make another small commitment to yourself. If not, why not?