We often talk about the importance of lifestyle hygiene. We are constantly enticed by messages encouraging us to exercise, eat better, take action for the planet, and these messages give us parameters. Our subconscious also sets parameters for us. We must do everything right, otherwise, what’s the point of doing it?! And very often, the ‘right’ is set so high that we feel like failures because we don’t meet that standard. In the end, we give up, and we stay exactly where we are… whereas…

Firstly, I want to invite you to look at yourself with compassion – I will make a future post on this theme. But it seems important to me to adopt a vision of compassion towards ourselves and our actions. If our heart is sound, our intention to act is to do the best we can with the tools we have. Can we do better than what we have done? Yes and no! We might not have been able to do better in the past, and we can’t go back to change things. However, we can do better going forward, because the key is not to dwell on the past with ‘what ifs,’ but to see the present with ‘I have learned’ and to evolve, to improve. Our being is a perpetual construction where each day is an opportunity, not to be perfect, but to be better than yesterday.

Many of us want to improve our daily life hygiene, behavior, diet, physical activity, spirituality, interactions with others, our impact on the planet,… and it’s not a simple thing to do. Overnight, we won’t become masters of a perfect lifestyle. Let’s forget the guilt of not being perfect and instead look at ourselves with compassion. Let’s remove the heavy burden of the often harsh judgment we place on ourselves and focus on the positive side: we can become better.

Today, I want to talk to you about how simple actions can bring better habits into our lives and how, little by little, we can improve ourselves.

I don’t think it’s easy to change one’s lifestyle drastically from one day to the next. I don’t think it’s feasible to wake up one morning and say, ‘From now on, I will run 10 km every day’ (I’m exaggerating a bit), to make no exceptions in an anti-inflammatory diet, to meditate for 30 minutes every day, to sleep deeply for 8 hours every night… But just because we can’t do all that doesn’t mean we can’t take a step toward these goals.

I work a lot, and my activity is primarily online. During these long days, I don’t walk much; my physical activity is reduced to moving my fingers on a keyboard. For a few months, I let myself be carried away by the amount of work, using it as an excuse not to prioritize myself. However, the more I worked, the less clarity I had, both in my personal life and in my work: everything became burdensome.

One beautiful weekend, I decided to explore what alternatives are close to my home, within a 10-minute walk. Why is this criterion important? Simply because the barrier to going to the gym is rare. Since I joined, I often go there eagerly, and it’s easy. Sometimes I have to motivate myself, telling myself it’s not far, even if I only go for a 20-minute bike ride—20 minutes I didn’t do before. So yes, maybe it’s only 20 minutes, but it’s 20 minutes gained! And a bit every day or every week, in the end, I end up doing 40 minutes of cardio 3 to 5 times a week. And finally, I go there with pleasure because it’s not driven by the guilt of not going, but by the feeling of gaining something in my life. I often choose podcasts, so while exercising, I learn, and for me, learning is extremely stimulating. So, I leave the gym content, I had a good time, I learned new things while exercising… It’s just an invitation to go back the next day.

For me, sleep is important. I’ve always had trouble sleeping; sometimes I doze off, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night… Nights where I actually sleep are rare. I work to get better. In this sense, I also try to adopt good practices for good sleep. Exercise influences sleep, as does screen exposure. In my daily schedule, I wish and wished to do several things. I first cultivated waking up gently, but then I did the most important. My criterion of importance was to know what I can do now that will bring me the satisfaction of ‘it’s done’ instead of spending the whole day with ‘I have to do this.’

Why this criterion? It’s one less weight in the head and precisely a satisfaction. Every time I think about it, it’s with a positive and pleasant thought; it propels the rest of the day to do more enjoyable activities. For example, in my schedule, I want to do two things I love: writing (this post, in particular) and reading and continue learning about positive psychology. I chose to write in the afternoon and keep reading for the evening: simply for one criterion, screen exposure during the day is less harmful than in the evening… because I know myself, I start writing this post in the evening, and I’m up at 1 a.m. If I read tonight, I may read less than if I do it this afternoon, I might go less far, yes, but… I’ll certainly sleep before midnight, and the quality of my sleep will be better.

There are many examples where small gestures, if filled with compassion, may not be perfect, but they are one more step toward our well-being. Every drop of water we can contribute is a plus! But beware, blaming yourself because it’s not enough, it’s not good, will only be counterproductive to each effort. If you take a step and move forward, it means you have gained something, and you can congratulate yourself.

Did you like this post?

Let me know!
Comment, like or subscribe!