Small habits, big ripples

Our everyday health is scaffolded by a collection of our habits.

There’s really no way around this.

So often, I see people searching for something more glamorous or exciting that will “fix” or change their health. But our relationship with our regular habits is undeniable.

Maybe this sounds boring, but I think this fact is comforting.

In general - if our daily habits are solid, healthy, and individualized, we can bend and change within the structure of these regular behaviors without harm.

For example, if we maintain a habit of regularly excluding added sugar from our daily lives, our health won’t be devastated by a piece of birthday cake we eat at our friend’s party (given that there are no blood sugar regulation problems or other diseases present). Our spleen qi is supported by our normal, non-sugary diet, and our digestive capacity can handle the rare challenge.

The same goes for sleep. If we regularly get in bed at 9 pm, we won’t be harmed by a late night every once in a while (maybe tired, but not deeply damaged). Since we’re regularly getting enough sleep, our blood is more likely to be nourished, rather than deficient, and our kidneys are replenished, so we are still able to function the next day.

Habits can provide structure without rigidity.

For better or for worse, depending on how you look at things, habits can also work in the other direction.

If we regularly drink coffee throughout the day, one day of limiting our stimulant intake will not improve our health in any kind of dramatic way. The constant practice of introducing stimulation and heat to our bodies is depleting, and we need more than one day to nourish our yin and clear heat.

Any day is a good day to make a change - and we can celebrate newfound conviction to make a change! - but we need to consistently engage with shifts in our behavior to cultivate new habits.

I’ve been thinking about the importance of small actions lately - while taking inventory of my own life and while writing health protocols for the people I work with.

Many small, daily actions have the potential for big ripples in our health, but we have a tendency to overlook them in favor of more dramatic possibilities that seem to somehow hold more promise for the type of change we may be looking for in life.

Health can be very complicated, but sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes, there isn’t something new to buy or try; sometimes, the changes we need to make are right in front of us.

Some small habit shifts I am currently working on:

• Waiting an additional hour to check my emails in the morning instead of getting right to them at 9

• Practicing qigong for a few minutes when I feel the first signs of stress, instead of delaying or allowing the stress to grow

• Knitting in bed for at least 15 minutes before sleep instead of watching videos or working

Do you have any small habits you are trying to introduce, change, or overcome?

Do you feel like any of your current habits are holding you back from better health or the actualization of your goals?

You are always welcome to respond directly to this email - I love to read your notes. 🌾

Warmly,

Artemisia

Clinical Herbalist | Chinese Medicine

innervillagehealth.com 

@innervillagehealth