When is the time right?

We often find ourselves waiting for just the right time to make a change in our lives.

We decide we’ll make time for meditation after we’ve got the next three things on our to-do list complete or we’ll wait until Sunday to incorporate a healthy practice. We’ll break up with the person we know is not right for us after we go to the concert together or we’ll start to travel after we retire.

It can be easy (and common) to settle into a pattern of thinking that puts a conditional on making changes in our lives. This conditional is dependent on a better moment - someday that isn’t today, some time other than right now.

I see this in clinical practice fairly often. Someone wants to wait until X happens to make a change with their diet or start taking herbs or is worried that now isn’t a good time because of XYZ. I see this in my own life too. Of course, sometimes it absolutely does make sense to delay, but for many subtle changes in life, I encourage people to ask themselves (and try to remind myself): When will the time be right?

When will the time be right to get to sleep a little earlier? to cut back on caffeine? to add in a bit more movement? to say that thing we’ve been dying to say? to write the poem? to prioritize our well-being?

What keeps today from being the day?

Many lasting changes take time. We form habits around new behaviors, and these habits become normalized over weeks or months. When we try to change a bunch of things at once, it can be easy to get overwhelmed or to become discouraged when we find that it’s too hard to keep it up. I see this happen in the wellness space a lot as well. Someone gets motivated to improve their health and feels pressured to make so many changes in diet and lifestyle all at once (“Today is the day for everything!”). This is so understandable, especially when we want to improve our health and our lives.

So maybe today is the day to introduce a small change, to pick one thing you’re excited/inspired/motivated/curious to do and try to be consistent with it for several weeks. It doesn’t have to be a monumental, life-shifting event. It can just be something you’ve been thinking about for a while and perhaps waiting for the perfect moment to start.

I’m interested to know if there’s something you’re holding back from doing or trying and how you are navigating the wait for the perfect moment. You’re welcome to respond directly to the email if you feel moved to share.

Warmly,

Artemisia

innervillagehealth.com

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