Beginning a change

Before beginning a change, it’s good to know what’s really important to you so that this can guide you, instead of being guided by your negative thoughts or other people’s expectations. Sometimes it’s difficult to know what’s meaningful in life, especially if you often just get on with things without stopping and thinking about how you feel and what you need.

To clarify what’s important to you, what you want your life to be about, and to check whether you’re really living your life based on what you value, the Life Compass can help. Click on “Life Compass” to read more about it.

Creating new habits

It takes time to create new habits. Maybe you’ve done things the same way for a long time and a lot is automatic. To make it easier for yourself to create new routines and habits, it’s good to do it in small steps, preferably one thing at a time. Taking too big steps can feel overwhelming and the risk is that it won’t happen.

Tips for beginning a change

E.g. doing more recovery activities regularly:

Start from a minimum level and increase gradually.
Do one thing at a time – this increases your chances of being able to handle the change.
Be specific – decide what to do, when, how and where to do it.
Write it down in your calendar.
Think about what will lower your threshold.
Is it about doing things on the go? For example, that it’s easier to work out if you pack and take your bag when you go to university in the morning? Is it more fun if you do what you want to do with someone else?
Take action for motivation.
Many of us wait to feel motivated to act on what we want to change. We may have to wait in vain. Instead, think the opposite way and start with something that is easy enough for you to be sure to succeed, even though you don’t feel like doing it. Over time, you’ll notice that you can influence your situation, albeit in small steps, and this can increase motivation. The unease or unwillingness you may feel at first usually decreases with time. Motivation is also reinforced by the fact that over time you will notice that you’re feeling better.
Evaluate briefly how it’s working and if you need to change anything.