I had the pleasure to interview Rachel Fawcett, the winner of the Thrive ZP Challenge and now Thrive ZP Star Program Director, on Everyday Endorphins. In this episode, we discussed Rachel’s ZP journey, what inspired her to get involved with the challenge, and ultimately, what the power of implementing micro-steps had on taking ahold of her wellbeing.
Rachel decided to participate in the Thrive ZP Challenge, a 21-day challenge asking users to focus on one aspect of wellness, such as food, fitness, and financial wellness, making incremental better choices every day. Rachel chose to focus on the family aspect offered by the ZP challenge, and her specific better choice was to put her phone upstairs when coming home from work. Rachel also did a “digital detox,” erasing all miscellaneous apps from her phone screen except the Thrive ZP application.
As more time passed, Rachel realized that the effect of these smaller choices made a difference in her mindset. Soon, she found that every time she attempted to reach for her hone, she would ask herself if picking it up was really the better choice. In other words, Rachel became more mindful around her use of technology through implementing this micro-step around digital wellness. Rachel even described how the small act of removing her phone from her person, and also cleaning the apps that were present on her home screen, boosted the quality of family time.
Another important takeaway from Rachel’s experience was the infectious energy that came with holding herself accountable to completing the Thrive ZP challenge. The longer Rachel committed herself to the program, the easier it became for her to implement better choices. As Rachel describes in the episode, she felt as if she was experiencing a “treasure hunt for better choices” looking for them throughout the day in all aspects of wellness.
After speaking with Rachel, it is evident that making better choices incrementally can have large and lasting impacts on our physical and mental wellbeing. The earlier we become committed to developing good habits, the better off our health will be in the long run, and as young adults, it is extremely crucial to be educated about the impact of micro-steps on our lives.
As Aristotle says, “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” Let this be a lesson for all, and a guiding force inspiring our generation to feel empowered to take ahold of their own health and wellbeing.
You can listen here to Rachel’s episode, and follow Everyday Endorphins here. Episodes are available to stream via Spotify, Apple, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Radio Public, and Anchor. If you are interested in being featured or getting involved with the Everyday Endorphins, please contact [email protected].