Happy New Year! Whether you’re the sort of person who makes resolutions or not, the new year is a great time to think about our well-being, and whether our habits and routines are supporting our life-work integration. If you find yourself needing to make some changes, the great thing is they don’t need to be big. At Thrive, Microsteps are the foundation of behavior change. They’re based on the truth that the best way to make healthy changes in our lives is to start as small as possible. As the Chief Well-being Officer of Deloitte, one of my favorite things about my job is hearing about all the unique ways people find to nurture their well-being.
A great source of ideas is Deloitte’s Well-being Wizards program. The Wizards are an incredible network of passionate employees who are empowered to act as a kind of in-house well-being platform. (You can read a recent interview I did with the founder of the program, Jaime Ledesma, here.) I’m continually inspired by the creative ways the Wizards both take care of themselves and support others in their well-being. I recently asked the group for some of their favorite Microsteps. Here is just a small selection – for both individuals and teams.
If you’re looking for ways to up your well-being game, try one – or more!
- “I have 15 minutes of ‘write down’ time every day; this allows me to clear my head and put things in perspective. I write about what seems to worry me and what I need to accomplish each week.” — Maria Neira
- “I find some time during the last hours of the day to reflect on the day and who helped me. I then try to send a quick ‘thank you’ to them. Nothing detailed, just ‘thank you for your help unblocking that issue earlier, I appreciate it!’” – Mikey Cooper
- “Each night, my husband and I separately write down three things we’re grateful for from the day and share those three things with each before we go to sleep. It’s especially powerful to reflect on what we’re grateful for when the day has been tough.” — Anna Adams
- “I change my computer background weekly to something that will make me smile. That way when I log on in the morning, or if I close all my windows throughout the day, I get to see something to quickly make me smile and it relieves a small amount of stress.” — Ashley Scott
- “To quickly calm down, execute a ‘physiological sigh’: Two deep inhales followed by an extended exhale. This dumps C02 from your lungs, relaxing your body.” – Louis Dewitt-Hoeger
- “I keep a notepad in my nightstand, so anything that I’m thinking about that I need to do the next day I can write down, instead of worrying about it all night. This definitely puts my mind at ease and helps me fall asleep faster.” — Suzanne Seraine
- “I have a mini trampoline in my home office. If I need a quick burst of energy or need to release some frustration, I ‘bounce’ it out! It never fails to make me smile and flip my mood.” — Adriane Wong
- “My incoming emails serve as a reminder to correct my posture. When an incoming email dings or Teams pings, my back swings back into proper place.” — Keivyn Reyes
- “When I feel overwhelmed, frustrated or like I just need a break during the workday, I get up and look at pictures of my family on my phone. That always brings a smile to my face and reminds me of what’s important in life.” — Brenda Arends
- “I inform my teams live and in my calendar when my working hours are to ensure I have periods for myself and family to recharge/connect.” – Shane Hamman
- “We do tech-free dinners so that we can connect as a family and engage in distraction-free conversations. Our two-year-old loves asking mommy and daddy how their days were.” — Joanne Barela
I hope some of these ideas will inspire you to make 2023 a year of greater well-being, connection and joy.