30 Small Steps to Feeling Better


I read the following quote in an inspirational email I received several weeks ago:

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out... ~ Robert J. Collier

In my coaching practice this is a concept I hope to instill in my clients.  Do you frequently get caught up in the emotion or business of the moment?  Do you get thrown off track when under stress? Does that derailment last a lot longer than you would like? The thought of making a small effort during these times does not usually occur to most of us. Many of us have all-or-nothing thinking or perfectionism ruling our lives.  However, rather than skip a workout because you are too busy, try fitting in just ten minutes and see how it adds up.  Rather than skip a meal, take the time for a quick bite and avoid ravenous hunger and overeating later.  It all adds up.

Of course, the quote is applicable to many facets of life.  What I appreciate most is that it removes any expectation of perfection or that only big efforts matter.  It acknowledges that all of our efforts make a difference and work toward our success.  This is good news on a day when a small effort is all we have the time or energy for.  What small effort would make a big difference in your life?

Here are 10 ideas of ways to spend 10 minutes and really make them count for exercise.

If for one week all you had available were 10 minutes each day, you’d get in 70 minutes of exercise and burn hundreds of calories.  Not too shabby for just 10 minutes!  Try these quick workouts:

1.    Jump rope  (if you haven’t been exercising at all this may be too strenuous depending on general condition.) or you could do knee lifts standing in place
2.    Walk/jog interval outside: 1 minute jog / 1 minute walk (4 times), flanked by a 1 minute warm up and 1 minute cool down.
3.    Eight minutes of any exercise video, flanked by a 1 minute warm up and 1 minute cool down.
4.    Alternate a minute of jumping jacks with a minute of side touches. (touch your toe to the floor to the right side, bring your foot back in and touch your toe on the left side and bring it back in. You can do this either in a stepping way or a hopping way.)
5.    Walk up and down stairs. Try taking two at a time on the way up. Keep your shoulders relaxed, belly button to spine, use your legs and buttocks.)
6.    Walk the dog – briskly!
7.    Dance – non-stop – to your favorite up-beat music
8.    Alternate strength exercises, with some side steps or jumping jacks or jump ropes in between.  Try: lunges, pushups, crunches, bridges and triceps dips (these can all be done using body weight only.)
9.    Sweep the garage or outside patio – non-stop!
10.    Use indoor cardio equipment – 1 minute push hard followed by a 1 minute recovery (4 times), flanked by a 1 minute warm up and 1 minute cool down.

Here are 10 ideas of quick balanced snacks to have when you don’t have time to really prepare or eat. This will help you keep your blood sugar and energy stable and avoid overeating later when you would be starving.

1.    A piece of fruit with nuts, nut butter or low fat cheese or light cream cheese
2.    Whole grain crackers  or toast with cottage cheese, nut butter, low fat cheese or sliced turkey
3.    Hummus and whole grain crackers or pita or vegetables
4.    ½ a sandwich on whole grain bread with protein and vegetables or open face sandwich
5.    Celery sticks with nut butter or laughing cow cheese
6.    Trail mix with nuts and raisins or cranberries
7.    Food bars – focus on whole grain, some protein, 50% carb, lowest sugar, highest fiber
8.    Leftover dinner of chicken stir fry with brown rice and vegetables
9.    Fruit smoothie made with tofu or whey protein and yogurt
10.    Tomato stuffed with tuna salad


Here are 10 ideas of ways to de-stress in 10 minutes or less when you feel like you have no time for yourself and you can’t possibly slow down.

1.    Have a cup of tea
2.    Listen to one song that you love, really listen
3.    Focus on your breathing, the whole sensation of it, for 2 minutes
4.    Tune into your self-talk and if it is negative or critical, find a better feeling thought
5.    Read the book you’re currently reading for 10 minutes
6.    Take a 10  minute walk and look at the world around you
7.    If you have a pet, pat it and play with it for 5 minutes
8.    Make sure you aren’t hungry because if you are, that could be making you feel overwhelmed, irritable, sleepy, tired, depressed or stressed. Has it been 4 hours since you last ate? If it has, you are probably hungry even if you missed the hunger signals.
9.    Yoga, tai chi, chi kung for 10 minutes
10.    What is it for you? what helps you de-stress, come back to the moment, calm down, get perspective, have a mini-relaxation moment?

Making these small efforts consistently helps you to keep in balance, to move toward your goals and to be successful. What small effort would make a big difference in your life?