Put a spring in your step

Three months of 2022 have already gone and in two week’s time it will be Easter.  Are you still sticking to your New Year resolutions or is it time for a rethink?  Have you lost the weight you planned to lose in January or have you added a few more pounds over the winter months.  Have you visited the gym you joined with such high hopes or do you avoid looking at the payment going out of your bank account each month?

Sometimes we start with too many goals and new plans and when they fall by the wayside we not only give up but we beat ourselves up as being useless and hopeless.  That journey of 1000 miles always begins with the first step.

It is often better to set small goals and then when we achieve them we can congratulate ourselves and gain confidence to face the next step.  Instead of setting out to run a marathon, start with a small challenge of going for a fifteen minute walk three days a week.  

Walking is one of the best ways to increase our exercise and well-being.  There are no gym fees to pay, we don’t need lots of expensive equipment or clothes.  A comfortable pair of shoes and a warm coat are all that are required.  

When you are walking, begin to walk mindfully.  Take notice of what you see around you.  Smile and say good morning or good afternoon to the other people you will see.  If they don’t smile back that is their loss.  Sometimes your smile can lift another person’s day.

One Sunday morning when I was walking my dog I spoke to an elderly gentleman on his way to collect his newspaper. ‘Good morning, what a lovely day,’ was all I said.  ‘Thank you,’ he replied, ‘you are the first person who has spoken to me in days.’  We stopped for a chat about the weather and then each went our separate ways.  Since that day I have made a point of saying good morning to people I see on my morning walk. I really don’t care if people think I am a bit crazy.  One day I could be that elderly man who no one had spoken to in days.  

So go for a walk, look at the flowers in front gardens, tubs and window boxes.  Smile and say good morning even if people think you are a bit odd. You may never know the difference you can make to someone’s day.

I have worked as a hypnotherapist in Leatherhead and London and I also teach hypnotherapy and train new hypnotherapists. I offer a full range of services including anxiety coping mechanisms, stress relief, weight loss, stop smoking and treatment for phobias online via Zoom. Please get in touch to find out more.