„Just as climbing a mountain is done gradually, step by step, so it is with changes – it’s better to start with a lower bar rather than trying to conquer Everest right away,“ says the pharmacist.
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Big goals can quickly kill motivation
A healthier lifestyle covers many areas – nutrition, sleep, physical activity, emotional well-being. According to I. Norkienė, trying to radically change them all at once can set expectations that are simply too high.
„If we start with big changes, set too many goals for ourselves, or raise them to the maximum, we can simply lose motivation and fail to achieve the result we want. Taking small steps in each area can lead to very good results,“ she explains.
A bar set too high can cause disappointment, lack of self-confidence, and a feeling that changes are failing. Then a person often gives up before even halfway through.
Benefits can be felt quickly, but habits take time
One should not expect that after just a few days a new action will become an automatic part of daily life. According to the pharmacist, forming a more complex habit may take about two months. However, sometimes a person feels the first positive changes much earlier.
For a choice to become routine, repetition is needed.
„We can feel the benefit even the day after the first step. However, we cannot yet call it a habit – it is rather a consequence of our action,“ says I. Norkienė.
For example, if a person decides not to eat a lot of sweets or heavy food in the evenings, they may notice the next morning that they slept better and feel more energetic. But for such a choice to become routine, repetition is necessary.
Simpler habits can take hold faster. One such example is starting the morning with a glass of water.
„I have tried it myself and now I just want to drink in the morning – the body is already used to it. Many people start their morning not with a cup of coffee, but with a glass of water,“ the pharmacist says.
Not 30 thousand steps – start with as many as you can
Before making changes, I. Norkienė advises first answering yourself what you really want to achieve. The goal should be specific, and the path to it divided into smaller stages.
If a person has hardly exercised so far, it is hardly a good idea to set a goal of walking 30,000 steps on the first day. It is better to start with a few thousand and gradually increase physical activity.
„For example, a walk after dinner, especially in summer when the weather is good, is a small change that is much easier to incorporate into daily life. There is no need to try to walk 30,000 steps right away – you can start with three or four thousand and gradually raise the bar,“ she says.
It is important to find the middle ground: too difficult a challenge can scare and encourage giving up, while too easy will eventually lose interest.
Why can’t we even keep simple promises?
It would seem that deciding to walk every day or go to bed half an hour earlier is not very difficult. But even such promises are sometimes hard for people to keep.
According to I. Norkienė, the environment, family habits, daily pace, and constant digital distraction influence this. The phone or TV provides quick pleasure, so choosing a workout or a walk sometimes becomes much harder.
„You need to ask yourself: why am I doing this and what benefit do I get from it? A bigger, long-term goal also helps a lot – for example, the desire to feel good not only today but also in old age,“ says the pharmacist.
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When a person clearly understands why they are changing their behavior, it is easier to stay consistent even on days when motivation is lower.
The same challenge does not suit everyone
However, even a seemingly harmless wellness challenge should not be applied blindly. According to the pharmacist, it is necessary to consider age, physical condition, chronic diseases, and how one feels on a particular day.
„Not all programs suit everyone. If a person has chronic diseases, joint or cardiovascular problems, they cannot blindly follow general recommendations,“ she emphasizes.
For example, with joint problems, swimming or another lower-impact activity may be more suitable than running. With high blood pressure or other health issues, it is worth consulting a health specialist about appropriate physical activity.
It is important to listen to your body. If you feel very tired one day, it is not necessary to do the planned intense workout at all costs – sometimes the body needs rest more.
It is also worth considering the time of exercise. Intense physical activity late in the evening can make it harder for some people to fall asleep, so it is better to observe how the body reacts to it.
The biggest mistake is to “let go” on weekends
Starting a new habit is one thing, but maintaining it longer is quite another. Therefore, the pharmacist recommends not relying solely on motivation but creating a specific plan in advance.
If you decide to exercise every morning, it is worth trying to keep a similar rhythm on weekends as well. The new action should gradually become as natural a part of daily life as brushing your teeth.
„You need to set specific deadlines. If I can’t do it today, I have to answer myself – when exactly will I do it later?“ says I. Norkienė.
One of the most common mistakes is sticking to the routine for five days and completely relaxing on the weekend: going to bed very late, eating excessively, or skipping all physical activity for the week.
„There must be balance in everything. Exercise, healthier eating, and time for sleep should not disappear just because it’s a day off,“ emphasizes the pharmacist.
Support from those around you can also help. Sharing your goal with family or friends and sharing achievements provides additional encouragement not to give up.
Therefore, to live healthier, it is not necessary to turn your whole life upside down from Monday. Sometimes it is enough to choose one small thing – a glass of water in the morning, a short walk after dinner, a more consistent sleep schedule, or a few thousand more steps per day. When one change becomes usual, you can take on another. This way, a healthier lifestyle gradually becomes not a short-term challenge but a daily routine.
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