Each season seems to bring with it new pressures on our wellness. In winter it’s low mood and ‘New January, New You’ nonsense. Autumn is all back to school and party season prep and summer is peak body and tan time.

Spring is a pre-summer body time. We’re all meant to let go of the winter comfort foods, and focus on getting outdoors and spring cleaning.

But all this constant effort on ‘self-improvement’ puts a lot of pressure on our busy lives, and honestly, how much really changes?

Not a lot is the answer, not least because we don’t address the truth of why we want to make those changes, or how to realistically fit them into our lives.

We wake up almost weekly with a ‘new plan’ to change our lives; sleep more, drink more water, exercise daily, but putting it bluntly, usually nothing happens.

The reason why is simple. It’s too much.

Work, children, lives, constant stimulation by social media, etc leaves us feeling more like home improvement projects (ramshackle at best) than humans looking to build wellness and longevity.

Instead, I’ve started to adopt the current newest trend recommended by wellbeing experts and coaches – ‘micro dosing’ your wellbeing.

What is Wellbeing Micro Dosing?

In clinical terms micro dosing means to give a tiny amount of a medication or substance for a therapeutic benefit that may differ from a large dose.

In wellbeing terms it means doing your best to live healthily and well, by taking tiny steps at a time.

The way it works is simple. Just do one thing differently at a time. For example, instead of trying to go vegan, drink two litres of water and get to bed at 8pm every night, you could just focus on the water.

If that’s too hard and you still struggle to hit your goal, the problem is the goal, not you. So try for one litre of water.

If that doesn’t work, start with one glass of water. Everyone can drink one glass of water a day.

It’s the same with exercise. Instead of aiming for five trips to the gym, try one, or just a walk. For twenty minutes.

How does Micro Dosing Work?

Music teachers have long known the benefits when working with unmotivated young people of not asking for hours practice a day and starting with five minutes. Then two sets of five minutes, then three, building up as the child’s ability increases.

If you’re starting something new or making a change, making a small change that lasts is so much more powerful than a big one you do once or twice, before giving up and feeling mountains of shame.

There are three key steps to making micro-dosing work:

1. Make it easy.

If you feel any resistance at all to the goal, make it smaller until it seems easy and silly not to do it.

2. Make it pleasant.

If going to bed early fills you with dread, how can you make it more pleasurable? Do you need to change your sheets, slather yourself in body lotion, grab a good book (or audiobook, a current favourite of mine) and make it an experience? If you do that once a week, will it work?

3. Be prepared to be proud.

We’ve got the idea that to be worthwhile, our efforts in wellness must be huge. But a hair wash if you can’t manage a whole shower is still better than dry shampoo. And a sit on the patio is better than a day in bed if you can’t manage a walk.

Being kind to yourself shouldn’t be a chore, but the more that we have it forced down our throats, the more it is.

My key Odylique Tips to Micro dosing

Don’t buy ten new skincare products when one will do – I always say if you can’t manage a whole regime, buy a brilliant moisturiser. Even if you skip everything else, do that daily and your skin will thank you.

If you have a choice between fitness, family, career and rest, always choose rest first. It might feel like a cop-out but nothing else works if you’re tired

If you’re feeling down, a very quick hit of a citrus based aromatherapeutic oil will give you an instant lift

Put a reminder in your phone to drink water three times a day

Always keep a rich balm somewhere nearby. One that works on heels, knees, elbows, dry skin, sore lips, and scratches – your essential ‘do it all’

If you’re feeling anxious, sit for two minutes, close your eyes and focus on all the sounds you can hear. Just breathe and hear

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