Domino Habits - The Progress Not Perfection Mindset
Domino habits are actions that seem so small and insignificant that many people overlook their importance.
Did you know a single domino when lined up correctly can knock over another domino DOUBLE its size?
On its own, one domino or one small habit IS INSIGNIFICANT, however when we strategically line them up the power of momentum quickly stakes on a life of its own and conquers things we never believed were possible!
Unconscious to Conscious
Think back to when you learnt how to swim or ride a bike. As natural as these skills might be for you now, they didn’t just magically happen. Learning anything new is hard, it takes time to learn new information, then even more time to persistently implement that new information until it’s a habit (see diagram below).
Dominio habit’s work as mini reminders because one of the secret habits successful people recognise is that how you do ANYTHING is how you do EVERYTHING!
The 4 domino habits below are linked to the BBSF Cornerstones, so let’s take a closer look at why each is so important.
Cornerstone #1 Motivation Mindset
Domino habit: Get straight up and make your bed every morning.
Training yourself not to hit snooze then making the bed your first accomplishment has been shown to increase levels of productivity, self-belief and even happiness. We all know how good we feel when we’ve ticked a lot of things off the to-do list, so it makes sense that when you embrace the day and accomplish your first challenges - you set the scene to accomplish bigger challenges throughout the day.
Cornerstone #2 Nutrition
Domino habit: To sit at a table without visual distractions and chew your food.
Suggested reading: A guide to conscious consuming.
At D1 we also call this conscious consuming, a study out of Cornell University found families who ate at the table together tended to have a lower BMI and lower rates of obesity.
The science behind this is fairly straightforward. In our modern world, many of us eat in a stressed state. We rush food down our neck’s like we’re trying to win a medal - internally this is bad news for our digestive system. Our brain is supposed to send signals to release digestive enzymes so we can absorb the nutrients in the food we eat. However, when we don’t prepare food, give our bodies a chance to smell the food or in many cases (due to TV’s/phones) even seen the food - it’s like a surprise attack on our system, meaning even if we’re eating something nutritionally delicious - our body might not be absorbing all of those powerhouse nutrients!
On the flip side, if we’re eating a piece of cake, eating it consciously will give our brains a chance to recognise when we’re full and if we’re even enjoying it!
Conscious consuming can be achieved in 5 steps;
1. Sit at a table to eat.
2. Disconnect from technology.
3. Pause and breathe deeply before your first bite.
4. Slow down!
5. Chew your food - your stomach doesn’t have teeth, so help it out!
Suggested reading: The full guide to conscious consuming.
Cornerstone #3 Physical Activity
Domino habit: To move on an hourly basis.
This video shows neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert explaining why the brains sole purpose is movement. Before we get our clients thinking about exercise, we ensure they are moving on an hourly basis because quite simply, movement is life.
You only need to watch a pond with no running water to see how quickly disease sets in. Unfortunately, the same thing is happening inside the bodies of millions of people. The gold standard would be to change your position every hour; sit - stand - kneel - sit on the floor - lye - etc, but as a bare minimum, make sure you stand, stretch and maybe walk a short distance before sitting back down.
This hourly practise increases; mobility, flexibility, circulation (including blood flow to the brain - hello productivity!) but most importantly it increases mitochondrial health which provides your cells with more energy and is a direct indicator of longevity.
Cornerstone #4 Lifestyle
Domino habit: Water before anything else.
Just a 5% drop in hydration will rapidly decrease your productivity and decision making by up to 30%. Our bodies are over 70% water so if we want efficient; metabolism’s, immune functions and hormonal health we have to provide our bodies with the correct raw materials, starting with H2O.
There are many endocrine disruptors in our modern world, but one of the biggest is plastics. Make sure you are drinking from BPA free bottles or glasses - especially when you’re picking up a coffee to go, those plastic lids are as bad for us as they are for the planet.
In terms of temperature, it’s whatever suits you best. We recommend water off the boil in the winter and room temperature water in the summer to support your digestive function.
“How you do ANYTHING is how you do EVERYTHING!”
It’s as simple as that! 4 domino habits that seem almost to simple to work, we dare you to put it to the test!
Thanks for reading, for more empowering wellbeing tips, follow us on Facebook or even better get in touch!
Pip & The BBSF Team.
Educate yourself first. Empower others through your actions. Exceed together!
We’re creating a national movement to ‘Recalibrate’ the Wellbeing of over 100,000 people in the UK from overweight and overwhelmed to overflowing with body confidence and vibrant mental health. Find out more here.
