How little things can make a big difference to your wellbeing
We’re all familiar with the sayings, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today,” and “procrastination is the thief of time”. But does this age-old wisdom actually motivate you to get on with things? If you’re anything like me, then probably not. Life is full of nitty gritty jobs - which I like to call the “must-do” things - which most of us put off time and time again. It’s natural that some tasks - like making a dentist appointment or doing the filing - keep getting moved to the end of the “to-do” list. And although it might seem like no big deal, over time the little things can start to accumulate, creating mental and emotional clutter which negatively affects our sense of achievement and wellbeing.
I know how difficult it is to get those “must-do” jobs out of the way, but I also know that when I do, it gives me a real sense of satisfaction, and helps me to feel more in control of my life.
I’ve recently tackled two of my own “must do” tasks, and I can honestly say that it’s made a massive difference to how I feel. The first was a piece of work which I’d been putting off for months. Realising I needed some moral support, I enlisted the help of a friend I was chatting to on the phone, by saying to her: “I'm going to pause this conversation so I can go and do this piece of work - do not talk to me until I report back to say it’s finished!” I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that the work which I’d been putting off for months only took me 20 minutes to complete, after which I was able to resume chatting with my friend - only this time, I felt relieved and more than a little pleased with myself. Ultimately, involving my friend gave me the accountability I needed to get the job done.
The other “must-do” thing I achieved was to (finally!) hang the artwork that has been cluttering up my house since I moved last year. On this occasion, the nudge came when I received a beautiful piece of artwork from a very good friend. I was really keen to find the perfect spot for it, which provided the catalyst for getting the rest of the pieces organised. I ended up calling my sister, and we went frame shopping together. Now most of the artwork is on the wall and what’s more, the dreaded clutter (piles of paintings which had been moved around the house multiple times) is also gone, so the house looks fantastic! You can find more useful tips for organising your space in my guide to decluttering your life.
Neither of these jobs was particularly big, but the sense of achievement I got from ticking them off my list has had a pretty significant impact on my wellbeing; it feels like a weight has been lifted because sometimes - for whatever reason - the little things take up more than their fair share of mental space.
If you also sometimes struggle to tackle those “must-do” things, these are my top 3 tips for nudging yourself into action:
Make yourself accountable: try telling someone close to you what you need to do (like I did when I paused the conversation with my friend). If it’s a visual task like sorting out your desk or re-organising your linen cupboard, you could try posting “before” and “after” pictures on social media.
Ask someone to help: getting a friend or loved one to keep you company can make even the most boring task seem more fun - my sister and I had a great time frame shopping together!
Give yourself a reward once the job is complete: what you choose is up to you entirely. Whether it’s cutting into that M&S Red Velvet cake that’s calling to you from the refrigerator, calling a friend or snuggling down under a blanket for a well-deserved afternoon nap - the choice is yours. Just don’t do it until the task is finished!
I know first-hand how hard it is to get those little jobs out of the way, but I also know how good it feels when you finally do. Whatever happens, remember to show yourself some self compassion and don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go according to plan - there’s always tomorrow.
