Friday 13 November 2009

A Small Effort Goes a Long Way

autumn walk


We all know that making a small gesture towards someone, such as a phone-call to a friend/relative living alone or giving flowers will bring that person a whole lot of happiness and makes them feel cared for. The same principle applies when we make a  small effort to do something for ourselves. It's maybe even harder to make the effort when it's not for someone else, but it's no less important or beneficial. Often the hardest part about it is that the time when you need to make the effort is usually when you feel least like doing so.

My husband's been away most of this week for work. Last night, I felt tired, had a bit of a headache and generally couldn't be bothered to do much. I was deciding what to make myself for dinner and wondering if I could eat pasta and pesto (my default quick and easy meal) for the second time this week. Then I felt ashamed of myself. I love cooking and always thought I wouldn't be one of those people who says it's no fun cooking for one. I knew it wouldn't take me long to make myself a nice bowl of soup which would be a healthier meal and more what I felt like eating. So that's what I did. I forced myself to make a little effort and felt all the better for it.

When we're feeling tired, emotional, depressed or a bit run down we usually lack motivation to do much at all. However, what seems such a struggle at the time, really only requires a little effort. If we make ourselves do one small thing, it tends to do a world of good and make us feel much better. Think about the times when you're not feeling in a sociable mood and just want to curl up on the sofa at home.....you'll probably find that a chat with a friend revives you and is exactly what you need to perk you up. Or when you look outside at the rain and the grey sky and think that the last thing you want to do is go out for a walk - often a walk is the best thing for you and you feel better for getting out of the house.

Next time you feel a bit deflated for whatever reason, try to reason with yourself and do whatever it is you're not quite in the mood to do. By making a small effort, I'm sure you will benefit more than you might expect.

Photo credit

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2 comments:

  1. tis true. When one can bothered to make the effort one always feels better afterwards. trouble is, it's so much easier to open a packet of chocolate biscuits and curl up on the sofa sulking.

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  2. I know what you mean but the chocolate biscuit route usually results in regret, feeling fat and even more miserable! Making a little effort to resist your immediate response and do something you know deep down will make you feel better is all it takes. It's hard but the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

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