Create Space For Change-Now Is The Time For You To Thrive

Recharge your brain with research-supported techniques, and use something more important than yourself to end burnout and increase happiness.

Helping people develop new healthy habits that improve their lives is more important than ever. The mission of Arianna Huffington and her team at Thrive Global is to eliminate the prevalence of stress and burnout and help people unleash their potential. His latest endeavor comes in the form of a book titled "Time to Prosper: Eliminating Burnout, Increasing Happiness, and Using the New Science of Microstepping to Unlock Your Full Potential." We sat down with the author of the book, Marina Khidekel, and asked her about the discovery of prosperity science.

Heather Hurlock: While doing research on your growth time, what do you find are the biggest drivers of burnout?

Marina Khidekel: 

There is a collective illusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success. We see this in the belief that can be associated with "hustle culture" or FOMO: adequate Sleep is a luxury that we cannot afford, or we simply don't have time to recharge our minds and bodies, among other things. And use something bigger than ourselves (basically, things that increase our happiness and prevent burnout in the first place).

                              Create Space For Change-Now Is The Time For You To Thrive

Another driving factor is the belief that a thorough overhaul is the only way to make changes. But what science really shows is that small, gradual changes in mentality and behavior are more effective and sustainable. We call them microsteps, and they are the core of our behavior change system. As we like to say, they are too small to fail!

There is a collective illusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success. 

HH: What does the research say about how Microstep can help people make meaningful and sustainable changes to their behavior?

Marina Khidekel: 

Research shows that we have great power to develop and maintain new habits. But as most of us have discovered, it is not easy to change bad habits and learn new ones. Even the most generous estimates indicate that half of us missed the New Year’s resolutions. That's because most of us were too big at the beginning. We decided to start a brand new lifestyle immediately. Or we think that this goal can be achieved only by exercising willpower.

This is where the microstepping comes in. Because the best way to use our willpower to develop healthier habits is to start small and create an environment that makes it as easy as possible to do the right things, such as setting an alarm half an hour before going to bed. It's time to relax or put a glass of water next to the bed to make it easier to drink a glass of water when you wake up every morning.

                               Create Space For Change-Now Is The Time For You To Thrive

HH: Can you talk about why sleep habits are so important to our happiness, and some of the most important microsteps to help people sleep better?

 Marina Khidekel: 

Sleep is like a front door, or as some experts say, it is a "key habit." Adequate sleep opens the door to other healthy habits, from eating and exercising properly to being able to concentrate and improve efficiency at work.

The science about the importance of sleep is truly amazing. We can imagine sleep as a period of inactivity, but in fact, it is an incredibly active period. It's like bringing a cleaning kit overnight to remove the toxic waste proteins that accumulate between brain cells. Maiken Nedergaard, a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said sleep is “like a dishwasher” to the brain.

Many of us know that we should get more sleep and start to make it a priority, but we don’t know where to start. Our book provides microsteps for this! Some of my favorite methods are to set daily deadlines for news and social media and spend 60 seconds before going to bed to write down the priorities for the next day. Research shows that this can help you fall asleep faster.

                             Create Space For Change-Now Is The Time For You To Thrive

HH: What is a microstep that you want everyone to practice during the working day? 

Marina Khidekel:

I can't just choose one, this book has hundreds of microsteps to try. But here are some of my favorites: 

Rest as much as possible during the day for one minute. Frequent exercise can provide energy for your body and mind. Get up, change your posture, stretch your body, and do anything to allow blood to flow.

The next time you contact a colleague, change the "How are you?" for a deeper question. Questions such as "What are your thoughts?" or "What challenges are you facing now?" may give you the opportunity to understand and respect their experience. 

                            Create Space For Change-Now Is The Time For You To Thrive

Announce the end of the day, even if you haven’t finished everything. Really prioritizing means being satisfied with incomplete things. When you take the time to recharge, you will come back ready to seize the opportunity. 

The key to success in behavior change is to have compassion for yourself. 

HH: How do people take responsibility for changing their habits (if they don't achieve all their goals, don't punish themselves)?

Marina Khidekel: 

The key to success in behavior change is to have compassion for yourself. Microstep is not intended to be a proposal for diving or swimming. This is a journey, and you will never go wrong. If you start working on a microstep and fall off the wagon (or decide you would rather prioritize a different one), you are fine. This book is an area without judgment!

Habit formation is another great strategy: incorporate new healthy habits into existing ones to make them sustainable. For example, think about three things you are grateful for when you brush your teeth. The benefits of gratitude are numerous. It can reduce stress and depression levels and improve sleep. Adding gratitude exercises to daily activities like brushing your teeth will add value without wasting more time.

In the end, we don't have to do it alone. When you practice microsteps and develop new habits, find a responsible partner for consultation. They can cheer each other up, share their challenges and small victories, and show up when they need support. The journey of self-improvement with another person is very inspiring and very interesting.