Call it what you will, a trend, craze, or fad, but they exist in all facets of life.  

When a collective group of people follows the same behavior for a short period, that is considered a trend.

For example, have you tried the current fashionable hair trend – the center part?  

If you follow fashion, Gen Z’s (born between 1997 and 2012) have decided that parting your hair to the side is a dead giveaway that you are old – well, older than them.  

Some other recent trends include food (Paleo, Vegan, Intermittent Fasting, etc.), music (shorter songs, the ’80’s are back), financial (bull or bear market), and workout trends (remote and at-home fitness – hello Peleton).  

I get it. Trends are a thing.  

There is a ton of fun in trying something new once in a while. Let’s face it; life is short!

Like going to a store and trying on many different outfits, one of the best ways to find a way to move your body to suit you is to try many kinds of exercise (play) until you find the type you like the most.

To become healthier as individuals and as a society, we need to be the type of people who try different things, listen to our bodies, and find positive lifestyle changes that we can stick with for the long haul. 

But, you don’t have to change everything in your life for the sake of a trend. 

You have to stay true to yourself and your individuality because we all know in ten years from now, the side part will be cool again. 

How can you find sustainable habits? 

As author Leo Babauta says, “sticking with something for the long term is the true path to anything worthwhile.” 

I explore this further in my book The Play Book: How To Get In The Habit Of Good Health.

Often, when exploring a new way to do things, I encourage my clients to rediscover what type of play they love to do as a kid.  

You can download an assessment tool here to figure it out for yourself.

Luckily, even though we are still coming out of the pandemic, everything you need to play more is right outside your door: stairs, rocks, benches, trees, fences, sidewalks, parking lots, green spaces, concrete jungles – they are all great play spaces. 

 Here’s how you can start to shift your thinking:

1. Focus on one thing. It can be as simple as walking (but, heck, it can be anything that is movement-based). Make this something you can try every day for a week … then a month … then a year!
2. Could you keep it simple? It needs to be something you know you can do 100% every day. Don’t fall into the trap of biting off more than you can chew because you are super keen (for example, run a marathon without training — you would just hurt yourself). Simple steps to progress. That is all!
3. Do less than you think you can — that way, you will always feel like you’ve succeeded. Could you write it down and make it measurable?
4. Pick the same time every day. When you first wake up? After dinner? During lunch hour? This is how a habit is born.
5. Keep a journal so you can record every day you do your practice.
6. Remember: There is no failure. Sometimes you might not be able to play, and that’s okay. Keep confident that you will be able to get back on track because of #2!

If you keep your play strategy simple enough and small enough, odds are better that you’ll return to it tomorrow, and the days after, until you develop a habit of play.

While trends come and go, the basics will always remain the same, especially around health, which will serve you better in the long run.

Play on!

Coach Jan

P.S. Want to change your habits and have fun? Here are three ways:

1. Grab a free download of the first chapter of my book, The Play Book: How To Get In The Habit Of Good Health
2. Learn real-life, practical habits to incorporate quickly and efficiently starting now? Sign up for my FREE 7 Days of Healthy Habits Course
3. To apply for coaching with me,  book a Discovery Call, and let’s see if we are a good fit to work together