Alternative Health Blog

The kaizen method of continuous improvement, which the Alternative Health Blog is applying to wellness this week, starts with asking small questions. The point is not to command yourself to drink more water as a stepping stone to wellness, but to ask, “What is one way I can remind myself to drink more water?”

Small doesn’t mean inconsequential. Small means ask a question you can answer—without tons of research or even much hesitation. Small means doable. Small means you can not only identify a way to be healthier but believe you can do it.

Small means not going too big-picture on yourself. In his book, “One Small Step Can Change Your Life,” author and psychologist Robert Maurer reports that the brain, by way of the cortex, will shut down if your questions are too big or too all-encompassing. Maurer says we tend to fear the big questions and that is hard to deny. Even the person who successfully thinks globally is really just skilled at breaking down the Huge Question by asking and answering a lot of smaller ones.

As the winter holidays square up with the potential to overwhelm us—gifts, cards, family, work parties, the economy, feeling sad about separation from loved ones, relationship breakups, stresses, obligations, enough already—kaizen can keep the peace we all seek this time of year. One approach is to find one question to keep asking yourself over the next four weeks. Some examples:

What’s the one thing I can do everyday in less than one minute to feel more connected to others during the holidays?

-- Can I remind myself to breath deeply every time I hear a holiday song or spot some holiday decorations?

-- How about making sure I eat one healthy meal every day no matter what splurges might come up?

-- What small question can I ask others to make them feel valued and their voices heard by me?

-- And, if you tend to be negative about yourself, then here’s a small question that can change your holiday season and all of 2009: “What is the one thing I like about myself today?” You don’t have to spend more than 30 seconds on the answer, maybe less. Just write the answers down in one place so you can review them weekly or monthly. Do it  daily. The answers might surprise and delight you.

Here’s a variation on the daily small question that can bring strong and swift results this holiday season: Rather than write it down for only your eyes, share the notebook with a life partner or co-worker. You can even call a friend’s voice mail every day—and s/he can do the same. You will be amazed at what can happen by Jan. 1.

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.