Have you heard of gateway drugs? Typically, these are bad. Typically, when folks use the term “gateway drug” they mean a substance that paves the way to using more dangerous substances. Today, I’m not talking about those. I’m talking about the positive “gateways” that can lead you to a healthier, happier, more vibrant and calm life.
Exercise is a known “gateway” to healthier eating. Studies have shown that establishing a workout routine can influence your eating choices for the better. Similarly, studies show that improving your sleep helps you make better food choices and also improve your exercise habits.
There’s another gateway. Skincare. Now, this is not quite as researched but there are some studies, along with anecdotal evidence from my clients, that show women with a consistent skincare routine have improved feelings of self-worth and confidence. It is known that improved self-worth and confidence have a spillover effect. Meaning, it ripples into other areas of their lives.
One client, for example, started with simply scrubbing her feet one night. Taking just two minutes for herself reinvigorated her. She felt better about herself, sexier, more confident, “like a person”. She returned to her family in the other room and had the energy to enjoy dinner and homework and bath times, and tidy up around the house. Rather than “just getting through the rest of the day.”
Another client started with a simple three-step routine. She reported that she felt it working immediately and it made her feel more confident. She also felt emboldened and that rippled throughout the work and non-work areas of her day.
When you have more confidence and think more highly of yourself, you are more likely to make decisions that support your health and well-being. You might set boundaries and stick to them. You might start believing you are worthy and capable of taking time to exercise, or eat healthier, or go to sleep at a more decent time. You might ask for that raise, or use your vacation time, or say no to a deadline that is completely unreasonable.
It all started with a “gateway drug”.
Often, when we are looking to improve our health and well-being, or our appearance (or all of the above), we think we have to do everything at once. We want it all, we know it’s all important, and we want the results dammit! But we can’t take it on all at once. If we do try, we can’t sustain the effort. We “fail” and then feel like a failure, and give up. This leads to decreased confidence and self-worth, having a negative spillover effect.
Instead, we have to start with one new action and a side of patience. The great news is that healthy habits are gateways to more healthy habits. Starting that 3-step skincare routine may inspire you to take a 5-min walk. That 5-min walk turns into a side salad instead of fries. That turns into you feeling more refreshed at night, so you have better sleep. This means you wake up and have the energy to do your skincare routine again plus a 10-min walk…and so it goes.
To make dramatic improvements in your life, look for a healthy “gateway drug”. What is one small change you can make right now that will help you feel better about yourself and remind you that you are worth investing in? Start there. See what happens. When you’ve mastered that, add the next action. Keep building until the next thing you know, you have become the best version of yourself.
Here are three ideas to get you started:
1) Skincare:
For my skincare clients who are just starting a routine for the first time, I always recommend sticking to the 3-step routine recommended by their AI consult, rather than getting an elaborate, overwhelming routine.
EXCEPT for when even a 3-step feels like too much. In that case, I say to start with our wipes and add a serum. This will build the habit of taking care of your skin. It won’t get you all the results you might be hoping for, but it will ready you to begin the path of skin care (“care” being a verb here). 𝘔𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦.
2) Fitness:
For my fitness and nutrition clients back in the day, similar strategically small steps were taken.
Try a 5-10 min walk three days a week. When that feels easy, add more.
3) Nutrition:
Replace one sugary drink with a diet drink or seltzer or flavored water. Then build from there. Or replace half of your fries with some veggies or fruit. Then build from there.
You can absolutely find your gateway to healthier, more vibrant living inside and out.
“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a Great Leap Forward only to stumble backward.” ~Old Chinese Proverb
