Small research insights & news for a healthier, happier you.
Welcome from Nigel
Hi there! Each week I pull together a few inspiring research insights, practical tips and simple ideas to help you feel better, live a little brighter an make the most of your weekend.
This week, we’re exploring three interesting pieces of research that challenge how we approach everyday wellbeing.
Could just three minutes of exercise help us become more active? Does what we’re grateful for influence how we feel? And why do we keep putting off things we know we need to do?
There’s a common thread running through all three: sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t knowing what to do – it’s getting started.
And as always, we’ve included a little Weekend Fun to give you something different to try.
Look out for my challenge below – Nigel
Could Just THREE Minutes Change Your Exercise Habits?
New research suggests that making exercise easier to start could help us become more active.
We’ve all heard that we should exercise more. But finding the time, energy or motivation isn’t always easy.
What if the answer wasn’t another ambitious fitness plan, but something much smaller?
In a recent randomised study involving 142 people, researchers compared different exercise goals. One group was encouraged to complete just three minutes of daily activity, alongside two longer weekly sessions. Another group followed a more conventional exercise target.
After three weeks, the group with the tiny daily goal had accumulated more exercise overall.
The research was relatively short, so it doesn’t tell us whether the results would continue over months. But it highlights an interesting possibility: making something easier to begin may help us do more of it.
It’s easy to think that three minutes is hardly worth bothering with.
But perhaps those three minutes are valuable because they remove the biggest barrier — getting started.
“Three minutes won’t transform your fitness overnight. But they might change how often you get moving.”
Try this weekend:
Choose an activity you can comfortably manage for three minutes — walking, gentle stretching or a few suitable strength exercises.
Do it once today, then choose a time to repeat it tomorrow.
The goal isn’t to do more. It’s to discover how easy you can make getting started.
Are We Overlooking What Makes Us Happy?
A large international study suggests that what we’re grateful for may influence the positive feelings we experience.
When was the last time you stopped to appreciate something that made your day a little better?
But mindfulness can also involve something very practical: attention.
A conversation with someone you care about. A peaceful moment outdoors. A small kindness you weren’t expecting.
Researchers recently analysed gratitude lists from more than 19,000 people, identifying 16 different themes in the things people appreciated.
Relationships featured prominently, while people who mentioned family or nature tended to report greater increases in positive feelings following the activity.
The study doesn’t prove that being grateful for particular things automatically makes us happier. But it suggests something worth considering.
Perhaps gratitude is more meaningful when we move beyond simply listing things and take a moment to appreciate why they matter.
And sometimes, the things we overlook are the very things that make everyday life enjoyable.
“Happiness doesn’t always arrive as something new. Sometimes it’s recognising the value of what’s already there.”
Try this:
Think of one person, place or ordinary moment you’ve appreciated recently.
Take a minute to consider why it mattered to you.
If it’s a person, perhaps tell them. A simple message of appreciation might brighten their day as well as yours.
Is Putting Things Off Making Life More Stressful?
New research highlights how procrastination can become more than a time-management problem
We all put things off occasionally.
An awkward conversation. A difficult decision. A job that feels overwhelming. Even something we genuinely want to achieve.
And for a little while, avoiding it can feel like a relief.
But what happens when the unfinished task stays in the back of our minds?
A large recent study examined responses from almost 66,000 university students.
Around 72% reported problems with procrastination, while approximately 46% reported significant distress associated with it.
Although the study involved students rather than employees, it raises an interesting question for our working lives.
How much stress comes from the work itself – and how much comes from the things we’re avoiding?
For business owners, managers and team leaders, this is particularly worth considering.
Sometimes delays aren’t simply caused by poor organisation or lack of motivation. A task may feel too large, the next step may be unclear, or someone may worry about making a mistake.
That doesn’t mean every delay is procrastination. Workloads, competing priorities and unrealistic expectations matter too.
But understanding why something isn’t getting done may be more productive than simply demanding that it gets finished.
“Sometimes the hardest part of a task isn’t doing it. It’s overcoming the resistance to starting.”
Try this:
Think of one small task you’ve been putting off.
Instead of trying to finish it, identify the very first action — opening the document, making a short list or writing the first sentence.
Give it five minutes.
If you make progress, great. If not, you’ve at least discovered where the difficulty begins.
Weekend Fun
A few feel-good extras to round off your read
Challenge Yourself This Weekend
Try Something New – Just Once!
Choose one small positive experience you don’t normally make time for. Take a different walk, visit somewhere peaceful, try a new activity or spend two quiet minutes noticing the sounds and sensations around you.
Your challenge: find something enjoyable or refreshing that you might like to experience again.
You don’t have to turn everything into a routine. Sometimes discovering something new is reward enough.
Something to Make You Smile
The Procrastinator’s To-Do List
1. Make a to-do list.
2. Find the perfect notebook.
3. Make a cup of tea.
4. Research the best way to organise the list.
5. Decide to start tomorrow.
At least the tea got done! ☕
Need Help Putting Plans Into Action?
Knowing what to do is often the easy part.
Actually doing it – and keeping going – is where most plans fall apart.
Inside Wellness Within Club you’ll find practical exercises, templates, guided challenges and training to help turn good intentions into action.
Try the Club free and explore what works for you.
P.S. The answer to the Challenge is B – slow jogging
