10/02 Sunday Day 2 SLBC

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Auna37
Auna37 Posts: 708 Member
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There are lots of ways to ditch the chair and some of the most popular actions are listed here: http://www.quittingthesitting.org/ideas.html Which do you think would work for you?

Since we want to be sitting less long after the challenge has ended, it's important to find ways to sit less that work for us and fit into our lives. It can't be something you hate doing or you won't stick with it. It's also important not to try and change too many things at once and make the whole process overwhelmingly hard.

Today's Challenge:
read this blog post: http://www.quittingthesitting.org/simple-plan-to-sitt-less and then select the one action you will prioritize this month. What's your “One Thing?”

Please Note: In order to increase the likelihood that your chosen activity becomes a habit, it's important to attach this new activity to something you already do everyday or something that happens to you everyday. The “old” activity serves as a cue or reminder to do the new habit. For example you might decide that “Every time the phone rings I will stand up and move around” or “After I write an email, I will stand up and proofread it before I hit the send button.” In these cases, the phone ringing and the written email serves as reminders to do the new activity.

Supplemental Reading:
James Clear's The Scientific Argument for Mastering One Thing at a Time: http://jamesclear.com/master-one-thing
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Replies

  • bdgfn
    bdgfn Posts: 7,719 Member
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    Auna, the link to Today's Challenge is incorrect. The end of the URL, after the / should be simple-plan-to-sit-less. There is one to many "t's" in your link.
  • bdgfn
    bdgfn Posts: 7,719 Member
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    My job is such that the two "suggestions" are not feasible. What is feasible, however, and something that has worked for me in the past with other habits, is setting a timer and then doing what the timer is set for. In this case, I will set a timer to get up every hour and take a walk around the building, either outside, physically walking around the building, or if it is raining hard, walking around inside the building. Both will require stairs as well, so an added benefit. :)
  • CaliforniaAJ
    CaliforniaAJ Posts: 196 Member
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    I wonder if this can work as an aversion therapy? I waste far too much time each day browsing ebay. I sell on ebay, so I am always logged in, but if I have a spare 10 mins, I browse items (that I don't need!) to buy.
    I am going to try a 'WALK AWAY FROM THE LAPTOP' approach. If I find I am browsing to buy, I will put my laptop down and get up and find something to do, like putting away the laundry, emptying the dishwasher, watering the plants, etc. All those little jobs that I tell myself I will do later 'next time I get up'.
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
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    A small thing but probably something I can continue to do as a habit, is when I make a cup of tea, to spend the time walking while the kettle is boiling and the tea is brewing, instead of sitting down and waiting. I drink a lot of tea so this could almost be an extra half an hour of walking a day ^^
  • CaliforniaAJ
    CaliforniaAJ Posts: 196 Member
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    oolou wrote: »
    A small thing but probably something I can continue to do as a habit, is when I make a cup of tea, to spend the time walking while the kettle is boiling and the tea is brewing, instead of sitting down and waiting. I drink a lot of tea so this could almost be an extra half an hour of walking a day ^^

    I do this too! I have a step from my kitchen to my laundry room. While my Nespresso is dispensing, I do step ups or calf raises, rather than just looking out the window at the view
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Everyone, the correct link to use for today's challenge is:

    http://www.quittingthesitting.org/simple-plan-to-sit-less

    I added an interim page so the originally posted link won't fail.

    Thanks for letting us know, @bdgfn
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
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    bdgfn wrote: »
    My job is such that the two "suggestions" are not feasible. What is feasible, however, and something that has worked for me in the past with other habits, is setting a timer and then doing what the timer is set for. In this case, I will set a timer to get up every hour and take a walk around the building, either outside, physically walking around the building, or if it is raining hard, walking around inside the building. Both will require stairs as well, so an added benefit. :)

    Setting a timer is a great cue to trigger the new habit! I did this as well when I wanted to ensure I got up every hour...I set an alarm on my Fitbit. It didn't take too long before I didn't need the alarm. I just got up automatically. I've since changed the time interval to 30 minutes. Sometimes I'll just stand up and shift positions, but most often I try to walk for a minute or two.

    Also, there are "reminders to move" apps that you can download for your phone. Another option. Whatever you choose as your "One Thing", please make it something you'll enjoy or at least don't mind doing. It's hard to make something a habit if you fundamentally don't like doing it.
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
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    I wonder if this can work as an aversion therapy? I waste far too much time each day browsing ebay. I sell on ebay, so I am always logged in, but if I have a spare 10 mins, I browse items (that I don't need!) to buy.
    I am going to try a 'WALK AWAY FROM THE LAPTOP' approach. If I find I am browsing to buy, I will put my laptop down and get up and find something to do, like putting away the laundry, emptying the dishwasher, watering the plants, etc. All those little jobs that I tell myself I will do later 'next time I get up'.

    Awesome idea! Ebay may not like it, but I sure do!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
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    oolou wrote: »
    A small thing but probably something I can continue to do as a habit, is when I make a cup of tea, to spend the time walking while the kettle is boiling and the tea is brewing, instead of sitting down and waiting. I drink a lot of tea so this could almost be an extra half an hour of walking a day ^^

    Great idea! It's so easy to work in a little more activity into our day if we just get a little creative!
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,212 Member
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    So I've been mulling over what my "One Thing" will be for this month and I've got it! (thanks to my friend Lee who is also a Boot Camp participant)

    I've become a big fan of the Udemy video classes, especially when they go on sale for $10 or $15 dollars as they always do. I've acquired a small collection of classes I want to take, but just haven't found the time. I will this month! I will work through my video collection and will watch them on my iPad while walking slowly on my treadmill or even standing up. Each lesson is generally under 5 minutes, so it's easy to do in chunks. The first video class I'll be doing is an "Intro to Writing Music Using the 6-Chord Method". As a new guitarist, I'm pretty excited!
  • LogR4Life
    LogR4Life Posts: 62 Member
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    The James Clear article was SO interesting!!! I can attest to the habit becoming automatic -- I find it true with my walking. An after dinner walk now is something I look forward to and EXPECT to do. The same with a morning walk in Arizona -- it is just "something I do".
  • vikinglander
    vikinglander Posts: 1,547 Member
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    I have already committed to parking in the furthest space from the door at the office, and to using stairs instead of elevator for anything less than four flights (for now).

    Since at the moment, my project is in start-up mode and for now I sit and do spreadsheets and other database prep, the emails and phone calls are minimal. I like @bdgfn 's idea of setting a timer to get up every hour and walk. The building I'm in was designed by the CEO of the original occupant and he built in a 'running track' around the inside perimeter. It's since been converted to just hallway but it still goes all the way around the (quite large) building; it's about a 5 minute walk.

    So yeah, a five minute walk every hour, with a timer set for it; and maybe some stretches before sitting back down.

    I'm in.

    Thanks Denise!
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,905 Member
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    James Clear is terrific!! And choosing one thing to work on is a clever way to eat an elephant. (How do you eat an elephant?...One bite at a time.) Because I've participated in the Sit Less Boot Camp before, I've had some success with this strategy.

    Last boot camp I vowed to get 250 steps per hour for 9 hours per day, and most days I hit that goal. This boot camp, my one thing will be to get up and move every half hour. That will help me break those 57 minute periods on the computer.

    I was out dancing until the wee smalls last night, so today I'll be taking it easy because my dogs are barking. :smiley: Still, I'll try to rise and walk a bit every 30 minutes!
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I'm another fan of James Clear, I've liked his page on Facebook, and also get emails when he writes a new blog.
    I had no problem getting into today's challenge from the original link ... and I have come up with what I want to focus on as my one way to sit less for the month of October.

    One of my more recently developed bad habits that I want to break is letting the kitchen KP slide after dinner. It used to be, even after working a long day at the office, that I never left the kitchen after dinner until the dishes were all done and put away, the counter and table top were straightened up a needed, the floor was swept and the trash put out to the bin. Somewhere along the way of being a retired lazy-bone I have let that habit go and replaced it with letting the dishes pile up or hang out in the dishwasher and don't even see the crumbs on the floor anymore! So ... that's what I am focusing on ... back to my old routine of cooking, eating, cleaning up completely before settling into an evening of relaxation activities.

    This works nicely into developing the habit of sitting less, and has a triple positive affect ... more movement, cleaner home and less sitting!
  • faw1001
    faw1001 Posts: 131 Member
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    I will take a walk around the block every morning/lunch/afternoon break. And I will stop ignoring my Samsung gear fit when it buzzes me every 50 mins to get off my lazy butt :blush:
  • DianaJaneD
    DianaJaneD Posts: 157 Member
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    Hi all! I do walk my dog every day, so I will use this habit to walk a bit more. Here's how: When I feel it's time to turn around and head home, I'll extend the walk a few minutes longer.
  • glenda_ml
    glenda_ml Posts: 5 Member
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    I liked the suggestion by oolou about using the time while the kettle boils to do something extra. My job involves a lot of walking (nursing) so I am going to use this time to do some stretches.
  • typeitdaily
    typeitdaily Posts: 3,323 Member
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    I'm going to stretch or do my squats etc. throughout the day,which makes me get up and move while waiting for jobs to download.
  • hollyhock1009
    hollyhock1009 Posts: 135 Member
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    After joining the Sitless Bootcamp last May, I became very aware of how much I was sitting, so I have worked on being mobile more often, plus I have gotten into daily exercising. So I was racking my brain trying to figure out how to increase what I was already doing, since I'm retired and can't attach something to work.

    I came up with an idea while I made my supper, looking around my kitchen. As I read others' ideas, I see that @Nikion901 and I are almost on the same wavelength. I too have neglected keeping up with my dishes - leaving them all until next morning. It was a habit I was trying to work on. But now with the incentive of the SLBC, I have decided to just get up and wash the dish(es) after each time I eat - whether it be a meal or a snack. So 2 benefits - my dishes will always be caught up - and I have 3-4 extra opportunities to stand every day.
  • darvit207
    darvit207 Posts: 46 Member
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    My goal will be to get up every half hour and walk around while on the phone. With the ultimate goal to get 250 steps per hour.