Welcome to Workman’s #30DaysofGiving! This holiday season, we will be excerpting from some of our favorite books of the year and giving readers the chance to win a copy. Follow along by visiting our master digital advent calendar, and use the hashtag #30DaysofGiving on social media for daily updates.

HEALTHY, HAPPY YOU by Nora Rosendahl, Nelli Lahteenmaki, and Aleksi Hoffman (Day 26)

How to Use This Book

Healthy, Happy YOU makes self-improvement bite-sized. Give the book just one minute of your day, every day, and it will give you simple micro-actions you can do for a healthier, happier you.

When you’ve completed a micro-action, tick it off in the square provided at the top of the page. You’ll find space on every page to write down your thoughts and note down your achievements. There are also “Reflect and Renew” sections throughout.

What is a micro-action?

A micro-action is small, simple, and achievable in a normal day. For anyone. “Meditate for twenty minutes” isn’t a micro-action, but “sit quietly for two minutes” is. “Run a marathon” isn’t a micro-action, but “take the stairs” is. Simple, but they make all the difference.

Micro-Action Categories

Each micro-action falls under one of these four categories:

FOOD: Food is such an integral part of how you live that small, simple changes in how you eat can add years to your life. “Food” micro-actions are not only about what you eat but how, when, how much, and with whom. “Stop eating chocolate” is not a micro-action. “Snack on a veggie” is.

MIND: The mind determines who you are and how you act. But it isn’t set in stone – it can be trained. “Mind” micro-actions tackle mindfulness (being present in the moment), productivity, and organization (making sense of the world around us). “Clean the house” is not a micro-action. “Organize a kitchen cabinet” is.

MOVE: “Move” micro-actions are about everyday movement – small, easy micro-actions that you can incorporate into your daily routine. “Sign up for a triathlon” is not a micro-action. “Do two minutes of heel kicks” is.

LOVE: Don’t be fooled by the title – it’s not about romance. “Love” micro-actions are about your relationship with yourself and with others. Here, micro-actions really matter. Treating someone well triggers a positive reaction in that person, which triggers a positive reaction in you, too. “Make a new friend” is not a micro-action. “Reach out to someone” is. 

How do I start?

There are 365 micro-actions in this book: one for each day of the year. You can either follow the daily order or jump around to mix things up–it’s completely up to you!

Try out some of these sample micro-actions to begin:

About the Book: