- In this article Ladders speaks with Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, about the theory behind microsteps, her personal favorite kinds, and why it’s important to be bored.
As some would say, work is life. It’s not exactly the best recipe for success but we spend the majority of our lives sitting at a desk, either working for someone else or working for ourselves.
There are moments in any career where things become too much; burnout creeps in, you start doubting yourself and your abilities; passion becomes fleeting. These states of being often are experienced throughout most careers, but it’s especially been true during the coronavirus pandemic, when what appeared to be a two-week WFH experiment turned into nearly a year of remote work permanently changing the way in which we work.
It’s expected that we’ll return to some form of normal in the near future, which means shifting our of our workday pajamas and getting up early again to make the morning commute.
At this current moment, that could seem like a massive change and your anxiety could be rising through your apartment’s ceiling. Don’t worry; Microsteps are here to help.
Aimed to provide change through small, science-backed steps toward a healthier lifestyle, Microsteps could be the path that everyone will take in a post-pandemic world in reintegrating ourselves into society.
Whether it’s focusing on improving sleep patterns to building communication and relationships with others, “Your Time to Thrive” by Marina Khidekel, head of content at Thrive Global, takes readers on a crash course of all different kinds of Microsteps and the power behind them.
Ladders recently spoke with Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, founder of The Huffington Post, and author of more than a dozen books, about why Microsteps work, her personal favorite kinds, and why it’s important to be bored.
“Your Time to Thrive” focuses on Microsteps. What are Microsteps and how do you personally use them in every day life?
Microsteps are the heart of both the book “Your Time to Thrive” and our behavior change platform at Thrive. Microsteps are small, science-backed steps we can start taking immediately to build healthy habits that significantly improve our lives.
They’re based on the truth that if you make the steps small enough, they’ll be too small to fail. And the science is incontrovertible. At Thrive, we’ve taken this science and built a system that works for real people, helping them kickstart real change and start getting results — not weeks or months from now, but immediately.
I personally use Microsteps both in the moment — to reduce stress and recenter — and proactively. We call it going upstream — prioritizing your well-being in some small way to set yourself up for success for the rest of the day. For example, starting my day with 60 seconds of conscious breathing or a few minutes of meditation means I will be far more resilient and better able to encounter challenges that come my way.
The pandemic has thrown off routines we’ve had. For most, career goals may have been paused due to new challenges at hand. It seems that Microsteps could be a solution for people who are stuck looking to move forward. From your experience, what are some of the initial hurdles that people find when trying to make a change, or a Microstep?
Even the most generous estimates show that half of us fail to keep our New Year’s resolutions. That’s because most of us start off too big. We decide to launch into a whole new lifestyle all at once. And now, during the pandemic, the idea of making big, dramatic life changes doesn’t just feel hopelessly daunting. It’s unrealistic. That’s why Your Time to Thrive is broken down into small, manageable actions you can adapt to your life in ways that work for you.
There are several Microsteps that the book mentions that people can choose to use. Which is your favorite and how has it helped you succeed with longterm goals?
Huffington: “There are hundreds! We’ve packed the book with Microsteps that anyone can use, along with inspiring stories from people from all walks of life who have taken small steps and seen big results.
One of my favorite Microsteps is pausing anytime I’m overwhelmed to focus on my breathing. Neuroscience shows that we can course-correct from stress in just 60 to 90 seconds. So focusing on the rising and falling of our breath, even for 60 seconds, activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers our levels of the stress hormone cortisol. I use this all the time — during stressful moments throughout the day or just as a way to reset.
Speaking about the pandemic, is there a specific Microstep that you had to use more often during this time?
Yes, my favorite pandemic-specific Microstep is thinking of three things I’m grateful for every time I wash my hands. Experts call this habit-stacking, and it’s a concept we champion in the book: attaching a new healthy habit to an existing habit to make it sustainable. It’s one of the many habits that will stay with me after the pandemic ends!
How has the pandemic challenged you personally? Were there moments where you felt the weight of burnout or exhausting due to the events within the past year?
Like everybody, I’ve had to find new routines and ways of living and working that allow me to thrive. I’ve been very fortunate to be sheltering in place in LA with my youngest daughter and my sister, but I’ve struggled with the feelings of disconnection and also virtual fatigue — spending much of each day in virtual meetings and on calls.
But it’s important to remember that it’s in moments of crisis when we most need to prioritize our well-being and resilience. It’s like what they say on airplanes, that we should secure our own oxygen mask first before helping others. So when the pandemic hit, I became even more deliberate about taking care of myself to guard against burnout or exhaustion. I realized that some of my favorite rituals, such as a morning meditation or taking a short walk, were essential to my ability to focus, be creative and make my best decisions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has obviously changed the way in which we work and perhaps for the better. With the pandemic approaching a year soon, what will the pandemic’s impact be on the workplace once companies begin to welcome back employees to the office?
The impact will definitely remain long after we return to anything resembling our pre-Covid life. Whatever our new normal looks like, we won’t be going back to our old status quo. Nor should we. Even before the pandemic began, we were in an epidemic of stress and burnout that was taking an increasing toll on people around the world. Now we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a way of living and working that allows us to thrive in every part of our lives. That’s why I’m so excited that Your Time to Thrive is coming out now.
For someone looking to take Microsteps, is there one that is recommended as the first step? You’ve mentioned how important sleep is in the past.
A great first Microstep for sleep happens to be one of my all time favorites, and that’s pick a time at night when you turn off your devices — and gently escort them out of your bedroom. Our phones are repositories of everything we need to put away to allow us to sleep — our to-do lists, our inboxes, the demands of the day. Disconnecting from the digital world by taking this easy step will help you sleep better and wake up recharged to take on the challenges of the next day.
In an interview with The New York Times in 2019, you said you to let yourself be bored. Why is it so important to allow yourself this moment rather than filling it with information elsewhere?
When we lead breathless, frenetic lives, we miss out on moments of wonder and connection — with others, with the world around us and even with ourselves. One of the best pieces of advice my mother gave me was “don’t miss the moment.” Unstructured time allows our minds to reflect, wander, make connections, see patterns and come up with creative and innovative ideas and solutions that we wouldn’t otherwise. So it’s important to schedule downtime and time to unplug and recharge just as we do with meetings and appointments.
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