A term trending these days is “Quiet Quitting”. For those that haven’t heard of this, it is an approach taken in the workplace. Essentially it is doing the minimum to stay employed. Anytime the word, quit, is heard it is usually in a negative light. Whether it be someone that often quits what they start or, in the case of a job, the conditions are so bad that quitting altogether is the only solution to maintain sanity. Quiet quitting attempts to put a positive spin on the word by using life balance as the rationale. There have always been those that do a little more and those that do a little less in the workplace, but now there is a term defining the act of doing a little (and sometimes a lot) less…….quiet quitting.
Speaking of life balance, let’s focus on healthy lifestyles and coin a new term, “Silent Starting”. In the workplace this would still have a negative connotation when starting a new job. Coming in to a new job, one that hangs back and is unwilling to learn new things versus hitting the ground running and motivated to make a positive impression would be a silent starter. On the other hand, silently starting to add healthy choices to your life could be a very positive approach. Anytime you can begin a healthy habit, it is a positive.
Green Silent Starters: Whether it’s exercise or eating habits, many are new to the idea of a healthy lifestyle. For those, starting anything new and healthy is a win. Maybe you are, or know someone that is, a green silent starter. Sometimes the idea of starting is intimidating and thoughts of “it’s not worth it” or “it’s too late” run through the mind. It is difficult to get over that mental obstacle and get started. One way to do so is to avoid trying too much at one time. Instead of having an all or nothing approach, make one small change on which you can really focus. Once you’ve trained yourself in making that small change a habit, then a new change can be introduced.
Tenured Silent Starters: Silent starting isn’t exclusive to those new to healthy habits. There are plenty of people that have been conscious of and practiced healthy lifestyles most of their lives. That doesn’t mean something new shouldn’t be introduced. For those that consistently practice healthy habits, introducing a new, small change is beneficial. Physical activity, for instance, encompasses many modes of exercise. Trying something new may give you a new found motivation. Maybe incorporating a mind-body activity like meditation into your routine can give you a new way to experience health. The point is, although you can be doing well, it can still become a rut. Being in a rut doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative connotation either. It just means you may be ready for something new to spark your routine.
Quiet Quitters: Now that we’ve invented a new perspective, silent starting, how does quiet quitting fit into a healthy lifestyle? Specific to health, it really doesn’t fit. The argument can be made that something is better than nothing for sure. In that scenario it would really only apply to silent starting. Once you’ve established consistent healthy habits, quiet quitting would just be going backwards. This in no way means every person should be training for the next Iron Man and taking things to ultimate extremes. Established healthy habits and their benefits are relative to the individual. Backing off from those and quiet quitting your personal healthy lifestyle should not be the goal.
