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25th November, 2024

How to Change Your Life One Tiny Step at a Time

With Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi

Photo of Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi

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On this episode

So many of us in healthcare find ourselves swamped with work and juggling life commitments. We push ourselves hard, striving for success, often at the expense of our own wellbeing. This can lead to mental and physical health issues, as Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi discovered first-hand, finding himself with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in his 20s.

As Hussain suggests, taking small, incremental steps can dramatically improve our lives. These tiny changes, when combined over time, can lead to significant improvements in our health and wellbeing. For Hussain, it started with getting 15 minutes more sleep each night and walking for 5 minutes a day. Gradually it evolved into more substantial lifestyle changes.

What small changes can you make in your daily routine? It could be as simple as adding a short walk after dinner, sleeping a bit more, or spending a few minutes doing something we enjoy. The key is to start small and gradually build upon these changes. Consistency is crucial, and tracking progress can help us stay motivated.

When we focus all our efforts in work or take on new responsibilities that aren’t in alignment with who we want to be, we can experience more stress and reduce our overall effectiveness. It can also affect our relationships and overall quality of life.

But we can avoid this trend by identifying one small change we can make today. By focusing on our wellbeing in the future – not just our short-term happiness – we can improve not only our health, but also our ability to excel both in our personal and professional roles.

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About the guests

Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi photo

Reasons to listen

  • For practical tips for integrating lifestyle changes that can enhance productivity and overall wellbeing
  • To understand how small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements in health and performance
  • To learn about the importance of prioritising self-care and making intentional decisions to balance work responsibilities with personal wellbeing

Episode highlights

00:08:39

Smarter self-work

00:11:53

Making time for real self-care

00:14:18

Saying no and making sacrifices

00:17:30

How to decide what to say yes to

00:19:52

The money trap

00:28:33

Can you shed any key responsibilities?

00:35:35

Marginal gains

00:40:46

Where to find your own marginal gains

00:50:30

Re-engineering movement back into your day

00:55:20

Hussain’s top tips

00:59:44

Learning more about lifestyle medicine

Episode transcript

[00:00:00] Rachel: What do you do to unwind after a long and difficult day? Is it a glass of wine and a takeaway or an hour scrolling Instagram? When we’re pushed to the limit, getting quick dopamine hits. Seem to be the easiest thing to do. But we know how small improvements can compound over time. And my guest this week is living proof. So in today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi, the RCGP lifestyle and physical activity champion, who went from being diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in his twenties to losing 30 kilos, to competing…

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