Start small and focus on fun: making change feel within our reach

• Written by: Dr Rebekah Ballantyne — Age Scotland — Health and Wellbeing Officer
• Published: 10th December 2025

Dr Rebekah Ballantyne, a speaker at the Self Management Week 2025 webinar ‘IFIC: What I need to lead’, shares her self management insights.

When I interviewed at Age Scotland in 2022, I was asked to share a health and wellbeing message for older people in Scotland. I said: “Start small and focus on fun”. After three years in this role, I don’t think I was far off the mark! I’ve since learned enormous amounts about behavioural and health psychology, from the power of tiny habits to the COM-B model of behaviour change.

I feel that we can forget that fun can be part of the process of change. We ask people to strive towards health and activity guidelines but sometimes miss the mark as people might not see themselves in the messages. Dr Chloe Williamson from The University of Edinburgh has created clear guidance and impactful examples of how to use positive communication as a way to support people to move more. Part of this is really taking time to understand our audience, to make sure that any self management resources are relatable and relevant for the people who might be seeking out support.

Having delivered countless ageing well sessions, I see how well the idea of making small changes resonates. As psychology research tells us, framing things as small, micro, steps towards a bigger goal feels manageable and achievable. I’ve felt the sparks of inspiration that come from understanding that they could add something new to a habit they already have. Or how they might be able to remove a barrier to trying something that has been in their mind for months.

However, I often hear ‘supposed to’ and ‘should’ from participants:

“I should move more”

“I’m supposed to drink more water.”

Feelings of failure, shame, and stories of not being good enough to achieve long-held goals are underneath these statements. The antidote? Self-compassion, self-belief, and peer support. Self-compassion isn’t letting yourself ‘off the hook’. Instead, it is reminding yourself that you are doing the best you can, and that if things didn’t go to plan today it doesn’t mean all is lost. Every day offers new opportunities to keep moving forward and solidify the habits you want. Likewise, encouraging self-belief is not encouraging an inflated ego. Rather, it is a quiet confidence that: I can do this, I’ve got this, and I trust myself. Finally, having people in your life who will support you to try new things or help hold you accountable is central to making healthy habits stick.

With fun in mind, Age Scotland have worked closely with The Open University on Take Five to Age Well behaviour change activities for older people’s groups and services across Scotland. We have explored approaches that resonate, inspire, and energise people to adapt or change some of their daily habits. For example, our sessions for groups involve singing, dancing, gratitude exercises, drawing, and more. Crucially, these resources are designed to be experienced together, understanding the central importance of both social connection and peer support as people reflect and act upon healthy ageing tips, ideas, and opportunities. The Take Five to Age Well have recently won a National Self Care Award highlighting its impact in this area.

An Age Scotland ambassador shared with me a Glasgow phrase that I’ve keep in mind:

“Better felt than telt!”

To feel something, and have fun with it, helps health behaviours stick. I would love more self management focused health and wellbeing to bring smiles, permission to be playful, and an energy and anticipation rather than feelings of ‘shoulds’ and ‘supposed to’s.

What’s one small, fun change you could make today?

Dr Rebekah Ballantyne is Health and Wellbeing Officer at Age Scotland and was a speaker at the Self Management Week webinar, IFIC: What I need to lead, on 23 September 2025.

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