Deepika Padukone has always advocated prioritising mental health and also opened up about her journey. In a similar vein, as part of an ongoing lecture series, the new mother shared her experiences and nuggets of wisdom with author Arianna Huffington.

“It’s not about making a huge drastic change overnight. It’s about starting small and bringing about those little changes, from maybe a different lifestyle that one has had, and being consistent with it,” the Singham 3 actor said.

The significance of taking micro steps when making a lasting change

Priyamvada Tendulkar, a counseling psychologist, said micro-steps are significant when undertaking change or habit-building. “As individuals, we have a complex system of functioning. Thus, change feels overwhelming and, at a systemic level, becomes very challenging. Taking baby steps helps cut through the overwhelming task of trying to change your whole life,” she told indianexpress.com.

According to her, tiny slices of change can have a significant impact because now you have overcome the biggest hurdle of starting something. Explaining the concept of activation energy or the amount required to break the stability or inertia, she said: “If 100 units are required to do an activity, typically 60 or 75 units might be required just to activate the task. Only the remaining is actually required to do it.”