Healing in Motion: Why Small Steps Create Big Change

How will small steps create big change when my problems feel so big?

When life feels overwhelming, small steps can seem almost laughable. People often say, “How is a five-minute walk going to help when everything feels like it’s falling apart?” But small steps matter precisely because they’re doable and because they build momentum in a way that big, dramatic efforts rarely can. In this way small steps create big change.

When we try to overhaul everything at once, the pressure can become so intense that the change collapses before it has a chance to take root. Big shifts require big energy. And most of us simply can’t sustain that level of intensity for long without feeling depleted.

Small steps, however, bypass the overwhelm. They meet you where you are. They tell your nervous system, “We can do this. We don’t have to push past our limits to move forward.”

These smaller actions also create micro-moments of success. With every step you complete, no matter how small, your brain registers progress, which slowly builds confidence and reinforces the belief that change is possible.

In therapy, when someone is facing something that feels massive, we gently break it down:

• What’s the long-term goal?

• What’s one small step toward that goal?

• And what’s one step even smaller than that?

Together we create a path that feels realistic and supportive rather than overwhelming and unsustainable.

How do I stay motivated when progress feels invisible?

Motivation is rarely linear. Some days it arrives easily, and other days it’s nowhere to be found.

One of the most helpful practices is shifting where you place your attention. Instead of only looking ahead at how far you still want to go, pause and look back at how far you’ve already come.

I often use the marathon analogy: Imagine you’re halfway through a marathon at mile 13. You can look ahead and think, “I still have 13 miles left… this is impossible.” Or you can look back and think, “I’ve already run 13 miles. I can keep going.” Both are true but only one keeps you moving in a way that feels compassionate and empowering.

When progress feels invisible, try to notice:

• What tiny step did you take this week?

• How have your habits shifted, even slightly?

• What are you doing today that you weren’t doing six months ago?

Therapy helps you zoom out. We take stock of the small wins, the subtle shifts, the emerging patterns, all the pieces of progress that are easy to miss when you’re focused forward. Motivation grows when you feel connected to your progress, not just your destination.

What happens in my brain and body when I build momentum?

This is where understanding neuroscience can be incredibly grounding. Dopamine, often called our “reward chemical”, plays a key role in motivation, drive, and focus.

When you take a small step toward something meaningful, your brain releases dopamine. And here’s the beautiful thing: dopamine creates momentum.

As you engage in activities that generate dopamine (movement, music, connection, meaningful work), your brain becomes more energized and focused. This is why “getting started” feels like the hardest part but once you begin, it becomes easier to keep going. It’s why people often say things like: “I dreaded starting this task, but once I got into it, I could keep going.”Your brain isn’t resisting the task it’s resisting the activation energy required to begin. Pairing something rewarding with something mundane can help bridge that gap.

For example:

• Folding laundry while listening to a podcast that makes you laugh

• Cleaning the kitchen while playing your favourite playlist

• Writing emails with a warm drink you enjoy

These small dopamine boosts help your brain shift from stuck to started. Once momentum begins, it often carries you further than you expected.

A common myth: “If I can’t go all in, it’s not worth starting.”

This belief shows up everywhere: fitness goals, eating habits, morning routines, emotional healing, even therapy itself. But “all in” is rarely sustainable. Giving 100% every day almost always leads to burnout, not transformation.

Small, steady effort is what creates lasting change because it honours your capacity. It respects the ebbs and flows of your energy, your emotional bandwidth, and your nervous system.

I often encourage people to add, rather than subtract. If someone says, “I eat pastries all the time and I don’t love fruits or vegetables,” my answer isn’t to eliminate the pastries. Instead, it might be:

• Keep the food you enjoy

• Add one piece of fruit in the afternoon

• Add one vegetable at dinner if you can

This approach feels more doable and far more compassionate. It doesn’t ask you to give up joy; it asks you to gently expand what supports you.

Going “all in” can feel exciting for a day or a week, but sustainable change happens when you offer yourself the amount of effort you can maintain over time.

Sustainable effort builds sustainable healing

If you pour all your energy into one big push, you’ll burn out quickly, the same way sprinting at full speed exhausts you long before the finish line. But when you match your effort to your capacity, you build resilience. You create a rhythm that supports healing instead of overwhelming it. You allow your nervous system to trust that the steps you’re taking are safe, consistent, and manageable.

Small steps are the foundation of meaningful change.

About the Author

Orli is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with over 12 years of experience helping hundreds of clients find long-term sustainable recovery from addiction. She is passionate about providing a safe space for her clients to explore the deepest parts of themselves so they can experience the freedom of living as authentically as possible. Research shows that we develop additional dopamine and serotonin receptors when we’re in meaningful connection with others so if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction or ADHD, please reach out because connection is the foundation of recovery.