The Tuesday Afternoon Test: What Your Wellbeing Teaching Looks Like When Motivation Has Left the Room?

We once jumped on what we thought would be a quick, straightforward call with someone who had just finished a wellbeing programme. They sounded upbeat in their messages, so we were expecting the usual wrap-up chat what worked, what they enjoyed, the polite goodbyes.

But halfway through, something shifted.

They smiled, nodded along, and then went quiet for a moment longer than you’d expect on a video call. Finally, they said, almost to themselves, “I loved it… I just don’t know what to do with it now.”

It wasn’t a complaint. It wasn’t criticism. It was something else entirely.

It was the sound of real life stepping back into the room.

And in that moment, it became painfully clear that most health and wellbeing advice never really bridges the gap between feeling inspired and actually staying consistent.

Because the real work doesn’t begin when you press play on a video or download a guide. It begins later, when you’re standing in your kitchen, tired, busy, and thinking, “Alright… how do I keep this going?”

That question has a habit of showing up on quiet Tuesday afternoons, when Monday’s motivation has already packed up and left.

And that’s the moment most online programmes never really plan for.

The Moment Nobody Designs For

We remember a conversation with someone who had followed a programme from start to finish. They had watched every lesson, completed every task, and done exactly what was asked of them, and yet when it was over, they found themselves standing in the middle of their normal, busy life thinking, “Now what?”

It wasn’t that they hadn’t learned anything. It was that real life had returned. There were deadlines, family responsibilities, a tired body, and a mind that didn’t easily switch off.

That moment taught me something no framework or checklist ever could. Learning doesn’t end when the lesson ends. That’s often when it actually begins.

We Don’t Lack Information. We Lack Company.

Most people we speak to already know what’s good for them. They can list the habits, repeat the advice, and even explain why it works. What they struggle with isn’t knowing. It’s continuing.

They don’t need another perfect routine or a new set of rules. They need someone who understands what it feels like to try, fall off, and quietly wonder if they’re the only one who can’t seem to make things stick.

That kind of presence feels very different from being taught.

Where Trust Actually Grows

There’s a temptation in this space to present yourself as the person who has it all figured out, the one with the calm mornings, the balanced life, and the unshakeable habits.

But the conversations that go the deepest usually start somewhere else. They start when someone hears you say, “This part is difficult for me, too.”

That’s often when people lean in, not because you sound impressive, but because you sound familiar.

The Quiet Power of Small Steps

Over time, we've noticed that the changes that matter most rarely arrive in big, dramatic moments. They tend to show up in small, almost forgettable choices.

Choosing to go for a short walk instead of scrolling on your phone. Drinking a glass of water before reaching for another coffee. Take one slow breath before replying to a stressful message.

These moments don’t look like transformation on a screen, but they add up to something that feels like stability in real life, and that’s the kind of progress people actually carry with them.

What Happens When Motivation Disappears

Because it always does, at least for a while.

The real test of any wellbeing guidance isn’t how it feels on a good day when everything is going smoothly. It’s what it gives someone to hold onto on a bad one, when they’re tired, overwhelmed, or quietly disappointed in themselves for not keeping up.

If your work can meet someone in that moment, it stops feeling like content and becomes companionship.

Why People Stay

We often talk about reach, views, followers, and engagement, but the messages that stay with me aren’t about numbers. They’re the ones that begin with, “I just wanted to say this helped me today.”

Not “I learned something.”

But “I felt supported.”

That difference is subtle, but it changes everything.

A Different Way to Think About Teaching

Maybe the real role of someone working in health and wellbeing isn’t to stand at the front and explain, but to walk alongside.

Not rushing. Not judging. Just being there, reminding someone that they don’t have to get it perfect to keep going.

One Question We Keep Coming Back To

Before we share anything, we now ask ourselves whether it would help someone on their worst day, not just their most motivated one.

If it can do that, it has a chance of becoming part of their life, not just part of their feed.

A Final Thought

Health and wellbeing doesn’t need more flawless examples. It needs more honest ones, more voices that say, “You’re not behind. You’re just human.”

If your work can offer that, even in small ways, you’re no longer just teaching. You’re walking with people, and in my experience, that’s where real change quietly begins.

If you are looking to put together a health and wellbeing course or online programme and need advice or support or just a chat to explore opportunities, let us know.