Unhealthy Habits (and How to Break them)

Unhealthy habits, we all have them. Maybe they aren't super bad for us, but we know we could do a little better with them- like limiting your caffeine consumption. Or maybe we know they are bad for us, but just can't quit them- like having a cigarette whenever you're stressed. Maybe it isn't something we do, but it is something we don't do. For example, maybe you have an unhealthy habit of putting off the gym. You tell yourself that you will go later, but when "later" comes around, you are too tired. Or maybe you forget to take your makeup off whenever you to sleep (this definitely does not promote healthy skin). No matter what they may be, it is impossible to turn an unhealthy habit into a healthy habit in a day. These things take time.

The first thing to do is to recognize your unhealthy habit. I know mine: it's Diet Coke. I drink about two cans a day, and I want to limit myself to one can a day. If you don't know what your unhealthy habit is, take a hard look at your life. What do you do when you're stressed or feeling sad? There are healthy ways to handle these emotions, but oftentimes we choose unhealthy ways. For example, stress eating. Stress eating is not good for you, especially when you make a habit out of it.

Think of small steps you can take to break this habit, and then implement them. For me, it's drinking more water. I drink a lot of water anyway, but the more water I drink, the less Diet Coke I need. To make it easy to drink more water, I try to carry a full water bottle with me everywhere I go. A small step you can take to break a habit of stress eating is to portion your food when you stress eat. Pour yourself a bowl of chips or have one candy bar. But limit yourself to that portion. Don't go back and add more.

Be realistic. Unhealthy habits can't be eliminated overnight. But lots of small steps lead to improvement. For me, being realistic  is knowing that I am entering finals, and my caffeine consumption typically goes up during exam time. I have a feeling it will skyrocket this year with law school exams. However, I am aware that I will probably drink more Diet Coke in the next month than I do normally. I have to be patient with myself. Also, I'm thinking about waiting to cut back my Diet Coke intake until finals are over. That is certainly more realistic than expecting myself to quit caffeine cold turkey in the middle of exams.

With some patience and lots of little steps, you can eliminate your unhealthy habit(s) and even turn them into healthy habits.

Sorry for the short post today! I had an LRW assignment due today, and I need a break from writing for a bit.