Rumor has it that we all have habits. Habits – actions performed with little conscious thought and often unwittingly triggered by external cues – are powerful influences on behavior and can be our greatest allies for positive change. Sometimes, habits can be difficult to break, so they can be seen as saboteurs of personal growth and development.
Odds are that we are all trying to break a bad habit in our college lives. Whether it be procrastinating, struggling with time management skills, eating too much, spending too much money, etc., we are all guilty of some type of bad habit.
Here are some tips to break those bad habits and replace them with good ones:
- Identify the habit that you want to work on. This step may require some honest self-evaluation, but I know you all have it in you.
- One habit that I am guilty of is always saying yes to other people, when I know I have so much to do myself.
- Be consistent with the ways in which you go about changing that habit.
- For me, I am realizing that sometimes you just have to say no. You must have time for yourself, whether it be for self-reflection, self-growth, or even just taking time to be alone.
- Replace the bad habit with a good one.
- Lately, I have tried to be better at taking more care of myself and being healthier, which keeps my mind off of the word ‘yes’.
- Finally, treat yo’self.
- Not with a dozen donuts, or a half-gallon of ice-cream, but it is always nice to do some retail therapy, or just have some alone time as a reward for getting rid of that bad habit.
With all of this in mind, it takes 66 days of doing something to convert it to a habit. Find your bad habit, replace it with a good one, and live a happier life.
