Habits to STOP & START today!
We are exactly one year into the apocalypse. I’m kidding - well, I guess that depends on how you look at this series of unfortunate ( and fortunate, for some) events that have occurred over the last 12 months. One year ago we had no idea that our lives would drastically change right before our eyes. Little did I know that the first weekend of March 2020 would be my last time going out to a bar or going to my favorite dance spot in DTLA. Our lives were about to change due to a virus that no one saw coming.
We are now one year into the coronavirus pandemic and I can honestly say that my day-to-day life has become more routine than I’d like it to be. Sure, there was a routine to my life prior to the pandemic such as working out on a normal schedule, and working my day job; however, I have never experienced a state-wide lockdown. I’m sure we can all relate to that in some way. Planning when to go to the grocery store, or the best times to go on a walk outside to avoid the infectious crowds. The invisible virus was causing havoc in a lot of our lives. Everyone has been affected differently by this, for some, it opened up more opportunities and for others, it closed doors.
One thing that we all have in common throughout this is that this is new to all of us, and we have all grown accustomed to some sort of routine. With routines, come patterns, and with patterns, come habits. With this being said, I want to encourage you all to avoid the below detrimental habits and to replace these habits with friendlier alternatives.
Habits to STOP now...
STOP checking your phone as soon as you wake up - I know it’s tempting to grab your phone once you wake up to go through your texts, emails, and notifications, however, this has been scientifically proven to distract you from the productive tasks throughout your day. How many times have you spent an hour scrolling through social media or watching youtube videos when a project was due? Instead of checking your phone in the morning, try getting up and getting ready for your day first. Make your bed in the morning, tidy up a little bit, and do things that set the tone of productivity for the day.
STOP negatively thinking about what your plans are for the day - How many times have you woke up, laid there in bed after pressing snooze a few times, and dreaded what you had to do for the day? Whether it was job-related or chores-related? I used to be the same way and have found that the best way to think about your day when you wake up in a grumpy mood, or- the wrong side of the bed, is to replace ‘I have to’ with ‘I get to’. So, instead of thinking about what you have to do with a negative connotation, you train your mind to look at your daily tasks through the lens of gratitude. Try this tomorrow and watch the day play out differently. Remember, your mind is the most powerful tool you have.
STOP going to bed late - In a society where hard work is equitable to how much time you devote to your craft a day, I know this one may be tough. However, you cannot pour from an empty cup. The recharge is just as important as the work you do throughout your life. Even the strongest athletes need their rest days. A rest day, or night, in this case, cannot truly be looked at as such if you aren't receiving the adequate amount of rest required. On average, we should be receiving 7 hours of sleep per night. Instead of staying up as late as you can, try to go to bed one hour earlier than you’d usually do for the next few days and reflect on the difference this makes in your life. If you have too much work to do to accomplish this, you may want to consider what elements of your life can be moved around and work on your time management. Your rest is important!
STOP watching too much TV - Watching television has become one of my favorite things to do during this lockdown and now that I think about it that’s pretty sad considering there are so many hobbies I don’t know how to do and skills that I can pick up on. Don’t get me wrong, watching a popular movie or show is great when it comes to the social aspect of things, however, how is it shaping you as a person? The things we distract ourselves with such as social media and television become inscribed in our minds and can often play a large role in our personalities. Instead of drowning in television shows, try to spend each night reading a chapter out of a book or working on a craft of yours.
STOP procrastinating - I know so many people who marked January 1st as the day to begin some goal they have set for themselves. We are 3 months into 2021 and I can attest to the fact that not even 50% of these people have done the things they said they were going to do. Instead of pushing things off, communicate your goals to someone who will hold you accountable to them, create a daily checklist of the small micro steps you need to take to get to achieve these goals and check off this list at the end of the day.
I know this is all easier said than done, so I challenge you to choose one of the bad habits that you relate to and commit to altering this behavior over the next 5 days. Whether it’s going to bed an hour earlier, or not checking your phone right after you wake up for the next few days, be mindful of the impact it plays in your life.
Habits aren’t created overnight, so breaking them cannot be done overnight. However, on the other side of change is growth. Start today, your greater self is depending on it.
