Through my journey of working on myself and learning self-discipline, I have been focusing recently on pinpointing habits that have been hindering my growth or decreasing my quality of life. Breaking negative behavioural patterns feels freeing and empowering, and it can improve the overall quality of your life. I believe that the first step to bettering yourself is by acknowledging your behavioural patterns and finding solutions to fix them. Here are 5 habits I have been working on abandoning.
Skipping Breakfast
As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. According to Better Health, breakfast helps replenish your energy levels and boosts brain power and alertness. How I feel based on whether or not I eat breakfast is significant. I found that eating breakfast helps me focus better in class and prevents me from experiencing my chronic afternoon crash. Skipping breakfast is a bad habit I developed from years of running late in the morning; this only leads to feeling lethargic and distracted. So, I have actively implemented the rule of never leaving the house on an empty stomach, even when I am running late. Nowadays, I try to eat granola bars or even yogurt before running out of the house. These two usually satisfy my stomach and brain.
Sleeping In
Like anyone else, I love and value my sleep, maybe a little too much. Sleeping in and not effectively taking advantage of my morning time leads me to work on assignments too late at night. I often feel like I don’t have time for myself. The only time I used to wake up early was for class or work, but now I have learned the value of becoming a morning person. I’ve changed my routine to fit an early morning start, rather than spending my nights doing things that could have been done in the morning. This has helped immensely with my productivity and overall organization.
Cramming For Exams
Cramming for exams feels like a universal part of the student experience; still, it only increases levels of stress, fatigue, and confusion. I had to learn the hard way just how crucial it is to allow my brain to process information in small doses rather than trying to force the memorization of a semester’s worth of content. Instead of cramming, I have been creating study schedules ahead of important tests and midterms. Not only has this reduced levels of stress, but it has also improved my overall academic performance.
Self Deprecating humour.
While it can feel fun and relatable to joke around about your misfortunes and flaws, this behaviour can lead to overwhelming negative feelings about yourself. Your brain will associate your deprecating jokes with your self-image. I have been actively trying to stop myself from making those jokes, and I have learned just not to say anything instead. Of course, from time to time I still catch myself making these jokes, but it’s important to recognize when it becomes a problem.
Eating Out Too Much
The convenience of using apps like DoorDash and Skip the Dishes in combination with buying food when I am out has led me to spend an ungodly amount of money on fast food. This is a battle I’m still fighting. It’s hard to resist buying fast food when the alternative is relying on my bad cooking. For a long time, I had given up on the idea of learning how to cook, because at times it felt like no matter what I made, my cooking would never measure up to my mother’s (or even my older sister’s for that matter). But lately, I have been trying to teach myself simple and easy recipes. I have learned that the more I cook, the more I master simple dishes. Avoiding eating fast food as a University student is not an easy task, but it’s a habit I am working on avoiding.