How I Established Healthy Habits | A YAC Student Blog
Zora Womack is a 10th grader at Bishop Hartley High School and an active YAC participant
Zora Womack
Many people have habits that may seem harmless or even look fun, but these actions are destructive or damaging to your health. Take for instance on TikTok–I have seen videos that show people eating 15 bowls of pasta, trying to beat their former record. The most common unhealthy habits I have learned about in school involve people’s misuse of drugs such as stimulants, opioids, depressants, etc. Choosing to adopt healthy habits allows you to feel and look good, and helps you to avoid engaging in negative behaviors.
First off, what is a habit? Health Direct says that a habit is “something that is a routine to you and that you repeat, often without knowing it.” These habits can be positive, or they can be negative. News in Health mentions habits can be called “habit loops” because people continuously repeat them over and over again. It is difficult to automatically change something you’ve been doing for quite some time. A way to get rid of unhealthy habits is to “rewrite” our choices we make and turn them into better ones. To steadily get out of a habit you’ve been doing, try creating smaller goals for yourself. Many people forget to keep making these transitions into a better habit, so to help with that, setting reminders or writing in planners, or can aid you in your journey. Additionally, viewing the benefits you’re getting out of changing your unhealthy habits will motivate you to keep pushing for that healthy habit.
Something that I am doing to create better habits for myself is working out. I started working out in the past, though this is the year I am more committed to it. I noticed I was repeatedly being inactive and weary whenever I got home from school, so I mainly started working out to get more energized. Additionally, working out relieves me from the stress that I might have from my school work or daily activities. I first started by planning out which days I would work out and then I put my plan into action. I knew I wanted to focus on 20-minute ab and leg workouts on Youtube. My sister and I work out together and we keep each other accountable for the days we put exercising in our schedule. Having my sister as a partner has been a great way to continue my healthy habits because I have someone to go through it with.
When I start to transition back out of exercising, I think about the benefits. On average, I fall out of my habit for a few days every 3 weeks, but then once I get back into routine and I am back on track. As I progressively do this, it becomes a habit or “habit loop” because it's something I normally do. Some people do not know how to start changing into something new, however my story shows a great way to begin. To conclude, if you want to create healthier habits I recommend doing this because it benefits your mental and physical health. You will start to feel more confident and free of stress.
Works Cited:
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/creating-healthy-habits
https://healthfully.com/410858-the-effects-of-a-healthy-lifestyle.html
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/03/creating-healthy-habits
https://www.addictiongroup.org/drugs/