Types of Habits

As humans we are creatures of habit. From the second we get up in the morning to the time we crawl into the bed at night, the majority of people are driven by routine. Where do you stop for coffee in the morning? Do you stop there everyday? If you stop at the coffee joint everyday without fail, you have formed a type of custom. Is it a good ritual to practice? Is it a bad one? It depends on how you look at it. On one hand, coffee is not the best thing for your body. Caffeine is not good for your heart. On the other hand, many people get a jumpstart for their day by drinking coffee and would not perform as well without it. Our lives are made up of both good and bad routines. You decide which type of processes your life contains more of.

Good routines are those that, when done in a usual manner, promote good things in your life. For example, showering everyday is a good practice to get into. It keeps your body healthy while allowing you to avoid the embarrassment of not smelling or feeling clean. Not having a hygienic appearance can alienate you from friends, family and coworkers. As a result, you can get passed up for job promotions or social invitations that you might have otherwise received. Other helpful routines to form include being organized, getting into a healthy exercise regimen, and showing up to work on time. All of these, when done regularly, will help to bring positive things in life. Being organized can save you time and money. Getting into a normal exercise routine can help keep you healthy, and showing up to work on time can prove your reliability to your boss and, in some cases, help you avoid getting fired.

Conversely, bad habits affect your life in a negative manner just as much as good ones affect your life positively. Bad practices are things that are done repeatedly that can cause stress or harm if not ceased. An example of a bad behavior pattern is smoking. Not only is smoking bad for your health, it is also bad for the health of those who live in close proximity to you. Aside from the hazardous nature of this unhealthy way of life, cigarettes give off an unpleasant odor that can permeate clothes, hair, and breath. This can alienate you from friends, family, and coworkers as well. Other harmful things to do on a regular basis include drinking excessively, procrastinating, and biting your fingernails. Chances are, procrastinating will not kill you, but it can be harmful to relationships, job performance, and other important aspects of your life. While biting your fingernails won’t put you in the hospital probably, it is a disgusting habit that needs to be modified. Drinking excessively is not only unattractive, it can be fatal. These are all routines, while differing in seriousness and priority, should be done away with.

Changing your habits from negative ones to positive will definitely take time and willpower. However, the end result is well worth it. Positive effects of changing each bad practice will outweigh the annoyance or difficulty of breaking it. Look at the habits in your life and work on the ones you need to change. You didn’t start the routine overnight, most likely, so do not be discouraged if you can’t break it overnight. Simply keep pushing forward keeping your eyes on the goal. Self-improvement is a never-ending uphill battle, and as long as you keep working on it, you are indeed improving.