By: Sofia Dajer
Thinking about that long-needed lifestyle change? Well, this article will give you some tips about which habits will help you change it. Six months ago, I read the book Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg and I was fascinated by the amount of resources and ideas that made me reflect on my daily activities and on what I could do to improve them. It talked about how those habits that we see as insignificant have a big effect on our lifestyle.Â
1. Celebrate your small achievementsÂ
This is something that I started practicing but I have seen a positive effect. By this, I mean that every time you do something small that you doubt on accomplishing, be proud of yourself. It can be as simple as just going to class when you don’t feel well, or going to the gym for at least 20 minutes even if you are tired. Reading ten pages of that book that you left on your nightstand but never open, doing that Duolingo practice, and putting on a facemask that lasts around 15 minutes, are just some of the examples of small activities that you could start implementing and that serve you well. The key is to try to do them daily to keep track of them and continue progressing toward greater achievements.
2. Reflect
Each night, before going to sleep, reflect on your day. Think about 5 best events on which you think you acted well and 5 on which you think you could improve. You don’t have to reach five, but this mental exercise will help you be more conscious of what image you are showing to others and if it fits into your future goals. If you wish to, you could even write these thoughts, so that when time passes and you come back to see them, you see the progress of your mentality and lifestyle.
3. Do not compare yourself with others
This is something that I believe everybody tells you when growing up. But right now is when you mostly need to accept it. College is a phase of your life where everybody is doing their own thing. They are given the opportunity to be independent and work for themselves and for their future, for which not all of your closest friends are going to have the same activities, interests, or skills that you want or need. Nobody is following the same path, so just focus on yourself and on what you can do better to accomplish your goals during and after college.Â
It is hard to have a lifestyle change, but in the end, it all comes down to changing those small habits that will perdure and have an effect that will motivate you to keep going and experiencing new and bigger challenges. We all start somewhere and that somewhere is something that we all need to be proud of. So, do not worry, just try to maintain a mentality that applauds your daily actions and you will see some results!