The key to breaking a bad habit is replacing it with a good habit. Here are some habit alternatives you can try when you feel stressed instead of the same old bad habit.
• Go for a run: Put on your favorite playlist and just go. Starting every morning with a run can be a great routine to get into to help make your day more productive.
My personal experience: After about a week of running in the morning, it became something I looked forward to doing. I noticed myself making it farther before I got tired and had to start walking. Plus, my mood instantly increased when I was done, as I had already accomplished something so early in the day.
• Meditate with yoga: When you’re feeling overwhelmed, look up yoga and mediation exercises on youtube. There are video options for beginners and advanced levels. Watch and follow along to the entire video. You’ll be surprised how relaxed you are at the end.
My personal experience: Yoga is all about relaxing your mind. You have to go in with an open mindset. It takes some getting used to. In the beginning I just focused on clearing my mind and going through the motions. Overtime, the flow became easier and I felt more relaxed.
• Dance it out: Sometimes the best stress relievers do not have to be planned. Maybe you just dance along to your favorite artists in your room. No ones watching, so anything goes, just have fun.
My personal experience: This is something I do every day and it’s probably my favorite stress reliever. I love to put my earbuds in and just jump around and let out energy to my favorite songs.
• Read a book: There are many genres of books to get into. With a lot of extra time, maybe you can start reading that book you’ve always wanted to read but never got around to.
My personal experience: I never was a big reader growing up, until I found books that I love. Let me repeat, I HATED reading. But now, it’s something I look forward to doing. For me, I love reading non-fiction. My favorite books are the ones that inspire you on how to live your best life. If you want to learn about the law of attraction and how our thoughts control our lives, read “The Secret.” It was a life changing book for me.
• Start journaling: Journaling every day can be a great way to keep track of your thoughts. By becoming aware of what you think, you are more likely to stick with your new good habits since it will be easy to track your progress.
My personal experience: This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but could never stick to. I am trying to get into the habit of waking up and journaling everyday. I try to focus on one thing that I want to work on to improve myself. This journaling technique is called “future self journaling”. By focussing on one thing you want to improve in yourself every day for an extended period of time, it is more like to happen. For me, I am working on procrastinating.
• Try making new recipes: If you’ve always wanted to learn to cook or bake, but haven’t had the time... here is your chance. Start off small. Maybe you make cookies and build you way to lasagna.
My personal experience: I’ve always wanted to practice cooking different recipes but have always been busy. So, I will be trying this stress reliever myself during this time at home.
• Stay connected with social media: Social media does not have to always be a bad thing. A lot of people have turned to Tik Tok to make videos and follow trends. Since everyone is quarantined, this can be a fun outlet to express your creativity. My personal experience: I have “gave in” and finally made a tik tok. Some videos are funny and I’ve even tried a few of the challenges with my siblings. However, proceed with caution, because Tik Tok can be highly addictive as I found out the hard way!
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