The Power of Habit

Just like work life balance, creating good habits also aids in developing oneself. Following the idea that developing oneself, will help in developing a better mental health. To determine what good habit is versus what bad habit is depends on the impact those habits have on your overall well-being, goals, and values. For example, even though reading a book is a good habit, if it takes too much time from maybe homework or time with family it can be seen as a bad habit. As it is a detriment to both your personal relationships and school life. Circling back how can you develop a good habit that will help you reach your goals, develop both personally and professionally, and feel fulfilled. 

Well habits are strengthened through repetition, repetition, repetition and by implementing healthy changes in your daily life one can develop good habits. For example by studying everyday for 1 hour, eventually there will come a time when it becomes second nature. And this can aid in being a better student, as you are able to have a better understanding of lessons because you are not only learning inside school but outside school. 

To add on, habits are also driven by reward-seeking mechanisms in the brain. Which refers to the biological processes that drive us to pursue activities or behaviors that provide a sense of pleasure, satisfaction, or reinforcement. Often triggered by associations with cues or something specific. For example, entering a car is a cue, and the habit triggered by this mechanism would be putting on your seatbelt, as the brain has associated this behavior with safety and the reward of feeling secure. Learning to re-associate the cues that trigger bad habits with healthier ones can help you develop good habits. For example, if you tend to avoid studying in your room, try studying in a different environment, one that is dedicated solely to studying. This change in setting can create a new association that supports focus and productivity.