Testing Healthy Habits

Why not choose to be organized – especially when there is a simple and easy method available? Creating to-do lists can come in many different variations and styles. You can write them in planners, on post-it notes, on a napkin, or keep them digitally – whatever you choose, it is personal to you. Personalization is one of the benefits that keeping to-do lists has along with other aspects:  

• Keeping Organized 
• Create Accountability 
• Relieve Stress 
• Schedule and Reschedule Plans 

This past week as I have been creating these to-do lists, my friends and the people around me have commented on how I spend more time creating my to-do list than completing the tasks I had written down. While this might be true on some days, I like to personalize the one page I expect to look at for a couple days. With these to-do lists, I like to fill up the pages, so I write down all the assignments I have for classes for the next few days and this usually does the job. Even though I do love decorating and aesthetically filling up a page, this is also a way I can motivate myself into doing the work I had written down.  

Therefore, with each passing week as we come closer and closer to the end of the semester and towards finals, I figured I’d give out a studying or organizing habit. In my head, when there are large assignments that I need to complete, I tend to divide them out into sections. For example, if there was an essay due, I’d divide the essay into different “phases” – outline, rough draft, final draft. This helps me organize my thoughts and by dividing them up, I still feel accomplished and not as stressed. Throughout the past week, I have found myself writing all these sections and phases down into my to-do list. Therefore, I know that I am making progress towards an assignment.  

In one of my classes, ACCTG, I have to delegate my own time to doing the reading, watching the videos, and completing the homework by the assigned date because it is an independent course. With the to-do list, I have been able to easily measure my progress and plan out what I need to do each day so that my assignments are submitted in time.  

Overall, I have dedicated an entire notebook to be filled with to-do lists, so this is a habit that I’ll be keeping in the long run. Your lists don’t have to abide by certain rules or expectations, but they do have to have an element that peaks your organization and motivation. This can appear in many different forms for everyone, and I think it’ll be a fun thing to test out before the semester ends.  

This healthy habit is quite simple, and it would be one of the common ones that people refer to – exercising. From my previous posts, you would see that my main method of exercise was playing volleyball a few times a week. However, I have not touched a volleyball in two months. It would be inconvenient to walk 15 minutes in the cold to the IM (Intra-Mural Building) to find the courts full and there would be more important priorities that take the place of volleyball. Meaning, my only source of burning calories would be the time I walk between classes and that is less than an hour each day.  

For the past week, I would hire my friends as my personal trainers and have them plan out (or make up on the spot) my exercise routine for each day. They planned it out so that each workout would target specific parts of my body because I am not fit in any aspect of my body.

 Exercise has many benefits to physical and mental health, and this fact is pretty much indisputable. However, I will point out the main benefits it would have on college students, such as:  

• Stimulated Brain Cell Development 
• Improvement in Memory Retention 
• Enhanced Focus and Concentration 
• Boosts in Mood 
• Stress Relief 

To achieve these benefits, it is recommended that we participate in any activities that increase our heart rate in 30-minute sessions at least three times a week. I am not fit and jumping straight into a 30-minute routine each day would tire me out, so we started out with 15-minute workouts. However, as we see, this was not the way to go.  

 

There were days when I took a break after straining my legs. From this, I wouldn’t exactly recommend focusing on one specific part of your body for an entire workout when you start out. In addition, it might’ve been better to stretch before we got started. We did the workout on Day 3 from the HUB to Atherton at 1am and this was both refreshing and traumatizing. It was raining earlier in the day and there were worms everywhere. I assume that stretching my legs in weird ways to avoid the squirming worms contributed to my soreness the following days.  

From these exercises, I found that pushing myself was rewarding and that I would also feel somewhat accomplished after the workout and soreness. However, I also discovered what my limitations were and that I couldn’t do a push-up for the life of me. On Day 6, it took an hour from start to finish for a 30-minute workout because I was being made fun of for the other half hour.  

Overall, this experience was worthwhile. I started this habit during my “hell week” where I had a bunch of large projects due and midterms. Rather than viewing this habit as a ‘waste of time’ or a ‘hindrance,’ I think it was better to have this as a break during my study sessions.  

 

 

For those of us who have had braces before and have to wear retainers, we usually don’t. Or sometimes we do, but then skip a day or two and then we neglect it altogether. In the beginning of the process, most of us are instructed to keep our retainers in day and night for the first few months, but orthodontists have found that only 60% of their patients have worn them for more than 10 hours a day in the first three months. This is necessary for the tissues around your teeth to adjust to the new placement, and not having them in as instructed could leave them more prone to shifting.  

After the first few months, patients are then allowed to shift to only having to wear their retainers nightly, which is the phase I am in now. And, quite frankly, I am not doing too well. I found it easier in the process to have worn my retainers in for 24/7 because I just knew that they were in by the time I went to sleep. At the start, it was simple for me to just leave my retainers case by the sink every night and so I would be reminded to put them on and take them off. After moving into college, however, that hasn’t been as effective as someone could just easily take them. I highly doubt anyone would want my retainers but leaving them in a random bathroom is also just super weird. There are also some nights where I stay up doing work and go to sleep late, and the last thing I want to do is go to sleep with an aching jaw. 

In the orthodontics world, there are mainly two types of retainers: the Hawley retainer and the clear (invisible) retainers. The invisible retainers are self-explanatory as they’re like a clear plastic film that goes over your teeth. On the other hand, the Hawley retainers are the typical ones you think of with a metal wire that goes over your teeth and has an acrylic piece molded specifically for the roof of your mouth. This is the type that I have, and it is a pain to wear when you neglect it for weeks at a time. So, I decided to use my passion blog to force myself to wear them.

The first night I finally decided to put them in was traumatic. It didn’t hurt at all when I put them in, but it was aching when I woke up. Therefore, I decided to leave them in for the rest of the day until I had dinner. This goes back to the idea of leaving them in for the first few months of the process to let your tissues readjust. I figured that I should just wear them to class so that my teeth and tissues had time to get used to it and it wouldn’t be as painful at night. And so, when I went back to put them in the next night, they fit in more comfortably than the previous night. Since then, the fit of my retainers has been the same. It hasn’t gotten much looser or tighter.  

Overall, this should not have to be a habit that I am testing out. This should be a habit that I started practicing two months ago. But I also hope this serves as a reminder for those who have braces to start wearing them again.  

Throughout my entire life I’ve heard the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and through this week’s habit, I have found that to be true. But, from qualified researchers and experts, they can identify and back the benefits, such as: 

• Provides Energy Throughout the Day 
• Improves Health Conditions 
• Lowers Risk of Diseases 
• Keeps You Alert, Focused, and Happy 

Although it is typical to have breakfast in the morning (between 7am and noon), studies show that it is better to listen to your stomach. From person to person, eating habits vary and some people might find eating in the morning to be nauseating.  

What you eat in the morning also decides how your day will look. If you were to eat something too savory and heavy in the morning, you won’t be able to feel as refreshed if you were to instead make something light and nutritious for the morning. Some typical foods include yogurt, smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, granola bars, etc. They’re breakfast options that can provide long-lasting energy so that you can work throughout the day.  

From my experience, I found that breakfast is one of the important factors to having a head start in the morning. The first few days of this habit, I definitely neglected having breakfast, and if I were to have breakfast then it wasn’t a healthy option. I didn’t fully understand that I needed to have a proper breakfast until I was stressing about my exam the night of February 7th. The one drastic decision I made to my schedule was waking up early the morning before my exam in order to have breakfast. During breakfast the morning of the 8th, I was able to get in a bowl of cereal and milk while reviewing for my exam. 

Typically, I tend to get nervous and feel under-prepared before exams, but that day I was able to walk into and out of the testing center feeling good about what I knew and answered. I think I owe my bowl of cereal a huge thanks for this, because I was able to feel energetic throughout the rest of the day despite getting only about 6 hours of sleep that night. The rest of the week, I was able to keep this up for the most part (except for the one day I didn’t get up until noon).  

Overall, I think this was a worthwhile experience and it is something that is easy and simple. I was able to do it this week because of my schedule and exams, but you can also enjoy breakfast with your friends so that you can hold each other accountable. Having breakfast with a friend can also be healthy for your relationships and friendships as well. So, eating a healthy breakfast has internal as well as external benefits.  

Stemming from a previous habit that I had attempted (“Screen Time”), I wanted to test out a new habit that is said to be good for your health and productivity. It is also one of the habits that might just help you start your day off right. Instead of being on your phone and social media, there are many things you can do such as:  

• Journal  
• Make plans for the day, Create a to-do list
• Meditate, Yoga, Stretches
• Drink water, Have Breakfast
• Read the News or a Book
• Make Your Bed 

Something that I did differently for this entry and tracker is that I had recorded how I was feeling each day. The columns and times in the charts do not necessarily reflect my productivity in the morning and there were times when I had no choice but to pick up my phone, and so the daily entries were to help give my actions some sort of clarification, but no excuse. There were many things that I could’ve done differently that would have helped me efficiently achieve this habit, but habits take more than a week to stick.

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DAILY LOGS: 

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Day 1: I epically failed. The moment I woke up, I went straight to SnapChat in order to make plans for breakfast with some friends. After realizing this, however, I was able to stay off my phone or any sort of screen for the next 45 minutes, but then epically failed again. As I was walking around campus, I realized that I was listening to music, which is accessed through my phone. I will try again the next morning, with a better plan. I think I shouldn’t try to make plans for breakfast with anyone until an hour after I wake up. In addition, I should hide all my electronics from myself and utilize my alarm clock instead. 

Day 2: I failed, yet again. It found it scary that this was my automatic response in the morning. I didn’t have an alarm on my phone and instead utilized other methods, but I still picked up my phone first thing. I woke up and immediately went to make plans for lunch with a friend. I should’ve woken up earlier to have the morning to myself and then make the plans for lunch. 

Day 3: Woke up at 9:30am. Also failed. Almost didn’t realize it until two minutes later, so I decided to ‘restart’ my day. I went back to sleep and woke up an hour later, and was able to be productive for the next hour without looking to social media or my phone in general. 

• Activities: showered, cleaned room, made bed, caught up with my roommate and neighbors; after the first hour, went and made plans with friends for lunch and ice skating 

Day 4: I woke up and was able to realize automatically that I shouldn’t go on social media. I did end up texting a friend to cancel some plans, but then I started to get ready. I took my time this morning because it’s the weekend and went over my long morning routine. Rather than quickly brushing my teeth and going to the bathroom, I took my time doing each step, going slowly. I also made my bed and did some organizing of my gym bag and backpack. It still hasn’t been an hour since I’ve woken up yet as I’m recounting my experience so far, but it’s going productive if I was able to start work in less than hour of waking up. 

Day 5: Realizing that it was a day off, I decided to take my time in the morning despite waking up late. I made my bed, took a shower, did some cleaning, then picked up my phone to make plans with my friends for lunch. I was able to get some time to myself and take my time as I went through my small routine. Afterwards, I met up with some people to play in the snow. 

Day 6: I didn’t have classes until noon, so I woke up a bit later. I figured that I would also take my time in the morning to make my bed and clean up my room, but then I got a message from a friend asking if I wanted to meet up and do work before class. Therefore, I wasn’t able to take my time and I instead made myself some quick breakfast and threw on come clothes and then sped-walked over to the HUB. So, I definitely felt unorganized and displaced the rest of the day. 

Day 7: I woke up at 6:00am in order to have breakfast with a friend before their 8:00am class. I picked up my phone before the hour mark in order to respond to them when they were asking if we were still on for breakfast, but then the rest of the time I didn’t utilize any social media or pick up my phone to do any other messaging. 

I actually found this to be really productive, because after I walked with my friend to their class, I went to the library and did work for the majority of the morning before some people were messaging me to make more plans. 

I have a friend who has a lot of self-discipline and one of his tips for me was to get rid of my phone in the mornings. He told me that he was most productive in the morning and that “not having a phone as a distraction is so good.” He would wake up at 5:30am every morning and start his morning walk and then do work, because not a lot of people were awake to message him and no one makes plans for 5:30am. 

While I was in my productive mode in the library this morning, I recalled what he said and found it to be very true. 

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END OF LOGS: 

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Overall, I don’t think I properly achieved this goal and habit. Although I haven’t been able to turn it into a habit, I was able to make some parts of it stick, such as: making my bed in the morning, feeling guilty about picking up my phone in the mornings, and having breakfast. Given some more time, I think I would’ve been able to achieve my goal, as I did feel as though my last day of logging my habit was my most productive day I have had all semester. 

Although this may seem like a small and insignificant part of your day, making your bed can actually help you start the day off right and it tells you a lot about yourself. Research has shown that this small act has many benefits such as starting your day off right, encouraging you to keep your room clean, enhancing your productivity, and improving your mood.  

At the start of the school year, this was a habit that I wanted to start and keep. Back at home, I didn’t really have a reason to make my bed each morning and it would be extremely difficult to do since I slept on the upper part of a bunkbed. Therefore, one of my small goals was to be able to make my bed each morning and start it off correctly. An elder who once served in the military once told me that making your bed was the first part of your day and that it sets the tone for the rest of your day. This is a trend that most successful people practice in the mornings, as interviewers and researchers report. 

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” – US Navy Admiral William H McRaven

Throughout the last semester (Fall 2021), I was able to start this habit right away and keep it throughout the semester. Although there were some days when I had to rush out of bed for class, causing me to not have enough time to make my bed, I would always find time to do so, even if it was right before I went to bed. Although I don’t have a tracker for it as I normally would for my habits, it was something that I really valued in my day.  

There were some days when I would have friends over on a whim, and I would be glad that I made my bed. Normally when someone walks into your room, the first thing they would see is your bed and having it tidy gives your guests a good first impression.

As I continued making my bed throughout the previous semester, I realized that it also gave me the incentive to keep the rest of my room neat. Once I got into the motion of making my bed, I would feel awake and energized (whether in the morning or at night) and I would then proceed to organize my desk, toss out any trash that has been laying around, sorting out my laundry, and other small adjustments around my room. To be productive, I normally rely on a burst of energy, and I found that making my bed in the morning was that spark that kept me going for the rest of the day.

Overall, this was a habit that was able to help structure and organize my days throughout the entirety of last semester, and it is something that I will be continuing this semester and onwards. Therefore, I also recommend that you try this out and start off the semester with a small and simple healthy habit.