Changing bad habits is a common aspect of your personal development journey: You’re curious about what to know about changing habits, how to navigate good vs bad habits, and how to change mindset and behaviour. Let’s explore this through the concept of “junk food” habits vs “treat” habits!
NOTE:
I'm reluctant to use the terms "good" vs "bad" habits, because it unnecessarily assigns virtue to one over the other... However, I understand that many people view habits through a "good" or "bad" lens, hence why I'm using them in this article.
But I encourage you to view habits less through a black-and-white lens and more dynamic — as we're going to explore today with "junk food" habits vs "treat" habits!
Have you ever heard of junk food habits? I’m not talking about literal junk food… I’m talking about those habits we have that are LIKE junk food: You know these habits aren’t good for you, but they’re convenient and easy. They are the habits that you crave. They are the go-to habits that you KNOW aren’t “good” for you, but you do them anyway.
For example: Scrolling through social media when it makes you feel bad about yourself… Staying up too late watching TV that you aren’t even enjoying… Dropping your shoes and bag and keys in the entryway when you arrive home rather than putting everything in their place right away… Interrupting your productive workflow to “answer a quick text” even though you know it could have waited til later… The list goes on.
Junk food habits seep into all aspects of life and business. They’re sneaky! They also often escalate or “feed into” one another — what started out as a small thing you did on occasion (e.g. 5 minutes scrolling on Instagram) turns into a daily occurrence (e.g. as soon as you wake up every morning) which blows out into something that takes up way too much time (e.g. those 5 minutes have somehow turned into 45 minutes).
It’s like eating just one piece of chocolate for dessert, and soon it becomes an entire bar of chocolate.
One handful of chips becomes a full bag of chips.
The difference between junk food habits vs treat habits (good vs bad habits)
The difference between junk food habits vs treat habits is a matter of perception and your relationship to the thing:
When it’s something that feels genuinely good for you (in the moment and afterward), and when it’s something that brings you joy, and when it’s something that adds a little spark to your day (rather than feeling like it’s “taking away” from you)... THAT is a treat habit.
Junk food habits aren’t a problem when they’re still TREAT habits.
…The problem becomes when your “treat habits” turn into “junk food habits.”
When it’s something that makes you feel guilt or shame or judgment or resignation (in the moment and/or afterward), and when it’s something that you do as more of a mindless escape (so there’s more of a dullness than a spark), and when it feels automatic (like you don’t have much control/power over it)... THAT is a junk food habit.
As I mentioned earlier, this is also a more useful way to approach habits than through that black-and-white "good" vs "bad" lens: What if you viewed habits as "nourishing" or "not nourishing" instead?
It's a shift in mindset.
Keep in mind that "nourishing" can mean MANY things! For example, in the literal sense, eating a treat with no nutritional value doesn't mean that it's NOT nourishing. It could nourish your soul! That's how you know it's a treat.
If, however, it's more of a numbing experience, and if you're not genuinely enjoying it *for itself*, then that's an indicator it is NOT nourishing you — and in that case, it ceases to be a "treat" and instead becomes "junk food."
What to know about changing habits
The good news → Junk food habits can turn back into treat habits!
Again, it comes down to your relationship with the habit:
- One person’s treat habit could be another person’s junk food habit, and vice versa.
- Your junk food habit today could be a treat habit tomorrow, and vice versa.
- The way in which you interact with that habit is what MAKES IT a junk food habit or a treat habit.
Good vs bad habits depend on your perception of those habits and your relationship to those habits.
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Why are junk food habits a problem?
Junk food habits take your power away from you. Junk food habits don’t contribute anything to your day to day life or your mood. Junk food habits aren’t habits that SUPPORT you and your goals, your values, your true innermost desires.
Junk food habits are numbing.
Junk food habits do not nourish you.
Understanding the way in which your junk food habits are an OBSTACLE for you is an important piece in all of this, re: what to know about changing habits!
Assessment for your junk food habits:
- What does this habit do for you? What does it give to you? What do you get from it? What are the reasons why you like this particular habit?
- Now that you know what that habit is doing for you… What are other ways you could still get those same benefits, WITHOUT succumbing to the junk food habit? What are some of the ways you can REPLACE the junk food habit with something else that is more nourishing for you?
- Based on your relationship with the junk food habit, at this point in time do you think you could turn that junk food habit into a treat habit? Or will it be easier for you to “go cold turkey” on this junk food habit for a little while, so you can stabilize your relationship with it?
Changing bad habits
It’s okay to go cold turkey on junk food habits if that feels good for you — and also, discipline isn’t necessarily the answer here.
Instead, think about changing bad habits as creating the building blocks of new, better habits: What are the slight shifts you can make so that you’re “pausing” the junk food habit, or so that you’re still enjoying the benefits of that junk food habit?
There is a REASON why you’ve gravitated towards different junk food habits: They give you something. You benefit from them.
It’s important here to a) identify what the benefits are of that junk food habit, and then b) alter those junk food habits (or create better habits) that give you the same benefits that the junk food habit did, but in a more nourishing and helpful way.
Your perspective, your attitude, and your mindset are essential for changing bad habits.
You are raising the bar, raising your own standards and expectations of yourself, while simultaneously elevating your kindness and compassion toward yourself.
It doesn’t need to be a drastic change, and it doesn’t need to make you feel deprived!
You have the power to choose whether these are good vs bad habits — based on your perception of them and your relationship with them.
That’s what to know about changing habits effectively to maximize your personal growth journey!
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