Gerald Sastra/The Cougar
Transitioning from living with parents to living on campus can be challenging, especially when trying to establish new habits. Many students find this challenge as they try to figure out what was passed down from their parents and what is truly their own habits.
This era of self-discovery is vital during college. Here are some tips to help with the transition:
What’s important to you?
The number one thing when trying to establish good habits is finding out what is important to you. If a habit does not align with your values or what you find important, it will be difficult to make yourself follow a new routine.
This is where self-introspection is important. What kind of life do you want to live? The idea that “your every day is what makes up your life” is true as the small actions you take throughout your day are what build your future.
Therefore, find what values matter most to you. If you want to be clean and organized, make sure your tasks reflect that. If you value aesthetics and creativity, then make sure you keep that value consistent in everything you do.
Creating Tasks
When it comes to creating the tasks that build that good habit, it’s good to start off small and realistic. Deciding to go to the gym every day for two hours will probably not be followed through with unless you’re a gym rat.
Instead, maybe going twice a week for one hour might be do-able if you value fitness. To add on, choosing a consistent time and place that matches your schedule will make it easier to build the habit. Don’t choose to go to the gym in the morning if you’re not a morning person.
Accountability
The hardest part of building good habits is holding yourself accountable. Having a friend to build a good habit with might help but you have to want the change for yourself to see any difference.
Going back to the ideas of values, remind yourself consistently why you want to build the habit and the drive to get it done will make itself known.
Giving yourself grace
It’s okay to miss or day or two when it comes to building good habits. The important thing is jumping right back in the next day without making excuses.
At some point, the habit will become as natural as going to bed and waking up. Sometimes, schedule conflicts arise or it ends up feeling more like a chore than something you truly want to do.
That’s when a reevaluation of the habit is needed as it might no longer serve a value you thought was important. Regardless, being kind to yourself at the beginning will serve you the most in the end.
