If you are someone who developed great habits during the pandemic, good for you, get the hell out of here, you don't belong here.

Because there are three bad habits that creep up on us that we all have to break up with.

So first and foremost, skipping the basics.

Like no matter who we are, there are times when we can't or we won't prioritize getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, exercising regularly, or regulating our stress with things like yoga and mindfulness.

And these simple, albeit very annoying habits pay off when we're consistent.

They're the foundation and a healthy lifestyle and when we ignore them most of the time, our physical, emotional and mental health suffers.

Now, I know trying to tackle all of these things can seem like impossible and overwhelming,

like how am I supposed to fit an hour of exercise, half (an) hour of reading, 15 minutes of meditation, eight glasses of water

into a single day on top of work, having a social life, getting enough sleep, and just being exhausted from two years of COVID ruling the earth?

If you're overwhelmed, I suggest starting small and focusing on one habit at a time.

So for me, I really wanted to start improving my eating and my gut health and I read this amazing book called How Not to Die.

That really stressed that I don't have to cut back on anything I enjoy, I just have to incorporate more vegetables.

And the level of science about vegetables in this book, you guys, it was freaking insane.

I knew that... I know they're good for you, we all know they're good for us, but holy shit, I did not realize how little vegetables I actually eat on a daily basis.

So now every day, you know, my goal is to hit the daily dozen list that he recommends so that healthy eating is just becoming a habit.

The second bad habit to break is changing who you are in an effort to be loved, liked and praised.

And look, I get it, validation is a currency and I'm currently living in destitution.

It's really easy to self-betray and people-please or just like, chameleon your way into a personality when you feel like that's full of rewards and affirmation and attention.

But once you start, that is a very hard habit to break.

And this can look like being with people who don't appreciate you, failing to set boundaries, being everyone's self-appointed caretaker, or overworking and overextending yourself,

and consistently changing who you are to appease others.

Well, just, it's just a recipe for resentment, exhaustion, and a disconnected sense of self.

And finally, what's your worst habit? The one you know that you need to kick to improve your quality of life.

Yes, I know number three is a bit of a cheat, but I can't speak to every single human watching this because we're all dealing with something different.

So whatever is the habit that comes to mind that you know is negatively impacting you, that's the third one that I'd encourage you to break.

Look, it could be nail biting, smoking, perfectionism, not drinking enough water, waking up late, comparing and despairing, failure mindset or impulsive spending.

The third habit to absolutely kick is the one that you know you have to.

In terms of how we break bad habits, it's all about replacing the rewards you received from your bad ones with good ones,

so knowing what you're craving cues are and steadily substituting the pleasure you get from the bad habit with a sense of accomplishment you get from a good one.

And you do this again and again and again and again until you form a new habit, a new neural pathway, which is a natural segue into.

I'm Anna Akana, thank you the patrons who supported today's video and thank you to Fabulous for sponsoring Today's episode.