It Was Not That Bad Until It Was: The Replacements

My addictions are quite a lot now that I think about it. Too much sugar, bad sitting and standing posture, sitting for too long, long screen time, little water intake, cold drinks, junk food, no exercise, late night sleeping. I knew they were all bad for me, but knowing and stopping are two different things so I thought maybe not that bad.

If I had responded to this prompt a few months ago, I would have said that I could not stop most of these habits. It was not like I had experienced any extreme health scare. Nothing felt urgent enough to force me to change so I continued. I still wouldn't stop easily even if it was the case.

But that is not the case since recently, I have come to understand too much about myself to keep ignoring habits that are slowly draining me.

I used to add as much sugar as possible to anything that required sweetening. Tea, snacks, drinks. If it could be sweet, I made it sweeter. At the same time, I struggled with severe pain during my menstrual flow. Many people told me reducing sugar could help, but I refused to listen.

Now I have reduced my sugar intake a lot. There was no dramatic motivation or sudden burst of discipline. I simply started replacing sugar with honey and sweet fruits whenever I craved something sweet. It was a small decision, but it changed a lot. I feel healthier and I enjoy my meals, I don't overload them with sugar anymore.

Late night sleeping, poor posture, no exercise, long hours of sitting, and excessive screen time were all part of the sedentary lifestyle I had been living. I am still working on these as the effects were obvious. Low energy, mood swings, unproductivity. Yet I kept repeating the cycle.

Now I have a simple rule. I must exercise for at least fifteen minutes daily, I pay attention to how I sit and stand, I take breaks during screen time, I try to sleep earlier. It is not perfect yet as some days I don't do any. But the difference is clear, my mood is better and I'm more stable all day long.

Drinking little water, taking cold drinks, and eating junk food turned out to be easier to change than I thought. I set alarms to remind me to drink water, I stopped giving myself the chance to buy cold drinks and junk food. Instead, I spend that money on fruits, it was a simple and easier swap for me.

Since I started being intentional about these habits, my lifestyle has improved. I feel lighter, I'm aware of my posture, I stay hydrated, I even enjoy listening to music while exercising. The daily movement feels like a promise kept to myself and I don't fear the repercussions of my bad habits now since I'm not consistent with them.

I feel like a new person, not because everything is perfect, but because I am trying. I am still working on reducing my screen time. That one is strong but now I know something important. It is not that I cannot stop but because I have not decided to. I plan to start by setting digital fasting days where I stay away from my phone on purpose to do something offscreen and have fun.