What is one of the most effective ways to change your own behaviour and habits? Doing things backwards. What do I mean? If you start to smile – even if you force it – you soon feel happy, like you actually want to smile. It’s kind of strange but it sure does work. This is not just limited to your body. Instead of changing yourself and through that changing your surroundings you can turn it around. Change your surroundings to change yourself.
The new habits will be established in about two weeks. You can replace a bad health habit with a better one by for instance throwing out your cookies and candy. Then fill your fridge and cabinets with healthier snacks such as carrots, fruits and nuts. It might not sound like fun. But you’ll get used to it and appreciate the new replacements sooner than you might think. Join local groups of like-minded people to find new and potentially great friends. Try to find friends that can be a positive support. Spend more time with them. Limit you time with negative friends/co-workers. Who you spend time with will decide much of how you’ll feel and what you’ll experience. Hanging with the right crowd for you can do wonders. Instead of being hesitant and saying no, say yes for a month whenever someone invites you for something. It’s good to try new environments, and you never know who you’ll meet. By removing bad things from your environment as best you can and replacing them with more suitable things you take away many of the opportunities to both do and to rationalize doing something.
Your environment is an important part of you and your identity. Every day it reinforces who you are. Tear your environment down and rebuild it to help create and reinforce a new part of yourself and the person you want to become.


Anna