Have you ever tried quitting a habit like smoking, eating unhealthy, or waking up at a certain time? Old habits, good and bad, are hard to break. No matter how hard we try to change our behaviors, it is the old ways that tend to win out over time, especially in situations where we are rushed, stressed, or overworked.
Bad habits are extremely hard to change when you are under stress. My mom has tried to quit smoking since before I was born. She does good for awhile, then some sort of stress gets her. She is always worried about money, her job, and her children. My sister has tried to stop eating unhealthy for years. She has some health problems and eating unhealthy makes them worse. Junk food always tempts her when she is under stress from work. Stress plays a big role in habit breaking.
Good habits are also sometimes hard to change. Experts from the CDC say, "60% of U.S. women who have had a total hysterectomy and no longer have a cervix are still getting the tests." The women who were so used to getting the pap test are still getting it. It was a good habit but is no longer needed for them. Once you make your goals a priority, it is hard to do something else. I tried to set aside my goals and focus on something else for awhile. I am a junior so I still have some time before college but I have not been able to stop focusing on college since freshmen year. Another goal is my career, I keep trying to put that off since I am not even in college yet, but I cannot.
As you can see, good and bad habits are hard to quit. It is like they are stuck with you forever. But sometimes, you just have to learn to let go of them. Even if that means forcing yourself for awhile. Eventually, you will quit it.
Source: "Women getting unneeded Paps post-hysterectomy, CDC says" Foxnews.com
