“And just because I could, doesn’t mean it was good.” I was recently inspired by @stephynow’s instagram post on yoga and the crazy moves we sometimes do. I love how it connects to @stralayoga principles of moving in alignment to ourselves and moving with ease. It also got me thinking about bad habits or little things we do to ourselves that are not necessarily good for us yet we still do them.

Sometimes we’re not the best in establishing boundaries. Sure, let’s eat all the junk until we feel sick, sure let’s work 15 hrs a day, sure I can take on more than I can handle, sure Iet’s push through the pain as opposed to stopping or finding a better way…

Certain habits are hard to shake off, doesn’t mean we’re bad or that we’ll be stuck with it forever.

It just means we need a liiiiittle bit more time and kindness to ourselves. Here are a couple of simple things you can apply to your everyday:

1. “Just because I can, should I?”

I’ve started using this whenever I catch myself about to do something I know I shouldn’t. This helps me instantly tune into mindfulness and do a double take in what I’m about to do. For instance I started hitting snooze in the last couple of years and well that just made me groggy and moody. I wasn’t really resting in between snooze but disrupting my sleeping cycle making everyday a struggle to wake up. And one day I just thought: “just because I can, should I?” Somehow this helped me get out of bed right away, if I wanted to feel better snoozing wasn’t what I needed. After all, awareness is the first step towards any kind of change.

2. Slowing down

We’re always connected, we get information right on our fingertips available 24/7, we can talk to anyone at anytime at anywhere in the world….all of this is amazing but we’re also doing too many things at once, rushing from one thing to another. Slowing down can help us accomplish more even though it sounds like the complete opposite. We make space to be, to hear our thoughts, to feel more and most importantly the space to sensitize with ourselves. So we can better assess our needs and desires, so we can hear our internal voice as oppose to the noise outside.

3. Check-in with yourself everyday

It doesn’t really take much. 5 minutes first thing in the morning, before you reach for your phone, check your emails or to-do lists. Check to see how you’re doing, how you’re feeling and simply breathe, prepare for the day and set one desire feeling you want to feel that day. For instance: “grounded”, “energetic”, “loved”, “accomplished”…anything. It’ll help you set the tone for the rest of the day. Trust me, a little goes a long way! And at the end of the night, check in to see how your day was. If you want to be a little bit more ambitious, add in some journalling!

Additional resources on kicking habits:

• Mel Robbins: 5 Second Rule
• Gretchen Rubin: Better Than Before

What are some other habits you’re trying to kick? And what tools have you used that help?