green habits - be a green shopper

"Habits are formed when the memory associates specific actions with specific places or moods," - Duke University researcher, Wendy Wood

If being green is about being aware of where our food, energy and products come from, how they were grown or made, where they will go and how they will be handled when their useful lives are over. However, replace your old habits with the new green habits will drive the conscious thinking to your subconcious level and make it easy to do.

In this post, let's focus on some shopping habits:

• Use usable grocery bags. They are more durable and often look better than cheap plastic bags. The challenge is to remember carrying them with you. Keep them in your car. Mentally rehear taking the bags with you before entering the grocery store you frequent.
• No more bottled water. It's expensive, and is not necessarily healthier than tap water. Use a stylish stainless steel water bottle. It's safe and free of questionable Bisphenol A, a chemical that leaches from many plastic bottles.
• Buy products with less packaging;
  
• Buy refill instead of products in plastic bottles, like shampoo, detergent.
  
• Cut down on meat. If more land has to be put into agricultural production to produce meat than to produce plant products, we are left with less nature.
• Buy products that are reusable, recycled, or recyclable.

Last but not least:

• Buy less. How much stuff does anyone really need? Do you really need another dress, another toy, another bag? Yes, you can recycle them later, but keep in mind they will first become your storage problem before they eventually become garbage. So before you put anything in your shopping cart, think how long you'll keep it. Another rule is to buy a few really good/expensive items that last, instead of lots of cheap stuff just because they are on sale.
  

If you have other ideas that can be added to this list, please share with us. Appreciate your effort in protecting our beautiful planet.

Kick A Bad Habit In 2 Minutes

Hey it's getting better and better.
After my last post on "Can I break a bad habit overnight?", I found this even faster trick: "How To Kick A Bad Habit In 2 Minutes".

The trick is NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), a technique to program your thoughts. The instruction provided by Si Dawson is simple to follow. Basically, it associate your own negative thoughts with the habit that you are trying to break, by squeezing your thumb and forefinger together.

I learned it before from watching TV. I know, I know, it's a bad habit. But some TV programs are actually constructive if you know how to choose.

It was the right solution at the right time for me. I used this technique to get over not a habit, but an ex of a breakup. It totally worked for me. The way I did it was quite similar but with an extra step.

First, think of the person while squeezing the thumb and fore fingers together.
Then, think of only the bad qualities and things that I disliked about my ex. Magnify the emotion and until it's unbearable that I had to escape.
Next, release the fingers on the left hand, press the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. Now think of all the positive things I can be or do without my ex in my life, and feel good until I find myself smiling and feeling happy.

After that, whenever I find myself missing him, I simply put my thumb and forefinger together and I will get out of the thoughts right away. Then I feel good about where I am by touching the thumb and forefinger of my right hand.

For it to work with habits, replaced "my ex" with "the bad habit". And here it goes:

1. Squeezing the thumb and fore fingers of your left hand together, think of the habit you want to quit, picturing your self doing it;

2. Think of only the bad consequences, guilt, regret, past bad experiences as a result of this habit. Magnify the emotion and until it makes you uncomfortable, sad, or sick.

3. Let go of your fingers of your left hand.

4. Press the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. Visualize yourself living the good habit. Make the imagination real using all your senses, and feel fantastic about it.

Next time you catch yourself sliding back to the old habit. Call on your fingers to help.

PS. Let me know if this works for you.

Can I break a bad habit overnight?

According to Lynn Harris, Yes.
How? Hypnotherapy.

She shared her story of quit nail-bitting after a two-hour hypnotherapy session.
I've been attending hypnosis groups to experience it myself. After a few sessions, I'm still on the fence. But since hypnosis works directly with the subconscious mind, it is very likely the shortest path to changing your habit.

Whether you go to a hypnotherapist or DIY at home following a tape. The soothing voice is only there to guide you. It's you yourself who is doing all the work. Remember "The Secret"? The key concept is Self-affirmation. Positive thinking in your sub-conscious mind is critical in shaping your your behavior.

In previous posts, we talked about using imagination to help forming the new habit. It's actually the same theory.

The first time it worked for me was in high school. I had this vault-phobia in gym classes. No matter how many times I practiced, the idea of jumping over it always make my legs quiver. The night before the exam. I lied in my bed and pictured myself jumping over it with the precision of the gold medal winner. The next day, my body simply surprised myself with a beautiful finish effortlessly. Now I do the self-talk before important presentations and it works every single time.

Will it work for you? You'll never know until you try it.

Emotions and habits

Do you eat unhealthy food when you feel sad or depressed? Do you go shopping for hours when you feel lonely and troubled? Do you play games over night when you are stressed or bored?

These habits triggered by our emotions are often the most difficult for us to break because we are simply unaware of the true reason why we have them. Even when we do identify the emotional reason behind, your emotion will most likely take control when you're in the moment, all your attention is focused on feeling better and your habitual belief is that the distractive behavior makes you feel better.

Catch yourself doing it.
Keep a log of the things you regretted doing. Like the $300 dress you have never and will never wear. The hours spent on the meaningless activities like watching soap opera or playing games. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away. Face it before you can start work on it.

For each bad habit, find a healthier alternative.
Go exercise. Remember the light moments after your workout? You feel energized and young. Read a book, find a topic you enjoy or explore a wide range of subjects. Spend some time with your friends and family. All these are good habits that enrich you, mentally and physically.

Reduce the exposure to the old habits.
Keep away from the places and things related to the bad habits. Do not stop at the fast food restaurants and through away their fliers. Don't stock up soft drinks and cakes in your fridge. If you have to go shopping, go 30 minutes before the store closes. This limit your time spent and you'll be more focused in getting what you really need.

Keep the good habit for 30 days. Be a creator of your habit, not just a creature of it.

(photo by nickdamico)