500-word on Behavior Change: Things I Would Like to Change About Myself

Changing a behavior is even more daunting because many habits are learned from an early age. A habit I would like to change, discussed in this essay, is what I refer to as instances of insufficient time management, which result in stress, psychological reactions, and a variety of emotions.

Several environmental factors affect how I manage my time with respect to appointments, school, family, and friends’ activities. I have identified specific settings that lead me to inadequately manage my time. The first is my ability to be distracted while using my cellphone. It is very easy for me to lose track of time because there are numerous stimuli to distract me. In the morning, I habitually check my emails, text messages, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera, and before I know it, the fifty minutes I thought I had has dwindled down to fifteen minutes to get ready. The second environment that corrupts my time management is my inclination to take a long time to primp before I leave. By this, I mean that I take a lot of time trying to figure out what to wear. Even though I know it will take me a while to get ready to leave somewhere, I do not give myself enough time and always end up stressing out. Behavior change is challenging, but these are things I would like to change about myself to improve my overall time management and reduce stress.

I do not like to be rushed. When I look down at my watch and realize that class is starting in forty minutes, and I am still at home deciding what to wear, I slowly begin to panic. I struggle to perform optimally while under pressure and have a hard time making thoughtful decisions when I feel rushed. Physiologically, I experience bursts of stress when I think I may be late, and the feelings of stress are exponentially increased if I know for sure that I will be. I do not want to be perceived by others as disrespectful for wasting time running late, especially in my academic and social life.

I would like to change these behaviors and reduce the stress they cause. To move from contemplation to preparation, I have selected self-re-evaluation, environment evaluation, and stimulus control as my processes of change. Firstly, self-re-evaluation will involve considering the pros and cons of changing myself and adjusting my self-concept with and without these stressful behaviors. I will rationalize that I prefer to be punctual and stress-free for social and health benefits. Secondly, environment evaluation will come into play after self-evaluation. I will rationalize my surroundings to recognize what leads to feelings of being rushed and how to manipulate that. This leads to my last process of change, stimulus control. Actively avoiding losing track of time, setting up alarms throughout the day, keeping a steady eye on the clock, and planning what I will wear are all ways to control stimuli. Better yet, I can get ready before checking my cellphone and do it while on the SkyTrain.