Changing Habits Can Be A Good Thing.
We all have habits, some of which are good habits and some of which are bad habits. Whatever we do on a regular basis seems to turn into a habit. By definition, a habit is described as “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up”. We do them without much thought, which means a habit has been formed. Habits range from how we drive, to the way we speak and the foods we eat. Sometimes we decide to break a habit and build a new one. One thing we should realize is that habits don’t go away, they just change.
Some of the things we’re accustomed to doing became habits without us realizing it was happening. It seems like within days we’ve built the habit of doing things the same way over and over. But how long does it really take to make something into a habit?
Depending on where you look, habits can take as little as 21 days for them to develop. This would mean you were applying what you wanted to turn into a habit on a daily basis for at least 21 days. It’s also been said that to remove a bad habit and turn it into a more positive habit, it would double in time. This all depends on what you’re attempting to change of course. One of the big factors in changing a habit is wanting to make a change.
Driving while impaired is definitely a habit that you would want to change. Many people make no effort to change what they’re doing to get home safely after drinking. We see it in the news each week and if you’re not making any changes to getting home safely and legally after drinking, you’re no different. It’s time to change the habit.
It can sometimes become easier to change a habit if you have support from others. Support can make your goal of changing a habit easier and it can come in different forms to help your new habits evolve. Some people may need written reminders to help them achieve their goals, while others may need some form of visual reminder. There is help available for you.
Having an individual or single-use breathalyzer attached to your keys becomes a visual reminder that you have options available that can help you avoid impaired driving. Options include taking a rideshare such as Uber, or perhaps a taxi or calling a friend to pick you up and bring you home. A visual reminder can make changing the habit of getting behind the wheel that much more attainable.
Our friends at Not Your Child Corp have exactly what you need to help you build that new habit. Their single-use or individual breathalyzers are inexpensive and easy to use. Keeping them with you when you are out socializing where alcohol is available can become the new habit you’ve instilled. Having the habit of having a breathalyzer with you should become the new normal. Trust me, it will be worth the effort of making a new habit.
Scott Marshall has spent over 30 years promoting road safety in many jurisdictions. He has been a road safety journalist since 2005. Scott was also an on-air judge on the Discovery Network’s Canada’s Worst Driver during their first 3 seasons on the air. Not YourChildCorp. is proud to have Scott @Safedriver as a frequent contributor, his insights are irreplaceable.