Breaking old habits is hard to do

Just a few weeks ago, when I went home to visit my parents, they stressed to me how important it is to appreciate our bodies. Though they’re by no means “health freaks,” they zealously convinced me that an active mind, a stress-free life and a body that’s fit and nimble should mark the years of my youth. It may have been their ailment-of-the-week speech, but they got me thinking about well I care for my body. After seconds, I realized that it’s a wonder my body hasn’t yet imploded.

Just two months into the school year, and I’ve been unnaturally boosted more times than I’ve been to the gym. I’ve possibly slept more during day naps than I have at night, and with these consistent throw-offs, my body now barely knows the difference between sunlight and moonlight. So it’s no surprise that I need some sort of pick-me-up before I go about my day. Between the 32 ounce energy drinks to the “wake the f*ck up” Starbucks DoubleShots, I’m like a kid who lives in a candy store. And if those aren’t enough, there’s always the option of the best pill since birth control – Adderall.

Though abuse of unnatural stimulants is never okay, the options run rampant at the U. And I know I’m not the only one, because I’ve definitely seen my fair share of disgusting mean mugs from fellow students in the a.m. when I pass them with a pleasant “hello.”

Aside from sleep deprivation, there’s always the hindrance of alcohol. Whether you have an ID or not, every single person knows a person who knows a person who can buy alcohol. And thus, on any given night any person can get f*cked up far past their capacity just because they finally got that accounting test over with. For some, drinking becomes such a habit that it becomes no longer an evening’s pre-game activity, but rather the evening’s only activity. Far too many times have I seen someone passed out in front of the Mahoney dining hall way before they have a chance to call a cab.

For the smokers, someone lighting up a stick of temptation is always within your vision, making it impossible to ever kick the habit. For every time you throw away a pack, there are seemingly hundreds of kids with full ones who just can’t wait to offer you one. And for those fans of the jolly green, there’s so much of it around that it’s as if at every party or get-together there’s a celebratory joint, blunt or bong being passed around.

It’s nearly impossible to kick bad habits in college, simply because they’re just so easy to maintain. Yes, the gym is on campus and only a short stroll away, but it’s so much easier to procrastinate studying or math problems with an evening out. So for every person who vows to never drink, smoke or artificially energize themselves again, a Thursday night at the Grove, a screening of Aladdin at Cosford and a big econ test are always just a few days away. Your bodies are temples, but consider these college years the destruction before the rebuilding in your mid-20s.