Behavior
A behavior of mine that I would like to change is to start drinking more water throughout the day. I have been told in the past by doctors that I tend to be dehydrated. In general, I feel more refreshed and energetic when I am drinking a healthy amount of water.
Experience
The act of measuring this behavior over two days automatically made drinking more water a priority for me in my day. I also realized that one reason I may drink less water is because having to refill my water bottle consumes my time. For example, once I was in the middle of a class, and my water bottle had emptied. I did not want to leave the class to go refill my water, so I had to wait an hour for class to finish, and then wait to finish talking to friends after class, before I could get more water. Halfway through the first day of measuring this behavior, I went out and got a much larger water bottle, which I carry with me when I go out or place at my desk. Suddenly, accomplishing my goal became much easier, all because of a simple change to my environment. Overall, I felt more refreshed and energetic due to this change. I also noticed that, sometimes, I could satisfy my craving for an unhealthy snack by drinking some water from my water bottle. Finally, certain activities, like exercising and singing, automatically made me feel thirsty and drink water. I also felt proud of myself for staying well-hydrated throughout the day.
What I would do differently
Next time, I want to log not only how much water I drink at different times of the day, but also other activities I am engaging in, like attending classes, meetings, etc.; the characteristics of my environment; and my emotional status. Although I was able to make observations relating to these factors, I think that actually logging them could give me even more insights about the relationship between various factors and my water-drinking behavior.
Habit Ecosystem Model 1
Habit Ecosystem Model 2
