Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch
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By: Ally Hoffman, MA, LPC Associate Supervised by Melissa Barton, MA, LPC-S Whenever I hear the word habit anymore, all I have running through my head is the new Ed Sheeran song that exclaims, “My bad habits lead to…,” prompting me to consider my habits. We all have them. We all know them well. As […]
Whenever I hear the word habit anymore, all I have running through my head is the new Ed Sheeran song that exclaims, “My bad
habits lead to…,” prompting me to consider my habits. We all have them. We all know them well. As humans, we know how the saying goes – we are creatures of habit. Meaning, that we fall back into similar patterns of behavior that we know to be familiar and sometimes useful to us. They can come in all forms, too: the good, the bad, and the ugly! We create some of them to keep us organized, like tidying your home throughout the week or keeping a schedule or routine. We have others because they have become a part of our “norms,” like popping a piece of gum in your mouth before a date, holding the door open for others, or even the order we get ready in the morning. Then, we keep others for comfort or control, like biting our nails and turning on the tv to distract us from other things, and they ultimately end up sometimes doing more harm than good.
Initially, when the idea of habits was presented to me recently, it was by a friend of mine who had started reading the book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. I was fascinated by the information she shared with me from what she had learned from the author. I furthered my research by diving into a little more research from another author contributing to the literary work surrounding the topics, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. Overall, here are the main takeaways that I was able to gather:
Habit stacking is critical – once you have one in your repertoire, you can build. Be careful not to start with too many things. Too much at one time can be overwhelming and lead to a lack of follow-through. Instead, keep one main idea in mind and break it down into minimal steps to get there. Then, start with a bit of action.
Instead of thinking of building new habits, instead change bad ones. For example, if you start your mornings on social media, change it to something more productive, like using that time to brush your teeth, read a book, journal, workout, etc.
Also, it is imperative to reward yourself when you finish a habit! Your reward can be a feeling of accomplishment or something more tangible, like a new outfit or a treat. It’s part of the habit loop: you have a cue, routine, and reward.
Clients often share that their dreams may feel too big, or ideas they have may seem wholly outrageous or out of reach. However, I would like to believe that no goal is too big! People defy the odds, but it takes a hint of courage to be the odd man out. We live in a world where we are constantly compared to our peers and other people. In a podcast featuring authors Brené Brown and Emmanuel Acho, they discuss the importance of being Illogical with our thinking. They describe this idea that we should look at social constructs and challenge the status quo from an academic perspective! For example, if I believe that I want to become a world-class musician, the odds may be stacked against me, but if I work hard and dedicate time, we can achieve great things.
Now, it’s important to note that some individuals are more naturally adept at things than others. So, realistically, there may be some things that we cannot achieve. I encourage my clients to show bravery in the face of uncertainty, find something they are good at and love, and give it all you got! Despite what some may tell you, we can create change in our immediate environments and beyond. Thinking illogically means we are thinking outside of the box or system that has been put in front of us. Who tells us we can’t be all that we have ever dreamed of?
Do you want to learn how to develop new norms and overhaul your bad habits? One of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide individual and family counseling and other mental health services. To begin counseling in Katy, TX, follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, Counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men’s issues, women’s issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. To learn more about our therapists and counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!
By: Margie Frisco, Life Coach Are you feeling stuck in life? Many times throughout our lifetime we can feel stuck. This can be in our job, love life, family, or just general life. It can feel like life is passing you by. There are several ways you can engage in your own life to help […]
Are you feeling stuck in life? Many times throughout our lifetime we can feel stuck. This can be in our job, love life, family, or just general life. It can feel like life is passing you by. There are several ways you can engage in your own life to help you feel more satisfied.
May times in life we can live in the past, creating us to either beat ourselves up or dwell on things we wish we could change. Or some of us worry about what may or may not happen. This thought process can hold us back from what is happening right in front of us. For example, many of us worry about money or bills. We must focus on things that we have control over us. The stress of money will be there for most of us throughout our lives. While we are worrying about what might happen or what could happen things are still moving in front of us, like our children, friends, and family. Remember to take time to enjoy those moments in front of us like laughing with our friends, the bright sunny day, or the love we have for those around us. Instead of focusing on things we cannot control, focus on things we can control like being present in everyday life. 
If you see something you want to change, make small goals to lead up to a larger goal. For example, if you are not happy in your job, set smaller goals to help you get to reach a goal of finding a new job, preparing for retirement, or learning a new trade. Make sure your goals are measurable. This means make sure you can recognize when you have reached these goals and congratulate yourself once you obtain those goals. Going forward with the job example and let’s assume you want to find a new job. Start small with making resumes that can help you find different options for employment. Once you are done with that, celebrate with an accomplishment. Then move on to the applying stage and progress on.
If you are struggling with feeling “I can’t do this,” think of what is holding you back from making changes. This can be very common to have barriers to go through first. Recognizing and finding resolution for this block will be pivotal in helping you move forward.
Make sure when you are setting goals that you can reach. Everyone has limits and that is ok. Everyone’s limit can be different. That does not make yours wrong for you. It is ok to work within what you need. Don’t get me wrong, you can challenge yourself. But expecting to become an astronaut in one week might be tricky if you are starting at the beginning. When setting goals, take into consideration where you are and realistically how to accomplish your goals.
Once you have set the goals and found what is keeping you from obtaining these goals, make the change. If we keep doing the same thing and want to see change, it can be very difficult. Action is required here. We 
must change our behaviors to see a change in our surroundings.
Once you have put in the work and made the change, celebrate it! This can be small or big, whatever you want it to be. But it is important to give yourself some credit for all of the hard work you have done!
If you are ready to improve your life, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide individual counseling as well as other services. To begin individual counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:
Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including: counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men’s issues, women’s issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to regularly post blogs. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and our counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!