We often think that starting and sticking to a new healthy habit will be hard.
Difficult. Frustrating.
Or worse, we’ll give up, which will make us feel like we failed.
However, if we consider it from another perspective, one that encompasses multiple long-term benefits, it’s simply a matter of choice in how we want to view it.
It’s not about the difficulty, but about the profound sense of empowerment that comes from trying and making these choices.
This feeling of empowerment is what will motivate you to stick to new healthy habits.
Knowing Why You’re Making A Choice
Over the past few months, I’ve been learning about the negative impacts of toxic chemicals, also known as microplastics, on our highly sensitive nervous systems, hormones (which affect our emotions), and physical well-being.
Again, the Highly Sensitive Person Trait (HSP Trait) is a genetic personality trait that affects males and females equally.
Now, what started as curiosity about the levels of PFAS (toxic chemicals) in my drinking water led to a deeper understanding of just how often I come into contact with these harmful chemicals, not just in my water.
This information helped me make choices that create a healthier environment for myself.
What is Plastic Spoon Syndrome?
What really motivated me was recently learning about something called Plastic Spoon Syndrome.
I’m calling it “pps”.
What is “plastic spoon syndrome”?
“Plastic spoon syndrome” refers to findings in a February 2025 study showing that the human brain may contain a “spoon’s worth” of microplastics (forever chemicals) by weight, with concentrations increasing over time.
The PFAS chemicals appear to accumulate in the frontal lobe of the brain, forming a plastic spoon.
The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for decision-making and planning.
So we now know PFAS chemicals negatively affect our cognitive abilities (our ability to reason and use logical reasoning).
If you’re confused about this, try working on shrinking your spoon.
One of the steps I took was to choose to avoid buying deodorant and hand and body lotions, which often use plastic containers and contain PFAS chemicals, and instead make my own using natural ingredients.
It was an experiment, and I love playing and experimenting.
There’s a lot of fun to be had in learning and discovering new things, even if it’s as simple as making your own deodorant.
For me, this sense of fun and joy keeps me engaged and motivated.
As a result, I found myself continuing my journey of personal growth and learning, a journey that anyone can embark on.
By making these healthier choices, I was not only nourishing myself but also saving money, time, and avoiding grocery aisles that I find unpleasant.
Additionally, I’m doing my part to support the overall natural environment, a responsibility we all share.
But what else did these changes encompass?
The Hidden Benefits of Developing Healthier Habits
By deciding to make different choices, I was practising the skills of;
- adapting,
- resilience,
- self-compassion,
- courage,
- faith,
- gratitude,
- self-confidence,
- and patience,
- while also practising my creative problem-solving skills.
These are the hidden benefits of developing healthier habits.
So it’s not just about the health and environmental benefits, but also about the profound sense of accomplishment that comes from practising these skills.
This sense of accomplishment will give you confidence in your progress and motivate you to continue making progress.
The more you practise a skill, the more you’ll benefit.
An Example of Practising These Skills
Let me explain.
I’ll start with the deodorant.
By deciding to make my own deodorant, I recognized I was exercising my ability to practice the skill of courage, because change requires courage.
Change also requires practising sitting with the feeling of discomfort, because we don’t know what the outcome will be.
So, adapting to change requires practising the skill of patience.
Now, when I made my first batch of deodorant and began using it, the first thing I noticed was how weird it felt not to grab a plastic container to apply the deodorant under my arms.
It felt strange to use my fingers to take a tiny amount and apply it under my arms.
So, it’s a more tactile experience.
Like everyone else, I’d been using store-bought deodorant since I was a teenager.
So change feels weird, and it’s a natural reaction to experience this feeling of weirdness.
Then, a few weeks later, I noticed these little spots on my bathroom floor.
It turns out that these brown spots were larger granules of beeswax in my home-made deodorant that fell off when I applied it under my arms.
Do I throw it out? Nope.
Instead, I plopped the deodorant in a pot and heated it again to melt the larger granules of beeswax in the deodorant.
In this way, I was exercising the skill of creative problem-solving.
It only took a few minutes to melt them completely.
I ended up with a smooth deodorant, so there are no more little spots on the bathroom floor.
Gaining Momentum
In the meantime, I got rid of two more plastic containers, my dish soap and my shampoo bottle.
Instead, I bought a hard dish soap bar and a hard shampoo bar.
Again, it’s a more tactile experience using both.
However, since I’m getting used to applying my own deodorant, it’s now my new normal, so it doesn’t feel as unusual anymore.
So why not make my own dish soap, body soap and laundry soap?
The shampoo bar and dish soap bar were more expensive than I’m willing to pay for in future.
If I successfully made my own deodorant and hand and body lotion, why not make my own dish soap bar, shampoo bar and even laundry soap?
So I’m gaining confidence.
Also, soap is soap, is soap. Clean is clean is clean.
Why can’t the same bar of soap be used to clean my dishes, my body and my hair?
None that I can fathom.
So my next experiments will be to create my own hand and shampoo soap bars, as well as a laundry detergent.
I also noticed that by creating these healthy habits, it pulls me out of boring routines and the slumber of everyday life, where we often act unconsciously.
So it’s a far more interesting set of experiences.
A Spiritually Uplifting Experience
Creating these solutions for myself is also spiritually uplifting.
It’s gratifying to know I can choose not to harm this beautiful natural environment I have the opportunity to live in and experience, which I’m so grateful for.
It allows me to feel closer to nature, a gift from the Creator.
Having faith in where the Creator is leading me means I’m exercising the skill of faith by taking action.
For me, the hidden benefits of developing healthy habits mean I get the opportunity to learn and grow, learn from others, and share what I’ve learned, knowing that mistakes will be part of the process and that by simply trying, I’m benefiting.
What about you? Have you noticed any benefits from creating a new healthy habit?
ps: Keep your sense of humour
“pss”: What I just said
