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Confession: I'm not a very good flosser. Or should I say, I wasn't a very good flosser.
During my lowest period during the pandemic, I found it particularly challenging to floss my teeth regularly. It felt like it was just too much to commit to and I couldn’t bring myself to make it a habit. You’d think something as simple as flossing my teeth would have been an easy self care habit to engage in, especially since I was already regularly brushing my teeth. But alas, flossing felt like too much.
When I felt comfortable due to COVID, I scheduled a dentist appointment. It had been about a year since my last appointment, since I had cancelled one that was scheduled during the start of the pandemic. My dentist appointment was about two months away. I’m not sure what inspired me, but I made a commitment to myself that I would floss every day until my appointment.
Something woke up inside of me when I made the commitment to myself and it changed so much more for me than better oral hygiene.
Creating and following through on a simple self care practice reminded me that I was worth investing in. That I could make a promise to myself and hold to it. That I could respect and care for my body. That I could make a new, healthy habit.
...all from flossing my teeth every day for two months.
I felt more empowered and more in charge of how I chose to show up in my life every day. This made me realize just how disempowered the pandemic had me feeling. I took back my power by committing to a simple habit.
Let me tell you what I think helped:
Habit stacking
All I needed to do was tack on a new habit to an established one. I was already brushing regularly, so adding flossing seemed easy and was strengthened by attaching it brushing.
A physical reminder
I am not one for clutter. I like my counters to be clear and organized. However, to remind myself of my commitment to flossing, I placed my floss on the counter where it would be visible.
Working around obstacles
I noticed that the nights when I didn’t feel like flossing were those when I was ready to sleep. Instead of waiting until that point, I would get started with my bedtime routine when I started getting tired rather than when I was already exhausted.
Repeating mantras
When I didn’t feel like taking the time to floss, I would say something quick and positive to myself like, “you’re worth it”, “let it be easy”, or “you’ll feel great”.
What’s amazing is that once the original two month commitment ended, I kept up the habit of flossing. By then, it was established and I had noticed the rewards of the habit.
I am now proud to say that I am a habitual flosser.
Not only that, I feel a renewed sense of commitment and ownership over my life. Establishing the simple habit of flossing reawakened something within me that helped me pull myself out of a really trying time.
While this example may seem elementary, I find that oftentimes simple habits have more power than we give them credit for.
What simple habit would you like to engage in?
I hope that it changes your life.
