I tried kicking all my bad habits during this work-from-home period, because why not?

There are generally two kinds of people working from home during this circuit breaker period.

The first group of people relish the increase in free time, and seek to use this time as productively as humanly possible.

Spared from the need to crowd on MRTs on the way to work, make small talk to colleagues, and do (non-essential) errands for family members, they are now free to embark on a variety of new activities.

From learning a new language to being the next Masterchef, you can bet that they will get it done.

The second group of people, however, should theoretically have a lot more time as well. Yet, most of this new-found time is often spent...procrastinating.

After all, if you need to do something, there’s still plenty of time, right? Why not take a nap first?

With staying at home being the new reality, I decided to do some self-improvement

At the start of the circuit breaker, I was solidly among the second group of people, who was easily distracted by random videos on my Facebook feed.

I could get an early start on work every day, and finish my work early, but it somehow didn’t quite work out that way.

I struggled to wake up on time (just five more minutes, I told myself), and found myself rolling out of bed at 9:59am to a Zoom meeting at 10am (oops).

After work? While I did try to implement an exercise regime, it fell apart after less than a week because, well, my bed looked too comfortable.

At first, I wasn’t too worried. After all, we will only be staying at home for a month, and we will all be back in our normal routines soon enough, right?

Well, we all know how that turned out. The circuit breaker, which was due to end on May 4, was extended to June 1.

All right. Enough is enough, I thought, I’d better kick some of these bad habits, and start improving myself.

It takes steely determination to change yourself

Improving yourself, however, is easier said than done.

I’m not a morning person, and trying to wean myself off five morning alarms proved to be a real challenge.

I decided to tackle this issue by having a hearty breakfast daily, while getting started on my daily tasks.

While I usually skip breakfast (because I want to sleep in), eating breakfast while working means I don’t have to get up especially early, and it’s way easier to convince myself to get out of bed, knowing that I’ve a curry puff waiting for me.

Sticking to an exercise regime, however, was a much harder task during the entire circuit breaker period.

Newsflash: I’m not a very athletic person, so my preferred form of exercise is a longer but more leisurely walk, rather than a short but intense workout.

Since people are really getting into Zoom HIIT workouts and yoga sessions now, I decided to try something different.

My idea of a creative workout? Getting my lazy butt up to engage in various forms of exercise throughout the day.

I’ve come up with a list of exercises to be done throughout the day, such as push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks, to keep me on my toes every other hour.

Newsflash redux: I'm not exactly the athletic sort, so these exercises are sure to provide me with a much needed energy boost (especially when the post-lunch food coma kicks).

While some may think this is harsh, I see it as a simple way to make sure I keep up with my daily workouts.

Many people are making adjustments to their lifestyle

After several weeks of sticking to this initially painful, but ultimately rewarding routine, I am glad to report that I see some results.

I’ve become more disciplined in getting up early, and I’ve gotten used to using whatever space I have at home to exercise.

It isn’t just me, though. Many others have also made adjustments to their own lifestyle, and are using this circuit breaker period to try new things.

And kick out the bad things. You know, like saying adios to smoking.

With outdoor smoking being quite the hassle (searching for a yellow box, unmasking and masking again), there are some who resort to smoking at home. Because, as NEA puts it, going outdoors to smoke is not an essential purpose.

Which makes smoking at home the obvious choice and one that is obviously bad for their loved ones.

If you don’t smoke at home, even better! Perfect opportunity to stub out the habit.

I’m not here to say: “Just quit.” That’s easier said than done.

I’m here to say that if you do want to quit, there are several ways to go about doing it.

In your fight to do something amazing, it’s nice to get some help

Changing one's lifestyle is tough, but with determination, it can definitely be done. The mind is way more powerful than most people realise.

So for those who want to quit smoking, you can probably try this.

Nicorette is a good starting point.

It has several products such as chewing gums and patches to help one fight back against nicotine cravings, and to ease the withdrawal symptoms faced by one trying to put the cigarettes down for good.

Congrats, your willpower has new allies to help you kick the habit.

Of course, you should consult a pharmacist or a doctor to guide you on the recommended dosage.

Now, this is but one of many methods some smokers and ex-smokers have adopted, and so results may vary. But it is a starting point if you are looking for a way to kick the habit.

Because quitting is hard enough and having the right support could help.

Now I wish there was some sort of gum that would make exercising easier.

You can check out Nicorette’s chewing gum here.

This is a sponsored post by Nicorette, in conjunction with World No Tobacco Day.

Top image from Unsplash.