Healthy Diet Choices

Discussion

1. Why is it frequently more difficult to eliminate a habit than to form a new one?
2. Have you ever successfully broken a vice without professional intervention?
3. What role does environment play in sustaining or breaking addictive behaviors?

New Words & Expressions

• Compulsion

  noun

  /kəmˈpʌlʃn/

  Meaning:An irresistible urge to behave in a certain way.

  He felt a compulsion to check his email constantly.

  Real Life Tip:

  A significant term in psychological discussions.

• Procrastination

  noun

  /prəˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn/

  Meaning:The action of delaying or postponing something.

  Chronic procrastination is hindering his career progress.

  Real Life Tip:

  A very frequent topic in productivity culture.

• Cut back

  phrasal verb

  /kʌt bæk/

  Meaning:To reduce the amount or quantity of something.

  I need to cut back on my coffee intake.

  Real Life Tip:

  A more moderate approach than quitting entirely.

• Break away

  phrasal verb

  /breɪk əˈweɪ/

  Meaning:To escape or separate oneself from a group or habit.

  She tried to break away from her old social circle.

  Real Life Tip:

  Implies a difficult, deliberate separation.

• A drop in the bucket

  idiom

  /ə drɒp ɪn ðə ˈbʌkɪt/

  Meaning:A very small, insignificant amount.

  My savings are a drop in the bucket compared to the debt.

  Real Life Tip:

  Used to show how small effort seems compared to a goal.

• Vicious cycle

  slang/idiom

  /ˈvɪʃəs ˈsaɪkl/

  Meaning:A situation where one bad thing causes another, creating a loop.

  He is trapped in a vicious cycle of stress and poor eating.

  Real Life Tip:

  Common in self-help and psychology.

Conversation

• Kevin
  I feel like I am stuck in a vicious cycle of procrastination.
• Jennifer
  Me too. I have this compulsion to check my phone instead of working.
• Kevin
  Maybe we should cut back on our social media usage together.

Q&A

Exercise

1. What is a vicious cycle?

   A healthy routineA loop of negative outcomesA quick fixA good plan

2. What does a drop in the bucket mean?

   Something largeSomething insignificantA necessary stepA final goal

3. I need to ____ back on my spending habits.

   cutpullfalltake

4. It is hard to ____ away from old friends.

   breaksnaprunfall

5. is / vicious / cycle / a / procrastination

   Procrastination is a vicious cycle.Vicious cycle is a procrastination.A vicious cycle is procrastination.Is procrastination a vicious cycle.

6. bucket / the / in / drop / a / is

   It is a drop in the bucket.Drop in the bucket a is it.A bucket drop in the is it.Is it a drop in the bucket.

Ask Your Teacher

1. Do you believe we can truly break away from a compulsion through willpower alone?
2. When does procrastination stop being a common delay and start being a dangerous habit?
3. Have you ever viewed your progress as a drop in the bucket, even when it was significant?

Your Time To Speak

1. Is there a scientific method to stop a compulsion quickly?
2. How do I determine if my procrastination is a clinical issue?
3. Does cutting back on bad habits gradually actually work?
4. Why is it so hard to break away from toxic environments?
5. Is it possible for a drop in the bucket to eventually fill the bucket?
6. How do I escape a vicious cycle of negative thinking?
7. Are there professional therapies for breaking strong compulsions?
8. Why do we procrastinate even when we know the consequences?
9. Can I cultivate habits that are immune to compulsion?
10. What is the best way to track my progress?