Building healthy habits is not always something we can do on our own. The environment around us impacts this process, and a community can either impact the process positively or negatively.
Habits define who we are, how we interact with people, and how people see us. Let’s see the definition of habits and community before moving forward to the helpful impacts of community in building habits.
What is a Habit?
In general terms, a habit is a routine behavior. That is, it is the regular way of performing a specific activity.
Each person develops their habits, although society disseminates some that are implemented in a general way. For example, if you brush your teeth right after you wake up, you perform this behavioral routine along with millions of people who do the same thing. But there can be exceptions to these general habits; while some prefer to brush their teeth after having breakfast, others brush before breakfast.
Some habits have been shown through scientific research to bring benefits to various areas of life. Health, work, and relationships are some examples. This research also proves that some habits are better than others, and the will to create or change them is born from this science.
Some examples include the following:
- Exercising is better than living a sedentary life.
- Communicating with your partner is better than living in silence
- Eating nutritious meals is better than processed foods
- Drinking in moderation is better than getting drunk
These are just a few examples of good habits compared to bad ones. If there is a constant need to create new habits to improve life, it is essential to know how this building process occurs via the impact of a community.
What is a Community?
The word community comes from the Latin ‘communĭtas’. In short, the term refers to the quality of the common. From there, you can define several types of sets:
- People who are part of the same population, region, or nation
- Nations that are united by political and economic agreements
- People linked by common interests
Therefore, we can say that a community is a group of people who share common elements, such as:
- Language
- World view
- Values
- Location
It can also refer to a group of people who live within the same geographic area, urban or rural. Shared interests unite them, and have the same cultural and historical heritage.
Communities are powerful and can vary in size and organization. For example, it could be a village or a large city. The term can also denote a very intimate type of association.
For a long time, people have used the term community to refer only to a group of people who live in the same geographic area. Since, in general, these people have the same way of life and culture. However, in contemporary times, this concept has come to be questioned and has since gained a broader character.
Today the term can be used to refer to a group of people who share something in common—for example, a common story or goal. Virtual communities are a perfect example of this.
How Community Can Be Helpful to Build Habits
Since a community is a group of people that have a common interest, it’s fair to say that joining a good community will significantly help in building good habits.
Below are some examples and their benefits:
- Joining a fitness community ensures you stay committed to your goals of becoming fit and healthy.
- A yoga community ensures you can develop healthy posture, channel peace of mind, and stay healthy.
- A community can help keep morals and ethics in check and, in the long run, help individuals perform duties subconsciously.
- Communities also give rewards if certain goal targets are met.
- Here, you meet like-minded people that provide, guide, assist and encourage you through your journey of sustaining a healthy habit.
- Good social network
- It provides an excellent place to learn from other’s mistakes and failures.
- It also gives you all the necessary tools to navigate the next part of your journey.
Final Thoughts
Being part of a community helps in many ways other than the listed few. Joining the wrong community can be a bad idea with bad results and no impact, so you need to ensure you join the right community that best suits the habit you’re trying to implement.
