In my first ever blog, I am going to write about how I created a simple habit of brushing my teeth twice a day. I am originally from India. In India I have not met many people who brush their teeth twice a day. It is one of those things that I appreciate living here in US. I have seen it on TV, in youtube videos, parents making their kids brush their teeth at night. I do not know if it happens in real homes every night, but I appreciate the idea. I have been brought up by busy-working parents. I think they might have tried to instill this habit in their kids but we did not really care. I am saying this because both of them brush their teeth before going to bed at night and in the morning as well.

Just like everybody else, I read somewhere that it takes at least 21 days to make a habit. I believed that. I made sure that i do not skip any night. But it was so difficult. More than I could have imagined. So, I decided to put myself in a situation where I cannot (just cannoooot) go to the bed without brushing my teeth.

That “situation” was drinking milk before going to bed. I’d drink a cup of warm milk before going to sleep. The benefit of drinking milk is that it helps you fall asleep. Its benefit to my efforts was that milk sticks to the tongue and gives a very yucky feeling. My tongue felt like it has thickened (there is so much milk sticking to it) that I could not help myself but brush my teeth before sleeping.

I still believe that the more you do one thing, it becomes your habit. But my take away from it was I need to put myself in the situations where I am forced to do what I am trying not to.It has been 3 years since I started brushing my teeth twice a day. I am in my late twenties now, if you are wondering. But I brought the change in my life that I needed and I am proud of myself for doing that.