Habit Patterns (1954) hails from the Psychology for Living film series by McGraw Hill Book Company, with an accompanying textbook by Sorenson and Malm. It was targeted at 1950s teens. I'd hate to see what questions they asked the class after showing this hilariously harrowing film.
"It's a little late for tears, isn't it Barbara?" she says, the patronizing narrator beginning to chide. "You're a creature of habit, Barbara, we all are. Unfortunately not all your habits are good ones. Here's how your day started wrong."
There's a list.
"You started your day with no plan at all. Can't find your hair brush? Can't remember where you left it?" She continues in the same tone throughout all 14 minutes of this educational film that reminds us social norms change over time.
Barbara is compared to Helen, a neighbour and classmate who behaves perfectly. "[Helen] uses taste in selecting her clothes, and more than that she keeps them clean, and mended. And she's able to match the right skirt with the right sweater." At that time, however, this was an important point. Barbara goes off to school in a dirty sweater, which was not okay 50 years ago, as today.
"If you had a habit plan for your mornings you might get off to a decent start one day." There is useful info about keeping a sleep routine and good hygiene and how some habits smooth life, but poor Barbara isn't going to learn them this way. If you'd like to build good habits to replace unwanted ones, I suggest starting with a good therapist, or online CBT. (And, break a habit.)
