Brainy Dose Presents:
How To Quit Bad Habits For Good!
Most of us have a bad habit or two we could stand to lose, but habits are hard to break.
Whether your bad habit is smoking, procrastinating, overspending, or anything else, here are ten
tips to break free of negative behavior patterns.
Number 1 - Acknowledge The Habit
You can’t begin to change a habit if you don’t realize it exists in the first place,
or perhaps you keep ignoring it.
Unfortunately, this happens all the time.
Your friends and family try to help you see your bad habit and protect you from it, but
it’s as if you have a blindfold on because somehow you just don’t see it.
The first step to creating any change in life is to realize that change needs to happen.
Start by acknowledging the bad habit and that you have the power to do something about it.
Number 2 - Understand Your Triggers
What’s causing your habit?
Whether you realize it or not, habits don’t just happen, they’re triggered by something
else.
You buy things online because it makes you feel good.
You smoke when other people smoke.
You bite your nails when you’re nervous.
Be patient when trying to figure out your triggers, but also be very aware.
Watch yourself for a few days, or even a week to understand what’s triggering your habit.
When you figure out your triggers, write them down so you can become more attuned to when
they happen, and why they happen.
Number 3 - What Need Is The Habit Fulfilling?
Understanding your triggers and determining what need your habit satisfies will require
some soul searching, but that’s the whole point.
Your habit exists for a reason.
It meets some kind of need, and it’s up to you to find out why.
Review the triggers you wrote down, and determine what need the habit is satisfying.
Maybe your habit is helping you deal with stress, or helping you cope with feelings
of boredom, sadness, loneliness, not feeling good enough about yourself or providing you
with a temporary sense of comfort.
Whatever your reason might be, write it down so you can better understand how you can fill
your needs in a positive way.
Number 4 - Change Your Environment
Over time, if you repeat the same behaviors in the same place, your surroundings can become
a trigger —sometimes very subtle to notice.
For example: If you go on smoke breaks in the office parking lot, the parking lot itself
can become a cue to smoke.
Switch up your surroundings in even the smallest way and it will make a big difference.
Number 5 - Go Slow And Make Tiny Changes
Forming new good habits takes time and effort, but breaking established bad habits may be
even harder.
So be patient with yourself and instead of making dramatic adjustments, try focusing
on one habit and the smallest steps you can take.
For example, with food and dieting, small changes like reducing to one pack of sugar
or switching cream in your coffee to sugar-free almond milk can make a big difference in the
long run.
Number 6 - Remind Your Future-Self About Avoiding Bad Habits
Even with the best intentions, when our willpower fades, we fall into bad habits.
For example, you might promise only to have two drinks when going out with friends, but
you forget that promise completely as soon as you step into the bar.
Try setting up reminders for your weakest moments.
Your future-self will thank you.
Number 7 - Do a Review When You Have a Bad Habit Relapse
Chances are you're going to have bad days.
Setbacks are normal, and you should expect them.
So, have a plan to get back on track, and use the relapse as a way to understand what
happened and how you can avoid it from happening in the future.
Number 8 - Fine Yourself for Each Offense
Make your bad habit a little more painful, and you might ditch it for good!
Money is a great motivator.
Try using the "swear jar method,” or pay your friends $1 each time they catch you doing
that bad habit.
It works the other way too - reward yourself for beating your habit every day.
Number 9 - Train Yourself to Think Differently About Your Bad Habits
Even if we hate a habit we're doing, like smoking or biting our nails, we tend to continue
doing them because they provide us with some sort of satisfaction or psychological reward.
Catch yourself thinking any positive thoughts or feelings about your bad habits, and reframe
them to remind you of their negative aspects.
Number 10 - Learn From Your Mistakes
If you have slip ups, don’t let them discourage you.
Although they aren’t ideal, they can happen.
The key is to learn from your mistakes and prevent them from happening again.
Don’t be too hard on yourself to the point where you just want to give up.
On the other hand, don’t give in to your habit to the point where it once again controls
you.
View your slip ups as lessons, and use them as encouragement to get better.
Use what you’ve learned to prevent them from happening again and continue your path
to quitting your bad habit!
Quitting a bad habit isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely worth it.
The most important lesson to take away from all of this is that habits can be changed,
as long as you want to change them.
Changing a habit starts with changing your thinking and committing to becoming a better
version of yourself.
Your success in changing a habit really just comes down to how badly you want it.
What are some bad habits you’re trying to change?
Or, what are some that you’ve overcome?
Let us know in the comments below!
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