Bad habits are something that almost everyone has and something everyone wants to break. According to NewsMax, “More than 70 percent of American adults have at least one unhealthy habit that could cut their lives short.”
For people who struggle with nail-biting, talking with your mouth full, saying “um” or “like” between every other word, procrastinating, the list goes on. People all around deal with at least one bad habit. Luckily there are ways to improve yourself and finally get rid of bad habits by replacing them with better ones.
REPLACE BAD HABITS WITH GOOD ONES.
Bad habits can be difficult to get rid of, but it becomes less challenging if you replace them with a better habit, for instance, eating junk food. Eating junk food is another common bad habit. While it may not be possible to remove junk food completely from your diet right away, reduce junk food consumption ASAP.
Instead of fries, switch to mashed potatoes, a salad, or rice. Instead of a fried meat patty, go for a grilled one. Every little step goes a long way.
Changing habits/developing new ones is no quick process. It requires patience, discipline, and persistence but with these tips, hopefully, the habit will be broken.
WHAT ARE YOUR TRIGGERS?
The first thing that will help to end this problem, is “identifying your triggers”. Identifying triggers is a way to move past them. Ask yourself some of these questions:
- When do the habits occur? Are they caused by stress, fear, other emotions?
- How do you feel when it happens?
- What time of the day does it occur?
- Do people around you worsen these habits?
Knowing your triggers can help you avoid them. Get rid of reminders that will remind you of your habit or find ways to prevent the habit from happening.
WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE?
The next step is to focus on why you want to change. Is it for you or others? Take time to consider why you want to break the habit and if there are benefits from this change.
Now that you have figured out your bad habit, where it starts, how it starts, and when you do it, it is time to get rid of it completely and replace it with a better habit. You might have an easier time breaking a habit if you replace the unwanted behavior with a new one. Instead of simply trying to stop the bad habit, repeat the new habit, and then the impulse follows, and a new routine develops.
To make it easier give yourself reminders. Put sticky notes where the habit happens, for instance, eating candy instead of something nutritious, put a note on where your candy is stored and write something along the lines of “eat something nutritious instead” or simply just don’t buy yourself any more candy. You can also set a reminder on your phone, or an alarm with a motivating note to yourself to push through the day.
Have the mindset of focusing on what you’re getting, not on what you’re giving up. It’s one thing to say “I want it,” and it’s another thing is to say “I’m getting this.”
Say you want to lose weight, instead of saying “I want to lose weight,” say “I’m going to lose weight.” This mindset will give you a different view on how to look at the situation.
GIVE IT TIME.
The next step is to give it time. According to Healthline, “experts believe it takes about 10 weeks (2 to 3 months) or more to break an unwanted habit. Of course, some habits may take more or less time to break.” It all depends on:
- How long you’ve had the habit
- Whether you have support or help to break the habit
- If you are consistent with fixing it
Just remember, you’re not doing this alone. Almost everyone has a bad habit that they want to get rid of. Good luck!