We all have little things that we would like to change about ourselves or our behaviours, which is why we make new year resolutions or use daily affirmations, or feel shame for things we allow to take control over us, no matter how big or small. Feeling good about ourselves and the choices we make even on the smallest scale can keep us healthy, and wanting to better ourselves is the healthiest choice we can make.
Here I provide tips on how to break unwanted habits, including identifying and replacing the habit with a different one, finding motivation to change, and understanding why the habit is unhealthy for you.
Changing habits can be complex and require time and patience, but by following these steps, you can break habits and build new ones. If you want more practical ideas, I recommend checking out the book Atomic Habits; it provides a step-by-step guide on how to break bad habits and create better ones. Each step is designed to lead you through small changes that will help break the habit and provide remarkable results over time.
Breaking a habit can be difficult, but it is possible with dedication and patience. To break a habit, first identify the unwanted behavior and stop doing it by replacing the unwanted behavior with an alternative one that does not have negative consequences. Next, create reminders for yourself as to why you are replacing this habit and what your new habit will do for you. This will help you stay focused on breaking the negative cycle of the old habit.
Breaking bad habits is a difficult but worthwhile process. First, pick the unwanted habit you want to replace. Then choose a new habit that you can replace it with. Next, find motivation to help you stay on track, such as the reward of feeling better or being more productive. After that, pick a specific activity or situation in which to work on replacing your unwanted habit. Finally, know people who can provide similar rewards when you practice your new habit and find people who will keep you accountable when it comes to sticking with it. Many times it takes time before the fact that you have stopped the bad habit becomes obvious so be patient and keep up the hard work! The reward of breaking a bad habit is great so don’t give up!
The first step to eradicate your bad habit is to replace it with a good one. Identify what triggers your bad habit and create a plan to develop new substitute habits that will meet the same needs as the bad one. For example, if you want to cut down on hours spent on Instagram, think of activities that bring positive feelings and can replace those hours. These activities can be anything from reading a book or going for a walk instead of scrolling through Instagram. Next, you need to understand the reasons behind your habit in order for it to be successful. Ask yourself why do you engage in this type of behavior? What are the associated problems? Understand what you are getting out of this habit and how it meets certain needs for you. Once you understand why you have this bad habit, then it becomes much easier to create new habits that meet these same needs but don’t have any of the negative consequences associated with it.
Transforming bad habits into good habits is a process that works our mind, body and emotions. It starts with substituting different behavior in place of the old habit, creating tiny habits that are easy to do and require very little effort. Personal growth isn’t just about breaking bad habits, it’s about creating good ones too. Avoiding the triggers for your old habit is key in the transformation process. This is where a ‘growth life hack’ like checking in with yourself can be useful, as it helps you stay on track and prevents you from falling back into old patterns of behavior. Repetition is so important when it comes to creating new habits. See what I did there? It really boils down to replacement and repetition, lots of annoying and tedious repetition... and rewarding yourself for the small wins until they are no longer considered habits. And if no one has told you today, you can do it, you are amazing, and I believe in you, and eat your veggies.