Bad habits can be an inconvenience at the very least, and can be hazardous to your health at their most severe. They can prevent you from getting on with your life and accomplishing your goals. They can hurt you mentally and physically. So kicking those bad habits is the best—but not the easiest—solution. Here’s how you can help give up a toxic habit with no regrets.
The Causes Of Bad Habits
Bad habits tend to be caused by one of two things (or both combined): boredom and stress. Our bad habits are a way for us to deal with that, because, for a short while, they make us feel good and forget about why we’re stressed, and they keep us occupied, so we aren’t bored. Anything from biting your nails to overspending on online gambling can be because of stress and boredom.
Replace That Habit
One way to break a bad habit is to replace it with something else—something good. By doing so, you limit the chance of relapsing; filling the void a bad habit leaves behind means there’s little room for it to wriggle back into. You must, though, ensure that the habit you’re replacing it with is only good for you, otherwise it won’t improve your quality of life in the long run. For instance, many smokers quit by replacing a cigarette with sweets. While this may be effective, added sugar and in vast quantities aren’t good for your health.
Avoid The Triggers
For many people, their bad habit is caused by triggers. Some people will always have a cigarette when they have their morning coffee, or they will always eat a cookie when they get home from work. Make it easier on yourself to break the bad habits by avoiding those triggers. So, instead of a making your coffee first thing, take a shower instead, or go outside for a breath of fresh air. The routine of making coffee and having a cigarette will have shifted, and you will be able to make a conscious decision not to smoke. The same goes for the cookie – come home from work and change your clothes or start to prep dinner, for example. The cookie will have to wait, and, hopefully, won’t be eaten at all because you’re changing your routines.
Find A Buddy
It’s hard to quit our bad habits on our own; instead, you need to tell your close friends and family. For example, cutting down on alcohol is difficult if you don’t tell anyone you’re doing it and they keep offering you drinks, either at home or when you’re out. So let people know what you’re doing. It’s a good way to take responsibility for your actions, and they will be able to support you as you break your bad habits. They might even want to join you and kick their own bad habits at the same time, and that’s a real help as you can support one another.
Get Help
If your habit is out of control and truly dangerous, as it can be with drugs and alcohol, then it might be time that you considered professional help. Sometimes our bad habits can go past the point of us being able to break them without the assistance of experts such as those at The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake. There is no shame whatsoever in admitting that you need help like this; it’s far better to go to a rehab center and talk to those who understand exactly what you’re going through then to suffer it all alone and become ill—or worse.
Find The Right People
If you hang out with people who you know, deep down, are bad for you because they encourage or indulge your bad habits, then it’s time to find new people to hang out with. We’re not saying that you should ditch your friends, but if they are bad influences and they aren’t going to support you if and when you choose to stop the drink, the drugs, the fast food addiction, the smoking, or anything else that is causing you harm, then you need to step away. Recovery groups can help you find people who are just like you, and who understand the trials that you are going through. Meeting people in groups like this can provide you with lifelong friends, as well as people who will always ensure that you stick to only good habits from now on.
New Hobbies
You don’t have to go to a recovery group, though, to make new friends. You can find a new hobby that will keep your mind occupied so that you aren’t thinking about taking the next drink or eating that entire packet of cookies. Choosing a creative activity such as painting or sculpting can be a fun way to put your bad habits to the back of your mind, and release the inner creativity that has been hidden away since you were a child. Sports are also good because they release the serotonin hormone into your body, giving you a ‘natural high’ and making you feel great. Just like any high, this can become addictive, only in this case it’s good for you, and will keep you happy and make you healthier. As well as enjoying the activity, you can make lots of new friends this way, who will help with your wish to break your bad habits.
Visualize Your Success
It can be a struggle to break a bad habit, no matter how seemingly trivial it is. If you want to break it, try visualizing how you will look and feel once you no longer do whatever it is that is harming you. Imagine yourself fit and healthy when you stop eating junk food. Imagine your organs repairing themselves and your mind being focused when you stop drinking. Imagine your lungs moving freely and your skin looking healthy when you stop smoking. Being able to imagine and visualize these things is the first step to achieving them.
Photo by Tim Marshall
Milo Senalle
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