How to Change a Bad Habit: 5 Steps for Lasting Success
Whether you bite your nails or eat too much chocolate, chances are you’re living with a bad habit that you want to kick.
Habits are behaviors that come naturally to us, so it can sometimes be difficult to give them up even if we know they are bad for us. However, with patience and a plan you can be sure that your bad habits will change.
1. First, you need to take stock of how serious you are about changing the habit. You need to be committed if you want the bad habit to change. If you need more motivation, think of all of the problems that the bad habit is causing in your life.
Make a list on paper of all of the ways your life will be better once you stop the bad habit. For example, if you stop eating so much chocolate, maybe you’ll lose weight, sleep better and have more of an appetite for heathier foods. You may also save money by not buying so much chocolate. Think about all of the benefits and write down as many as you can think of.
2. Next, start keeping track of how often you’re taking part on the bad habit. Take a small notebook with you and write down your actions. Also write down what happens just before you find yourself taking part in the bad habit. For example, you get a large project at work and start biting your nails. You get stuck in traffic and have a craving for a cigarette. By writing down when you take part in the habit or when you want to take part in the habit, you are building your awareness of your motivation behind the habit.
3. Now ask yourself what the habit is doing for you. Is it helping you deal with stress? Is it helping you overcome boredom or release anxiety? Is it helping you release anger? Many of us form habits from one or more of these reasons.
4. After you identify the reason, you can come up with different alternative behaviors that will accomplish the same thing. Instead of eating chocolate when you are stressed out, you can practice some deep breathing techniques. When you are bored, try some brain games or read a book.
5. After you’ve decided on your alternative behaviors, you need to incorporate them into your daily life. Try to catch yourself when you are about to do the bad habit or are already doing it. Stop yourself and start the alternative behavior. It may be hard at first, but, with time, you’ll be able to replace your old habit with the new one. With practice, you’ll get better and better.
You can break the bad habit with support from friends and family. Let them know you are trying to stop your habit and then they can help remind you about your alternative behavior. The social support will make a big difference in your success.
You might also want to consider hypnosis for changing bad habits. Weight Loss hypnosis programs have helped people achieve success, and there are many other hypnosis program titles to choose from. Check out these titles from The Hypnosis Network and see if they can help you break your bad habit.
(BestSelfHelp is an affiliate of The Hypnosis Network.)
