How To Break A Habit (And Fix It)
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Everyone has habits and they do not make mistakes by nature. Some are very useful. For instance, you could spread out your garments for work the prior night, or you could naturally switch out the lights when you leave the room.
However, other habits, such as nail biting, late-day caffeine consumption, and frequent naps, may not be as helpful.
Unwanted habits can be difficult to break, especially if you've been doing them for a long time. However, understanding how habits are formed can make the process easier.
Identify your triggers:- Remember that triggers are the first step in creating a habit. Identifying the triggers behind your habitual behaviors is the first step to overcoming them.
Track your habits over a few days and see if you follow any patterns.
Please pay attention to the following points:
* Where do habitual behaviors occur?
* What time of day is it?
*How do you feel when this happens?
Are there other people involved?
*Does this happen right after something else?
Suppose you want to stay awake after midnight. After tracking my behavior for a few days, I noticed that if I start watching TV or chatting with friends after dinner, I tend to stay up later. However, if I read a book or go for a walk, I fall asleep early.
You decide not to watch TV and turn off your cell phone by 9 p.m. On a weeknight, removing cues from watching TV or talking with friends can make staying up late more difficult.
Focus on why you want to change: - Why do you want to break or change a particular habit, if the change you want is easier for you?
Take a few minutes to think about why you want to quit this habit and the benefits you will gain from changing it. Listing these reasons may help you remember some that haven't occurred to you yet.
For added motivation, write your reason on a piece of paper and place it where you will see it regularly, such as the refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
By looking at the list, you can keep in mind the changes you want to make. If you relapse, the list will remind you why you want to keep trying.
Support a friend:- If you and your friend or partner both want to quit an unwanted habit, try working on it together.
Let's say you both want to quit smoking. Dealing with cravings alone can be difficult. Even if you and your friend quit smoking, the craving won't go away. But if you meet others, you may be able to cope with it more easily.
Let's support each other's successes and encourage each other through failures.
Friends can be supportive even if you don't have the habits you want to change. Consider talking to a trusted friend about the habit you want to quit. They can encourage you when you feel lost, and gently remind you of your goals when you find yourself slipping back into old habits.
Practice Mindfulness:- Mindfulness helps you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. This practice involves simply observing the tendencies associated with your habits without judgment or reaction.
Once you become aware of these daily behaviors and the triggers that lead to them, you may find it easier to consider other options, such as avoiding the cues that remind you or not following your urges.
Replace one habit with another: Breaking a habit can be easier if you replace the unwanted behavior with a new habit, rather than simply trying to stop the unwanted behavior.
Let's say you don't want to give up candy when you're hungry at work. If you simply try to avoid eating candy, you may relapse when you can't take the hunger anymore. But keeping dried fruits and nuts in a Tupperware at the table gives you another snack option.
Repeating a new behavior creates a desire to follow a new routine. Eventually, as you reap the benefits of your new habit, such as more energy and less sugar, your urge to continue the behavior may be greater than your desire to follow the old habit.
Remind yourself: - Using stickers, sticky notes, or other visual reminders when a habitual behavior occurs can help you think back on the behavior when something triggers it.
Here are some ideas:
*Would you like to break the habit of drinking soda with every meal, put a little sticker on your fridge that you can see when you go to get the can.
Do you remember to turn off the lights when you leave the room?
*Do you want to start your keys in a specific place so you don't lose the tray where you see your keys when you go home?
You can also use your smartphone as a reminder. Set an alarm and a motivational note like "Time to turn off the TV!" :)" or "Walking after dinner - remember how good it felt!"
Prepare to fail:- Habits can be difficult to break, but some habits are easier to break than others.
"It's very easy to fall back into old patterns, especially if the new patterns haven't been established yet," says attorney Erica Myers. Change is hard. Remember, these habits take time to break in one day.
Get rid of the "all or nothing" mentality. - When you're trying to break a habit, it's one thing to accept that you're likely to fail several times, but it's another thing to have a plan. Avoiding disappointment and failure when you fail is another story.
If you fall back into your old habits, you may wonder, "Is it okay to do this?" You may doubt yourself and feel like giving up.
Myers recommends focusing on your successes instead. Maybe you are trying to quit smoking and have been successful for three days in a row. On the fourth day, you spend the rest of the night smoking and feeling defeated.
Smoking a cigarette after a few days of quitting doesn't erase those days, Myers says. Remember that tomorrow you can make different choices.
Start small:- Why not try to break several habits at once?
This may work in some cases. If your habits match, you might get along with them at the same time. For example, if you want to quit smoking and alcohol, and the two always go together, it might make sense to quit both at the same time. Remembering the example of drinking soda with every meal, you can start by not drinking soda with dinner for a week. Then change it to not having it for dinner or lunch the following week.
Change your environment:- Your environment can have a great impact on your habits.
Maybe you are trying to break the habit of always ordering food out because it is expensive. But every time I go to the kitchen, I see an outside menu hanging on the fridge. You can also try replacing your menu with printed versions of easy recipes that you will love.
Other examples include:
* Instead of scrolling through social media, leave a magazine, book, or hobby item (a sketchbook, craft, or game) on your coffee table to make it easier to grab.
* Devote 10 to 15 minutes every night to tidying up your home to avoid clutter.
*Turn your morning walk into work so you don't pass by cafes with tempting and expensive lattes
Remember that the people around you are also part of your environment. Consider spending time with people who support your habit or who do not support your quitting process.
Visualize yourself breaking the habit:- Breaking the habit doesn't have to be a purely practical and physical process. You can also mentally practice new replacement habits.
Imagine yourself in a stimulating environment or situation, such as the morning before a performance review. How do you usually react? You might find yourself anxiously biting your nails or tapping your pen on your desk.
How can you react instead? Imagine yourself practicing deep breathing, walking to get a drink of water, sorting through old notes and files, or tidying your desk drawer.
Practice self-care: - Many people find it easier to make positive changes in their lives when they start with a healthy posture.
If you're currently dealing with other challenges, such as work stress, relationship problems, or health issues, trying to quit the habit can cause you more pain than the actual habit.
It's especially important to prioritize your health when kicking a habit. This not only increases your chances of success but also helps you be productive in the face of challenges.
Try these self-care tips.
* Set aside time to sleep.
* Eat regular and nutritious meals.
*If you have long-term concerns, please consult your healthcare provider.
Aim to be physically active most days.
*Dedicate at least a little time each day to hobbies, relaxation, or other things that improve your mood.
Motivate yourself with rewards for success: - Remember that breaking habits is incredibly difficult. Make sure you notice how much progress you've made and reward yourself along the way. Even small motivations like telling yourself that what you're doing is great can boost your confidence and motivate you to keep trying.
When you focus on your progress, you're less likely to get discouraged or engage in negative self-talk, both of which have a huge impact on motivation.
Take your time:- There is a myth that it takes 21 days to form or break a habit. But where did this number come from?
This is probably due to studies of people who have had plastic surgery. Most of them got used to their changed appearance within three weeks. This is quite different from actively trying to break ingrained habits.
According to Myers, how long it takes to break a habit depends on several factors.
These include:
How long have you had this habit?
An emotional, physical, or social need that a habit satisfies
Is there support or help to quit the habit?
The physical or emotional rewards that a habit brings
If you feel like you're not making much progress after a few weeks, you may want to rethink your approach. But you may also want to seek help from a mental health professional, especially for habits that are deeply ingrained in your behavior or cause you significant distress.
Realize that you don't need to do it single-handedly: - Stopping a few propensities, such as purchasing lunch consistently or skirting the exercise center, can find lasting success with just enough exertion and devotion.
But let's say you want to address deeper habits like emotional eating, compulsive behavior, alcohol abuse, or addiction. In this present condition, having the advice of a pre-planned learned well-being master can make a significant difference.
Dealing with these issues alone can be difficult. A therapist or instructor can give direction and backing.
Mental health professionals can help you:
*Identify the changes you want to make
* Look for what is holding you back from changing
*Identify the motivation for change
* Track your progress
* Learn how to deal with and deal with negative self-talk
Myers concludes that the accountability of seeing someone regularly can also provide a structure to support the changes you make.
It may not seem like it now, but over time, new habits will become ingrained in your daily life. Soon, they may feel as natural as your old habits.
