We all have habits; some are just better than others. While it’s not always easy to break unwanted habits, we’re here to help you live your best life by sharing a few tips on how you can break those pesky habits.
Accountability:
Accountability is essential to changing bad behaviours. A great way to do this is by keeping a journal where you can monitor and keep track of your behaviours. It’s also a great way to vent your frustrations. If you feel comfortable, let a friend or partner in on your intentions. This may help to give some additional support.
Replace the habit:
Breaking a bad habit is easier if you replace it with something. For example, if you’re trying to stop eating chocolate or sweets, reach for dried fruit or nuts instead. As you learn to grab the healthier option, you develop a new behaviour and a new routine. This can be applied to literally any habit.
Start small:
When it comes to breaking a bad habit such as smoking, it may sound like a great idea to quit cold turkey, but this is a sure-fire way to fail. Instead, start small and work your way up. Perhaps cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke per day and then take it from there. Small actionable steps will help you to achieve your habit-breaking goal.
Get to the root:
Bad habits are often born from seeking comfort from the inner (or outer) turmoil that we face. Grabbing that saucy hamburger can feel a lot better than dealing with our emotions. Deal with this by figuring out the feeling behind the need to comfort yourself. When you’re able to understand the trigger behind the habit, you can better understand the root of the behaviour. This will allow you to equip yourself and break your bad habit.
Be gentle with yourself:
There’s nothing worse than feeling as though you’ve failed, but failure is all part of creating new behaviour. Breaking any habit can be difficult, so be mindful and gentle with yourself when this does happen. Dust yourself off, and get back on the horse – you can do this!
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