Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in a person exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis while undertaking routine tasks.
There are good habits and bad habits in every individual.Good habits in life or healthy habits will drive you to stay healthy and happy, but bad habits may lead you to several health problems and cause disturbances in your life.
Nail biting habit, bad eating habits and bad sleeping habits are few to list down.
So, have a look on how to leave bad habits and stay happy and healthy.
What Is A Bad Habit?
A bad habit is an undesirable behavior pattern. For most of you, they are the main barriers restricting your success and preventing you from reaching your desired goals.
It is not that you don’t try to overcome them, but it is the matter of right approach and amount of consistent effort you put in to get rid of that obstacle.
However, old habits are hard to break and new habits are hard to form because the behavioral patterns you repeat are imprinted in your neural pathways; but it is possible to form new good habits through repetition.
Bad habits for children are to watched out for and tell them about what is right and wrong.
Here’s what I have to share to help you fix them.
How To Leave Bad Habits?
1. Identify Your Triggers And Cut Them
Keep a note or prepare a bad habits list on what situations support your habit, and cut them. For instance, if you tend to binge on chips or other junk while watching, don’t have them in store at home. It’s just making it easier on yourself to break bad habits by avoiding the things that cause them.
2. Choose A Substitute
Finding a substitute over totally restricting the habit is a way easier in overcoming your bad eating habits. Make sure, your replacement fulfills the payoffs your bad habit was providing- satisfying your craving, relaxation etc.
Slight changes to the current habit require less of a mental effort. If you are a sweet lover and routinely have a sugar soaked dessert after dinner, replace it with a bowl of fruits to satisfy your sugar hunger while going healthy and conquering on your bad food habits.
3. Tapering Off
This could be another way. If you know some of your habit is bad for you, doing less of it is at least better. Cut it gradually allowing you detach yourself of your habit while being less stressful. But do set a deadline to measure you’re decline of the habit.
For example, if you want to break your fast food habit, first determine how frequently and how many times you currently have. At what rate would you have to cut your fast food habit in four weeks? Three weeks? Two weeks? Then stick to your plan, without exception and keep a track of it.
4. Pair Up
Trying it all yourself in private, holds high chances of slip off, ultimately giving up your trial, since nobody is watching you fail. Having a partner or a support system will help both share and solve the obstacles and motive to follow.
5. Seek For Alikes
Befriend people with habits you want to inculcate. This helps you be aware of your slip offs and keep yourself in the right track.
6. Learn To Swim Against The Tide
Some studies suggest that cultural norm pose one of the reasons we hold on to our habits. You don’t need to do or follow something, just because everyone around you does. Follow what’s right for you instead of forcing yourself blindly into nonsensical social norms. Who knows, you might be respected for those choices.
7. Don’t Give Up
Breaking a habit is no less tough and takes time and effort. We are humans after all, we tend to deviate and fail many times, before we successfully quit the habit.
Don’t give up when you fail, keep trying with a positive attitude.
8. Provide Yourself Positive Feed Back
It keeps you going and helps you adapt to the change easily. Celebrate and enjoy your success with whatever makes you feel good, until you establish the healthy alternative.
“Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get of.”
So friends, hope these strategies will help to overcome your list of bad habits.
If you have any other suggestions to give on how to leave bad habits, please feel free to write in the comments below.
