A bad habit can be like a weight on your shoulders that you bear every day whether it is something minor like biting your nails to something social like a need to put people down to something unhealthy like smoking or drug addiction. If you have decided that you need to stop whatever habit it is that is plaguing you the question of how to stop bad habits needs answering if you cannot seem to just turn it off. The problem most people encounter with bad habits is that if they were easy to stop repeating they would have a long time ago, but now they have been doing it for years it is ingrained and will be a subconscious action most of the time. Sometimes this habit can be so overwhelming that we can label it an addiction where the need to continue is so strong we give in and continue because it feels comfortable or pleasurable even if we logically know we need to stop doing it. So what do you do to quit a habit that you desperately want to be rid of?
- 1. Identify Causes
One thing many people do not take into account when trying to lose a bad habit is identifying the original cause of the habit. While for some this may not apply, for many habits there are triggers that make you do them or some event that made you start that you need to understand. If you start doing whatever your bad habit is stop and analyze what just happened before you acted that might have been a trigger. Was it something someone said? Was it something you saw? Was it sheer boredom perhaps? There are an infinite amount of reasons so you must find the one that affects you! Once you know the triggers you can then trace them back to the original cause of why these triggers activate you habits. This may not help you quit straight away but armed with this knowledge you can make better decisions and maybe sort out issues in your life that trigger the habit making it less of a problem.
- 2. Be Positive
I used to think positive thinking was just a load of hogwash but once you try it you realize it is not a magic cure-all to problems but it does have an impact on how you think and act. If you become negative you can become apathetic or give up on ideas much more quickly. If you concentrate on the good side of things your body and mind actually help you stay on the positive and happy side aiding your effort to break a habit. To help stay positive think of all the good things that will come from breaking your bad habit. What benefits will come from this, write a list down and keep it in your pocket if that helps but do not think of all the bad things associated with quitting or it becomes a slippery slope you may slide down.
- 3. Reward Yourself
While it may feel like you are training a dog don't be embarrassed, people learn in the same way as well! Celebrate your successes with some small rewards to keep you motivated and keep you looking forward to that reward. Set small goals and when you achieve them have that reward then set a new tougher goal to achieve. It can become like a game and it builds your confidence like no other.
- 4. Replace Your Habit
One pitfall with some habits is that when you stop doing them you are left with a hole in your time that you have nothing to fill it with leading to a fall back into the habit if you do not have a new option. One action you can take is to find a new habit to replace it ... but this time make it a healthy or good one. Spend that time exercising maybe or take up a fulfilling and creative hobby. Find something to occupy your mind that is a positive influence in your life rather than a negative one.
- 5. Build on your Success
Every success and achievement of a goal should be celebrated and every failure should be ignored. If you focus on failure you will invite more failure and if you focus on success you will find more success. What is the point of thinking of your failures? all it does is bring you down and make you lose belief in yourself. Put it out of your mind and think of the successes and I guarantee you that your successes will start becoming more frequent than the failures until before you know it all you have is success and a habit you USED to have!
Using these tips I hope you can start quitting your terrible habits and start a new chapter in your life. The answer to how to stop bad habits is never though so you must tailor the solution to your own life.