Bad habits are believed to interrupt the life of a person. It can affect your physical and mental health. It can drive out the energy of an individual. A research study showed that it takes a period of 21 days to make a routine habit. It also suggests that bad habits are caused mainly by two things, stress and boredom.
Most of the time, habits like biting nails or drinking are the causes of stress or boredom. But there are also many other factors that go into the forming of bad habits but there are ways to replace them with good one.
It takes a lot of courage for a person to even realize or accept their bad habits. The first step is accepting. Once you accept that your bad habits exist and you recognize the causes of these bad habits, you’ve already completed the first step to overcoming them. Research also suggests that a habit, whether good or bad, is much easier to replace rather than eliminate all together.
Even if the habits are bad, they can be beneficial to us. Bad habits are normally formed as coping mechanisms so the trick is to find other, more healthy coping mechanisms versus ridding yourself of them all together. We all need a way to cope so let’s learn how to cope with the stress life throws at us, in a more suitable fashion.
Find A Substitute For The Bad Habits
In order to replace a bad habit, one has to first find a substitute for the aforementioned bad habits. For example, if a person is on the edge of quitting smoking, and they have an urge or craving for a cigarette you can try to go for a walk or chew some gum. Think of the underlying reason why you smoked. Was it just a great excuse to go outside during working hours? Was it for the social aspect? Did the breathing in and out calm you down? Determine what about that bad habit you enjoyed and use that to find a suitable alternative.
Find A Substitute For The Bad Habits
In order to replace a bad habit, one has to first find a substitute for the aforementioned bad habits. For example, if a person is on the edge of quitting smoking, and they have an urge or craving for a cigarette you can try to go for a walk or chew some gum. Think of the underlying reason why you smoked. Was it just a great excuse to go outside during working hours? Was it for the social aspect? Did the breathing in and out calm you down? Determine what about that bad habit you enjoyed and use that to find a suitable alternative.
Location and situations are a huge factor in this. So if you find that being in a certain place or being surrounded by certain people triggers you, maybe it is time to find a new location or new group of friends.
Find People Who Can Relate To The Struggle
If you are trying to replace a habit, then it is better to do it with a person who can relate to the struggle. For instance, if you are suffering from obesity and you are trying to overcome it by exercising and dieting, then associate yourself with people who are trying to change themselves in the same way as you are. This helps a person to keep themselves motivated and not lose focus. Your friend calling and asking why you are not at the gym is great motivation to get off your couch!
Find People Who Can Relate To The Struggle
If you are trying to replace a habit, then it is better to do it with a person who can relate to the struggle. For instance, if you are suffering from obesity and you are trying to overcome it by exercising and dieting, then associate yourself with people who are trying to change themselves in the same way as you are. This helps a person to keep themselves motivated and not lose focus. Your friend calling and asking why you are not at the gym is great motivation to get off your couch!
Once you surround yourself with people who want to achieve the same goal as yours, it will be easier and less stressful for you to reach the goal and replace those bad habits.
Visualize Your Success
It helps when you visualize the success you want to achieve. Make a list and jot down your goals, the steps you want to take and create a daily schedule that takes into account these new aspirations. Once you visualize yourself being that person with good habits and have made room in your busy schedule to actively work towards them, not much can stop you. Start mapping out how you are going to replace your bad habit with good, employ these tips and watch your world change around you.
Visualize Your Success
It helps when you visualize the success you want to achieve. Make a list and jot down your goals, the steps you want to take and create a daily schedule that takes into account these new aspirations. Once you visualize yourself being that person with good habits and have made room in your busy schedule to actively work towards them, not much can stop you. Start mapping out how you are going to replace your bad habit with good, employ these tips and watch your world change around you.