Breaking Bad Habits
Updated: May 10
Stop clinging to bad habits because you believe that's who you are!
Have you ever come across someone with the "that's just the way I am" mentality or have you found yourself saying similar phrases?
It is imperative that we change our mindset from this way of thinking. Why? It is self-sabotaging. It causes us to place a limit on ourselves from growing, becoming a better person, and learning to break negative traits that may set us back in making progress in life.
In order to make progress towards change, we must become self-aware of why we do certain things or behave in unhealthy manners. We are who we are because of numerous factors, whether it stems from genetics, our environment, culture, or even social media, but those factors are not an indication of what we have to continue to be.
Examples of bad habits that are common for people to cling to:
"I am just a blunt person"... NO! You are just rude!
"I am always fashionably late"... or is it that you need to work on time management?
"I work better under pressure"... Oh really? Maybe you should work on procrastination.
Is the way you are what you would like to continue to be? Here are a few tips on how to break bad habits:
Tip #1 - Be willing to change (mindset)
In order to make progress towards breaking bad habits it is important to develop a willingness to change. If you are not willing to change you may become stuck in the same cycle of bad habits. Changing your mindset will give you the ability to challenge your limited beliefs and negative self-talk.
Tip #2 - Identify what you want to change (what & why)
Identify what bad habits set you back in life. Not only is it important to identify what you want to change, but also why? Ask yourself how changing this habit can improve your life.
Tip #3 - Replace bad habits with good habits
The best way to eliminate a bad habit is by replacing it with a new one. People create habits because it is beneficial to them in some way, whether it is to cope with stress or express themselves. Replacing a bad habit with a good habit that provides similar benefits can assist you in reducing and eventually eliminating the bad habit altogether. For example: If your bad habit is eating junk food you might make adjustments by eating healthy snacks.
"The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new" – Socrates
Tip #4 - Be patient with yourself
There is no clear time frame of when a bad habit will be broken. Do not feel defeated if you take steps back from accomplishing your goal. Instead, ask yourself questions in order to get an understanding of why, such as what triggered the setback? What can I do differently to re-frame from engaging in the bad habit in the future?
Tip #5 - Reward yourself
Providing yourself with a small reward can motivate you in continuing to replace your bad habit. We cannot always receive recognition or positive reinforcement from others, therefore it is important that we reward ourselves after achieving milestones whether they are small or big.
The new and improved you
We all have some form of habit whether we realize them or not. Some habits are positive habits that serve the purpose of improving our lives and others may hold us back. You are probably here because you want to decrease and/or eliminate the bad habits within your life. Choose TODAY to start your journey with bettering your life.
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