The great thing is that we have all been granted wisdom and capabilities to change bad habits.
It’s a tough experience trying to replace a bad habit with a good habit.
Why do you want to break or change a certain habit? It may be easier to change your behavior when the change you want to make is valuable or beneficial to you.
Consider why you want to break the habit and any benefits you see as a result of the change for a few minutes. List these reasons to see if you can come up with any others that haven’t occurred to you yet.
For added motivation, write your reasons down on a piece of paper and keep it on your fridge, bathroom mirror, or another place where you’ll see it regularly.
Seeing the list can keep the change you’re trying to make fresh in your mind. If you do happen to fall back into the habit, your list reminds you why you want to keep trying.
If you can nail it from the beginning, then perfect. However, we understand that it’s not always that easy, especially when this habit is part of your routine. Recovering from the failures is as strong as deciding to make the change in the first place. It shows you’re committed and it’s important to you. Withstanding the setback will help you chalk your goal with experience.
If you and a friend or partner both want to break a bad habit, make an effort to do so together.
Let’s pretend you both want to quit smoking. It’s difficult to deal with cravings on your own. The cravings will not go away if you quit with a friend. When confronted with them alongside someone else, however, they may be easier to deal with.
Make it a point to congratulate one another on their accomplishments and to support one another when they face setbacks.
Even if they don’t want to change any habits, a friend can still offer support. Tell a trusted friend about the bad habit you’re trying to kick. They can encourage you when you’re feeling down and gently remind you of your goal if they notice you’re losing sight of it.
Congratulate yourself regularly. Small victories will allow you to plan for big ones and in the end, you will be sure of a good habit. It will also allow you to become more confident. Some self-appreciation will do wonders for your mental health.
Think of your change as a marathon. You’re going to start off full of energy and desire, but you may hit a wall halfway through. Breaking that wall will allow you to realise you can achieve anything you want to.
Are you looking to smash some bad habits of your own?
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