Tired of Old Bad Habits? Here is How to Break Them

Acts become habits when we let go of the conscious process involved in an activity. Becoming aware that every little habit we allow influences our general approach to life might help you see why old bad habits need to be broken. Think of the life you want. Think of the results you are getting now. If they do not add up, there might be a need for you to identify bad old habits that have carefully hidden themselves so well and don’t want to be discovered. The first step to breaking them is for you to get tired of them. If I have gotten you to that point, here is how to break them. 1. Identify them: Now is the time to tell yourself what these bad habits are. The best way to identify one is to consciously notice when you do it, notice under what circumstances it is triggered and identify the feeling attached to your doing it. With this, you have not only figured out what the bad habits are, you have successfully identified why you do them which will help you figure out why and how to make them stop. 2. Create a new good habit for replacement: Now that you have found a way to make them stop, you need to create new good habits to fill up the space the bad habits you are leaving will create. To decide what good habit you would like to create, ask yourself what you would rather be doing to replace the bad habit you are trying to stop. Write down this decision. For example, if the bad habit you are trying to change is clearing your throat in public, you can create a new good habit such saying ‘please’ and taking deep breaths instead of clearing your throat loudly. 3. Become aware and switch: Old bad habits thrive when you allow them to but becoming conscious of them brings you halfway to ending it. Now that you are aware of them and you can identify why you do them, watch out for them and exchange them with the good new habits you have created. Don’t beat yourself up when you miss it a few times but don’t give up on the switch. Persistence always wins.