Having habits, even the bad ones is part of being human. We know what we should and shouldn’t do but sometimes making the right decisions is just hard.

However, not all habits are bad. If it helps you clean your house spotless, not procrastinate and make sure your finances are in order, then you’d agree those are terrific ( in a good way) habits.

But sometimes they’re the bad ones, which can be damaging. For instance, if you’re addicted to caffeine, always late for appointments, procrastinate often then you should be thinking of changing them to improve your quality of life.

If you’ve been struggling with breaking bad habits then this piece is for you. Read through to learn tips on how to break those bad babies.

Learn what triggers your bad habits

Knowing what triggers the habit/habits you want to change is the first step in your journey to breaking bad habits.

For instance, if you want to quit smoking then identify what triggers the need to smoke for you and avoid the situations, company or environments.

Zero in on why you need to change

When trying to break a bad habit, another thing that is key to your success rate is the “why”. According to studies, knowing the reason why you need to quit the habit and the benefits of it may make it easier for you to follow through.

Take time to really dwell on why you need to change from these habits. Then write them down on a list on paper. Afterwards, paste the list on your bedroom door, closet door or your fridge; somewhere you’d always see it.

Doing so will make sure you’re always confronted with the reasons why you need to quit these habits. Also if you fall off, the list will remind you to pick yourself up and keep going.

Get support from a friend

You can take it a notch higher and enlist a friend as your accountability partner. Say you’re trying to quit drinking alcohol, you can team up with a friend who’s also trying to quit as well. While it wouldn’t make it easier, you can share your frustrations and inspire each other to continue.

Even if they’re not trying to quit a habit like you, they can still serve as your accountability partner. You can come up with a plan where you pay them a bit of fine if you slip.

Also read:
-Seven Healthy Habits You Should Imbibe For A Healthy Life 
–Five Bedtime Habits That You Should Adopt
–Adopt These Five Healthy Lifestyle Habits To Stay Productive In 2020

Replace a bad habit with an unharmful one

This is another trick that helps as well. When trying to break a bad habit, instead of stopping abruptly, you can try replacing it with a healthy one. For instance, if you like drinking soda often and you’re trying to stop it, you can replace it with water infused with fruits like strawberries, oranges, cucumbers to give it some flavour.

You may even decide to continue after you’ve seen the benefits of the new healthy habit. So, not only are you breaking a bad habit, you’re gaining a super good one.

Change environment

If your environment is one of your triggers, then you may want to consider changing it entirely. For instance, if your favourite spot to relax after work is also where you’d meet people who make you want to smoke when you’re trying to quit, then it’s advisable to stop going there altogether. Remember, be aware and avoid your triggers.

Celebrate small wins

First, visualising how quitting a bad habit can make you feel, the improvements it will bring to your life before you start. Also, it’s advisable to start small when trying to break bad habits no matter how ambitious you feel. Pace yourself, celebrate your small wins as they come. They’ll inspire you to keep going.

 

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