Breaking Bad Habits
It’s no secret that breaking bad habits like smoking, eating too much junk food and being sedentary can cause major health problems. Many of us want to kick a bad habit, but this can be hard to do. Bad habits are negative behavior patterns that have developed over time; And unfortunately, the longer you’ve had a bad habit, the harder it is to stop. The good news is that since bad habits are learned, they can be unlearned.
After you know your triggers, you can start to change your behavior. One way to do this is to trade a negative behavior, like smoking, for a positive one, like chewing gum. You can also try putting a rubber band around your wrist, and snapping it every time you realize that you’re thinking about that a bad habit. The sensation will make you more aware of your negative thoughts and give you a chance to take positive action, like breaking a bad habit forever.
Finally, it’s important to remember that breaking bad habits doesn’t happen overnight. Developing a healthy lifestyle is a journey that requires a positive attitude, determination and patience. If you find yourself wanting to avoid the gym or light up a cigarette, you need to change your negative perception to a positive one. If this is proving too hard to do, remember:
The first step to breaking a bad habit is to understand why you do it. Many experts suggest that you keep a Bad Habit Log. For each incident of negative behavior, log the time and place where it occurred, the antecedent events, and how you felt in the moment. Then, once you’ve collected enough information to see patterns, identify the people, activities, and situations that triggered your behavior.
“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
This mindset enabled Gandhi to led India to independence, and inspired civil rights movements around the world. Just imagine what it could do for you!
