Turn Bad Habits Into Good Habits

How to stop bad habits and fill the gap with good ones!

Any habit that is negative will inhibit your ability from achieving your desired outcomes. These habits can affect your health in harmful ways be it physical or emotional. Not to mention they use up your energy and waste time you could be using to do good things in this world and for yourself.

Why, if we know this do, we still choose to do such things? What can we do to change this? Since we know this is not a good choice, then let us choose to spend our time and energy doing the good ones that will benefit us, instead of those that will not.

Is there a root to the creation of the Bad Habit?

There are two prominent reasons for habits that don’t serve. One is STRESS. The other happens to be BOREDOM. That is not funny, but it is true. Do you waste time by drinking, or spending too much at the mall? Do you stare into the computer on the internet wasting time? This doesn’t have to be your reality. You can retrain yourself, or even better learn new ways to operate and in turn replace your bad habits with great ones!

It has been said that stress and boredom are a result of deeper-seated problems, and if you really desire to change, you will need to look at yourself and tell the truth.

Do you hold certain beliefs to be true about your bad habit? Is there a deep-rooted fear or memory that is keeping you in that mind frame? The first step in the process of overcoming the issue is really to recognize the issue.

Do not remove the bad habit, you have to fill that gap with something good. Out of all the habits you have right now, good or bad, they each hold a purpose in your life. They are there for a reason. In some cases, it can seem positive even if it can surface in a bad manner. Do you have a habit of checking your email inbox because you think you might miss something? This can be or become counterproductive.

To show you what I mean, let us take the action of smoking a cigarette. We all know smoking is bad for us. Yet some continue. If you just quit cold turkey and do not replace that bad habit with something good, you may be encouraged to smoke again. If you find another way to deal with your stress instead of smoking, there is a good chance it will stick as a good habit in place of the bad.

How to stop or change the bad habits?

• Pick another option…

It is important to have another choice lined up when the issue comes up that may create a bad habit. Let us say that you are craving a cigarette? You will need to have something to fill that gap. One good choice is to do yoga, or breathing exercises. The idea is that you will succeed and benefit if you have another choice in line for when the bad habit surfaces.

• Eliminate the Triggers:

Do you smoke cigarettes when you go out to the bar? Then don’t go to the bar! If you over consume too many sweets when they are in your home, then don’t bring them to your house! Give yourself a chance and even a break and break the habits that are harmful by addressing and stay away from the triggers that ignite the desire or need for the bad habit.

If it is a product of your environment that causes the trigger, then change where you are and you can have the change and choice to affect the result.

• Find some support:

Is it easy to do things alone? Sometimes, it can be useful to find someone to support you in this process. Find someone to “quit” with you. In this way you two can watch each other and be responsible for the outcome of your success. You can also celebrate your accomplishment together! Having someone on the other side with you can help you motivate to succeed!

• Put yourself around like-minded individuals who live how you desire to live!

This doesn’t mean you have to completely let go of your friends; you may just want to find people that are doing what you want to do.

• See yourself as you have already succeeded:

You can kill that bad habit and fill that spot with something beautiful. You want to quit smoking, throw away those darn cigarettes and go buy a smoothie! You are creating a new you! Be proud and courageous and do it in style!

• There is no need to change altogether, just let go of the bad parts!

There is no doubt that you were not born with these bad habits. You found them along the way. Therefore, you have the capacity and the power to diminish and get rid of them out of your life!

It’s not that you have to end smoking, just return to the you that doesn’t smoke. There is no need to turn into a healthy human, just return to choosing healthy choices. You can do this.

• “BUT” can save the day!

What I mean is, when you are facing the statements that arise in your mind, as we most often call it, our negative self-talk, you can choose to include the word but to shift the statement. No need to punish yourself, just try using ‘BUT”.

“I have become plump, BUT I can be skinny again with a little exercise and a little time!”

Give yourself some room to make mistakes.

We all fail sometimes. After all we are human. So, there is no need to beat yourself up when looking to shift from bad habit to good. Those who succeed jump right back on the horse once they have fallen off.

Awareness is the first key to success. It may be simple to get distracted or consumed by your feelings around your bad habits. This is not that helpful either. Look and listen and witness yourself. The awareness will guide you to the change that needs or can occur.

• What causes your bad habit?
• How often does it reoccur thru out your day?
• Where does this occur?
• Who are you hanging with when this happens?
• Are there behaviors that ignite this habit?

If you stay aware of these questions and keep it in your mind or on paper your will, be able to find ways to alter and affect this in a positive manner. Just write down how many times this happens. You can put it in your purse or backpack. The idea is to note how many times this habit arises. Do not place any judgment on yourself. Do not beat yourself up about this. The idea is to become aware of the habit. You can then choose to integrate and change that behavior with some of the suggestions in this article!

Doing new things can sometimes become hard, just keep going. You may fall down; you may not succeed right at first. Just keep trying.

You can do what you dream, and you can stop bad habits…. Fill the space with something new and productive and healthy!

Choose a healthy you!