How to Overcome Bad Habits and Find Lasting Health
Breaking habits can be hard, especially if they’ve been with you for years. Whether it’s overeating, smoking, or excessive screen time, routine behaviours become hardwired and comforting when you’re feeling stressed. If you haven’t been successful yet in breaking habits that sabotage your health, it can feel like they have the upper hand. But take heart — change is always possible, and the following tips can help you move toward a healthier, happier life.
Address the root causes.
Start by renaming your habits. Labelling them ‘bad’ can make your efforts feel like a battle against yourself. Recognise that you may be doing the best you can to cope with the circumstances in your life. For example, if you’re under tremendous stress or recovering from a traumatic experience, it’s understandable that your healthy habits might falter. It’s important to be accountable while also having compassion for yourself.
Next, look at the bigger picture and try to identify any emotional triggers for your unwanted habits. For example, if you want to stop overeating junk food late at night, keep track of the days that you feel the strongest cravings and see if you notice a pattern. Then get unhealthy snacks out of the house. Just be sure to replace them with healthier alternatives like Pep & Lekker Seed Snacks, and find a different comforting activity (such as a hot bath, a funny movie, or a cuddle with your pet) to distract you.
Infuse good energy into your life.
Once you understand the cycle of your triggers and behaviour, try not to fixate on it. Instead, focus on ways that you can bring more positivity into your life. Connect with a friend who makes you laugh, plan a fun adventure, or give your home a good-energy makeover. Turning your living space into a vibrant and refreshing place to relax can help put you in a more positive headspace.
Find something that you care about more than your unwanted habits, such as a project, hobby, or bucket list goal. Consider joining a class or community to pursue your new interest. This is not only a distraction from your habit but also a way to introduce new healthy habits that feel more meaningful. The more you can focus on something that excites you or comforts you, the less likely you are to fall into old patterns.
Reward yourself
Once you do notice changes in your habits, it’s important to acknowledge your progress. Treating yourself regularly is a way of reinforcing the behaviors that are leading you toward healthier living. Consider booking a massage or buying yourself a present once you’ve gone for a few weeks without your old habit. Just make sure that you’re choosing healthy, appropriate rewards. For example, if you’ve been struggling with binge drinking, going to a winery may not be the best way to celebrate recent sobriety.
Some habits are harder to break than others. Don’t beat yourself up for back-sliding if you don’t make immediate progress. One slip-up doesn’t erase the effort you’ve made. Try to focus on moving toward goals than punishing yourself for perceived failures. If you continue to feel discouraged, reach out to a friend, family member, or counsellor for support.
We’re all capable of creating positive change in our lives, but it takes time. Breaking unwanted habits once and for all is a trial-and-error experiment that eventually gets easier. By addressing root causes for your habits, bringing positive energy into your life, and rewarding yourself for any progress (no matter how small), you’ve created a roadmap for finding a healthier, happier version of yourself.
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Article written by Justin Bennett and for my tips visit his website.