How to break bad habits

We all have that one bad habit we struggle to quit permanently, whether it’s bad eating habits, biting your nails, smoking, drinking, sleeping too late, procrastinating, watching too much TV,… we do these things without even thinking about them. Bad habits offer us a sense of comfort, making them hard to break. But we also have the ability to break them and create good habits that will improve our lives.

Today, I will go through a few steps on how to break bad habits and create better ones:

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Choose your worst habit

Start just with one of the habits that you want to break. Breaking every habit all at once is going to be a real struggle and you’re probably not going to get the result you want. 

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The “why” / triggers

Whatever your bad habit is, ask yourself why you’re doing it. Also, identify your triggers.

It could be a sound, smell, or the sight of something, and it can be emotional. For example, nail-biting. This habit is usually caused by stress. 

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Find motivation

Find a good reason to break the habit by focusing on the long-term benefits for more motivation.

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Replace with a new better habit

Try to find a healthy, better replacement that will give you a similar feeling or help you battle the craving of wanting that bad habit. Give it a chance, don’t give up on the first relapse. Believe in yourself and these newer habits will eventually overwrite the old ones.

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Reward yourself

Reward yourself each time you managed to replace that bad habit with a good one. This will give you the motivation to keep going.

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Daily reminders

Set a reminder on your phone or leave sticky notes all over the house with words of encouragement in places you will see them help you stay on track. 

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Track your progress

Track your progress in your journal, calendar (either write down your habits or fill the daily squares in with different colors to have a better perception). Do it in any kind of way you want. This is so important to get the motivation you need to break your old habits and form new ones.

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Be patient and kind with yourself

Breaking a bad habit takes a long time, so be patient. Not every step you take to break a habit will be successful. It can be frustrating, but you have to believe in yourself and be kind. If you fail one day, remember that you have tomorrow and eventually that bad habit is gone. It will take time, but with patience and persistence, you will get there.

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Professional help

Some more serious bad habits can be more complicated and need more self-discipline.

Don’t be ashamed to seek out help. A healthcare professional will help you set specific goals and teach you unique ways of achieving them.

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I really hope you learned something new from this article and I motivated you in some way. It may take some time with some habits while it may be easier to break others.

I wish you all the luck with breaking your bad habits and creating new and good ones.

Which bad habit do you want to break? 😊