Everyone has bad habits, some bite their nails, others eat fast food. Some of us have managed to break our bad habits, but others continue to spoil our lives every day. Bad habits suck life energy out of us and interfere with achieving goals. The most dangerous thing about them is that at first we don't even notice them.
Earlier we talked about how to develop an effective morning program for every day and learn something new without giving up what you started half way, and this article will help you get rid of bad habits forever and replace them with useful ones.
First, let's look at where bad habits come from. And also do not forget to read the article 16 bad habits that you need to get rid of before the age of 30.
Where do bad habits begin?
All habits (both good and bad) are formed according to the same cyclical pattern. The cycle consists of three phases, where the first phase is "signal", Replying to"signal"The brain goes into automatic mode, triggering certain behaviors. Followed by "sample", That is, a certain model of behavior. And finally, the last phase - "reward". This is what helps the brain remember for the future "habit cycle».
As the habit repeats itself many times, the brain needs less and less energy to complete a task. Ultimately, when a behavior or action becomes automatic, there is little or no brain input to perform it. This is a great advantage, because unused energy can be directed in another direction, for example, to acquire useful skills or develop new habits.
The catch is that it could be “a double-edged sword". If both good and bad habits arise according to the same scheme, no one is immune from them. You may not even guess that already "hooked». The most bad habits arise from two factors: stress and boredom.
As with other problems, if we can get to the root of stress and boredom, we can reduce the likelihood of new bad habits forming. Another reason for the emergence of addictions can be certain events in life.
Ask yourself a questionc: do you have prejudices or fears that prevent you from moving forward and make you hurt yourself again and again? For example, every morning you start by checking your email or social media page. Think about whether this habit is bad for you? After all, this affects productivity, attentiveness and the ability to bring what has been started to the end. But the deeper reason for this addiction can be hidden in loneliness and lack of communication with loved ones.
The point is that sometimes it is not worth it, without being prepared, to cross out a habitual action from life (for example, leave social networks). A more realistic and effective way to solve the problem is to replace the addiction with something useful (an alternative to virtual communication can be the habit of calling your best friend or relative once a day to feel cared for and connected).
Let's figure out how to quit an addiction. Before reading further, try to imagine at least one bad habit that you dream of getting rid of. This brings us to the first stage.
1. You need to fully realize the presence of a bad habit
We naturally tend to ignore addictions in the hope that they will disappear over time. But according to James Clayorn, a psychologist and co-author of the study guide, “How to get rid of bad habits and develop healthy ones”, The truth is exactly the opposite. We must be fully aware of our harmful behaviors.
«My first advice is to maintain a kind of record, that is, a list of your actions and deeds. This will help you figure out how often and under what circumstances you do them.", - he said, - "We need to understand behavior before we can effectively change it.».
«What Can Be Measured Can Be Improved". - Robin Sharma.
Just as you would track your progress in the gym to improve your performance, you should measure and note your actions to improve your habits.
2. Get rid of harmful stimulants
Stimulants (or signals) are what triggers the habit cycle. To quit a bad habit, you need to get rid of what provokes it.
If you want to quit drinking, don't go to the bar. If you dream of parting with fast food, then throw it out. If you want to spend less time on social networks, then download the blocking app Facebook News feed Eradicator (in addition, you will receive a selection of interesting quotes).
Human willpower is limitless and important, but if your habitat does not allow you to replace bad habits with useful ones, it would be wise to replace the habitat itself. "The more you control your environment, the more likely you are to be successful. "... - Art Markman, professor of psychology at the University of Texas
3. Replace bad habits with good ones
It is not enough just to get rid of the addiction. It needs to be replaced with something useful. If stress and boredom are the main contributors to a bad habit, it's only natural for the brain to crave it back again and again when there is nothing else to do.
It is necessary to come up with a replacement for a bad habit in advance, which will bring not harm, but benefit..
Instead of going to a bar, you can start a new hobby, set a goal, for example, remember a forgotten foreign language or learn a new one. Throwing away junk food, you should immediately enroll in healthy eating courses or go to the gym. Well, the habit of spending too much time on social networks can be replaced by reading books, language courses and other exciting activities.
4. Find someone who will control you
:
- You ran out of time (and you gave up).
- You ran out of money (and gave up).
- You got scared (and gave up).
- You weren't serious about it (and you gave up).
- You've lost interest (and given up).
Knowing the potential reasons why you might not be able to achieve your goal will prepare you ahead of time when these problems arise. An even safer way to increase your chances of success is to find someone to whom you will report on the work done.
Depending on the habit you want to break out of, it could be a professional (i.e., a personal trainer, therapist, and so on), or just a close friend who can encourage and support your endeavors.
5. You are just a person
We all hope that we will strictly follow the set goal, but it is more likely to struggle with variable success, sometimes better, sometimes worse. And that's 100% normal. If you skipped a workout, overslept, couldn't resist sweets, or skipped your language lesson, it's not the end of the world. It makes you human.
Do not scold yourself for this, you'd better forgive, pull yourself together and go ahead. We all make mistakes, even some of the greatest athletes and world class leaders stumble at times. It is important to find the strength to move on.
Analyze what caused you to slip out of the way and eliminate that factor next time. This is the best thing to do.
Get down to business!
So, in order to move from theory to practice, we recommend to act according to the following scheme:
- First, choose the bad habit you want to end (awareness).
- Count how many times a day, week or month you perform this action (collecting information).
- Determine what motivates you to do this: a certain time of day, your company, a certain place, and so on (analysis).
- Choose a good habit to replace a bad one (for example, language courses instead of social media).
Ultimately, understanding how to quit addiction is only 10% of the overall challenge. The remaining 90% is patience, perseverance and a difficult struggle with oneself, which will certainly arise.
Most people who have conquered their addictions have gone through several setbacks before they succeed. Therefore, the most important thing is never to give up. Remember, success may not come right away, but if you can quickly forgive yourself for the breakdown and get back in line, you will achieve your goal in the shortest possible time..
The good news is, once you've defeated one bad habit, it's easy to get rid of the rest.
We recommend watching:
A helpful video about behavioral psychology. The video reveals the secrets of combating bad habits, provides interesting cases from life. Do you want to get rid of bad habits? Find out how!
