Getting rid of bad habits in 10 steps

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Saying goodbye to a bad habit is, in most cases, like running a hamster on a wheel. You throw, you break, you throw again and you break again. A great way to kill time. If you still want to give up your addictions once and for all, here is an article from someone who did it. Blogger Leo Babauta, author of tips for all occasions, tells about his way of getting rid of addictions.

There are very few people among us without habits that should be abandoned: we smoke, eat sweets uncontrollably, spend huge amounts of money on shopping, bite our nails, watch porn, constantly sit on social networks and cannot take a step without a smartphone.

We sincerely believe that we have no willpower - that is the main problem. How many times have you tried to tie it, but still nothing, so why should it work now? It seems to us that the case is doomed to failure in advance, so we do not even try to change something, and if we try, then we ourselves do not believe in success.

I'll tell you what: the result is directly proportional to the amount of effort invested. It is difficult, but doable, if, of course, you give yourself completely to the task at hand. For those who are finally and irrevocably determined to say goodbye to addictions, I have prepared a quick guide in just 10 sequential steps. It is not necessary to do absolutely everything, but the more of them you do, the higher the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

1. Find real motivation

How many times have people given up on something simply because it seemed like a cool idea to them: “Quit caffeine. Mmm, sounds cool. So-so justification. All you really need is strong motivation. I quit smoking because I realized that one day it would kill me, and I realized that if I don't quit, my children will sooner or later start smoking too. Find your why and write it down on a piece of paper. This will be the first item in your salvation plan.

2. Make a commitment

Once you've identified your motivation, stand firm. An old story: we promise that we won't touch cigarettes today, but the habit eventually takes over. You need the support of those around you to stay safe, so feel free to tell everyone about your intentions. If you have someone you can turn to for help, it will be much easier for you to deal with an addiction than it would be on your own.

3. Beware of irritants

What situations triggered bad habits? A habit does not form on its own, it is always reinforced by something from the outside: you smoke when everyone is smoking around, go shopping when you are nervous, eat all kinds of rubbish when you are bored, turn on porn when you are lonely, and hang out on social networks when need to kill time. Observe yourself for a few days and determine what your triggers are. Include them in the plan of salvation and try to avoid provocative situations.

4. Find out what the habit is talking about

Bad habits are the result of unfulfilled desires. Determine for each stimulus a need that is satisfied with the help of the corresponding attachment. Some habits help you socialize, some help you cope with stress, sadness, boredom, loneliness, and the need for relaxation. Record all of this in the plan of salvation and think about how you can meet your needs in another way.

5. Create a replacement habit for each trigger

So how do you deal with stress now? It is simply impossible to resist returning to the old habit, otherwise the unmet need will remind of itself. Develop new habits that you will turn to when you get into a stressful situation. Compare the triggers from the rescue plan to these habits - they can work for several stimuli at once.

6. Don't be led by desires

At first, trigger situations will induce us to surrender again to the power of habits, because we are used to performing these actions automatically. Learn to recognize the urge that arises and watch how it gets stronger, and then goes down. If you really want to act in accordance with the desire, distract yourself with all your might. Breathe in and out deeply several times, sip some water, take a little walk, or ask someone for help. After a while, you will definitely be released.

7. Respond to a trigger with a new habit

This is where you have to concentrate well. First, it is necessary to determine the moment when the stimulus appears. Secondly, instead of the old habit, you will need to do something else. If you get confused, don't worry. It is important to just be extremely careful and firm, then the new action will eventually become the default. Incidentally, this is one of the difficulties of quitting bad habits: if numerous triggers spontaneously arise during the day, it takes a lot of effort to tightly control yourself.

8. Be careful with your thoughts

During dialogues with the inner "I" we ourselves sometimes give indulgence to bad habits. Pay close attention to your thoughts and do not give in to the urge to give up moving towards your goal. There simply cannot be any excuses here.

9. Quit gradually

Until recently, I was an adherent of the philosophy of abrupt and immediate abandonment of the habit. Now I sincerely believe in the power of gradualness. Instead of the usual 20 cigarettes a day, first smoke 15, then 10, then five, then none. The process, stretched out for a week, does not look so scary, so the chances of winning are much higher.

10. Learn from mistakes

We are all not without sin. If you fell off, just accept what happened and think about what could have been done differently. Write your ideas into a plan of salvation that will get better and better over and over again. Each of the mistakes will be a stepping stone to getting rid of the habit.

I am not saying that the method I proposed is simple, but many of those who ignored these ideas ended up with their addictions. You definitely don't need that. Immerse yourself completely in the process, find strong enough motivation and replace the bad habit with a good one with which you will respond to every stimulus. You can do it, I promise.