1. Identify The Habit.
Is your bad habit consuming junk foods filled with sugar? Gorging on your favorite bag of potato chips? Cracking your knuckles? Engaging in too much social media? Working too many hours?
There are undoubtedly many bad habits out there.
Identifying and recognizing these bad habits and realizing how damaging they are to your health, longevity, and overall well being can be the first step towards change.
2. Recognize What's Causing The Bad Habit.
Understanding the triggers of your bad habits is crucial to understanding how to break them.
Is the trigger external, like someone chewing too loud, or internal like stressing over a job project? Is it a dirty kitchen counter, or the smell of your favorite dessert in a restaurant? Once you identify your trigger you can become more aware of the bad habit associate with it and then make small adjustments to improve.
3. Switch
Once you identify the trigger for your bad habit then you can begin switching the bad habit for a good one. This replacement of negative with positive habits helps fill in the gaps left behind. You must switch these bad habits with more positive ones to truly be successful. Examples of Healthy Coping Mechanisms (Good Habits) Are:
Going for a walk.
Snacking on veggies, instead of sweets.
Using Breathing techniques to relax.
Turning digital screens off 1-2 hours before bed.
Eating dinner at the dinner table (with no screens allowed).
Calling a family member, or friend to chat.
Creating a stretching routine every day.
Reciting positive affirmations every morning.
Drinking 12 ounces of water before meals.
4. Keep it Simple & Take It 1 Day At A Time
Make sure your healthy habits are simple enough to be effective. Don’t set your expectations too high. These habits take time to build. Give yourself 3-4 weeks to make these new habits part of your routine. You brain needs time to form these new neural pathways. So don’t be so hard on yourself if you slip back into your old habits. Just take it 1 day at a time.
5. Create a Supportive Team Around You.
Surrounding yourself with positive people is the key to your long-term success! Reconnect with childhood friends, join an online chat group with similar interests, or even start a fitness contest a work with your colleges. The point is to get rid of poisonous people around you and create a more positive environment for you to flourish in!
So if this means you need to do some “spring cleaning” on your Facebook account, then so be it. Life is too short.