Everybody has habits. You’ve got them, your boss has them, and even your pets have them! Some are good, some are bad, but they’re all habits nonetheless. But just because they’re habits doesn’t mean they can’t be broken. Try these three methods to break the cycle of those bad habits that are dragging you down, and replace them with new good ones instead!
The importance of developing new habits:
Developing new, healthy habits can be tough. It’s far easier to fall into old routines that don’t do anything but get us through another day. But we all know that living an unhealthy lifestyle is not going to help us get where we want to go in life—whether it’s from an addiction or a lack of exercise. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to kick these bad habits for good and set yourself up for success.
The science behind it:
Addictions occur when two parts of your brain, known as the reward system and executive control, get out of sync. The part that controls higher-level thinking—your executive control—is on autopilot much of time, so it’s easy to form a habit without really knowing it. Say you eat a candy bar every day before lunch. One day, you’re late for work and need to eat something fast. You grab another candy bar instead of a quick bowl of cereal or peanut butter sandwich.
How to implement this into everyday life:
Changing a bad habit often means changing your environment. One simple change to make when trying to break a bad habit is to put something else in its place. For example, if you want to quit smoking, find an activity that will fill your time such as going for a run or doing another kind of exercise. If you're looking for some help or support, consider reaching out to an individual or group of individuals who have experience with breaking similar habits and they'll be able to guide you through it.
What to do when:
Having trouble breaking a habit or an addiction is frustrating, but there are ways to help make sure that when we fall off track, we have a plan in place to get back on. Following are three things you can do if you’re struggling with any sort of habit (whether it’s something good or bad) and tips for creating good ones.
1. Don’t feel bad about failure: As human beings, we learn through our mistakes—that’s just part of life. We all fail at some point; it’s normal! It doesn’t mean you should give up, though—instead, try again tomorrow and next week, and next month until you find what works best for you.
2. Break down big goals into smaller steps: If you’re trying to change a major behavior, such as quitting smoking or losing weight, take time to identify smaller steps along the way that will support your larger goal. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds by summertime, think about other small goals like exercising three times per week or eating more vegetables each day that will eventually lead up to achieving your larger goal.
3. Try an if-then strategy: Instead of thinking I shouldn’t eat dessert, turn that thought around to something positive, like If I want dessert after dinner tonight, then I need to focus on healthy choices during lunch and dinner. This can be a helpful reminder to stay on track throughout your day so you don’t feel deprived later.
