We all struggle with certain bad habits that hold us back. They may not only affect our physical and mental well-being but could also waste our mind space and slow down our stamina. It is important to remember that while it may be a little hard, it is practicable to break out of such habit-patterns. One of the easier ways to achieve this is by replacing your bad habit with a good one. You might think it’s easier said than done, but stay with us on this train of thought, for a moment, especially today since it is the No Smoking Day; and see how we can kick the bad habits to the curb. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS FOLLOW THE 4 R’s – Recognize, Replace, Resolute and Refrain.
- Recognizing The Bad Habit
The first and most important step is recognizing and accepting the bad habit that you need to work on. As soon as you become consciously aware of it, you will begin wanting to work on it – even on the days you really don’t feel like working on it. The bad habit could for instance, be smoking, biting your nails or bingeing on fast food. These habits may be a coping mechanism that either your body or mind would have developed in order to reduce the impact of the stress that you are dealing with. However, with respect to habits like smoking or heavy indulgence in fast food – they may in the short-term, relieve stress but, in the long run; they might have lasting physiological effects that could lead to loss of stamina amongst many other physical ailments.
- Replace it with a New Good Habit
It’s also important to identify a new habit that you enjoy or the one you could easily learn to enjoy. The idea is to replace the bad habit such as compulsively eating junk food with a good one – like going for a quick 3K run and drinking a healthy smoothie right after. Or perhaps instead of smoking, you perform 2 minutes of breathing exercises and you battle your stress in a zen-like fashion. Guided meditation could also be a good alternative to replace a bad habit with.
- Resolute To The Replacement
Once you pick the new good habit, you must wholeheartedly commit to the process. You need to make the choice every single time. Whenever you feel like you want to indulge in the bad habit, you must choose instead to go ahead with the good habit. You need to keep doing this consistently. Whether it is a choice you have to make it at every single meal, every single day, or every few hours. Only practice makes one perfect. Practice also creates discipline and discipline leads to success.
- Refrain From All The Triggers And Partner Up For Solidarity
The fourth and the final step is to ensure that you don’t have any safety nets to fall back on – which could stop you from letting go of the bad habit. Avoiding all triggers is a lot like avoiding temptation. For example, if you tend to smoke after drinking, you could avoid going to the bar at the start of this process of quitting. You could also enlist a friend who can be your partner personal cheerleader and help you stay on course on this path of success. Solidarity certainly helps you stay motivated and make it to the finish line!
