Breaking Bad Habits

 

We all have habits of our own, and they come in some type of form. Some are very useful, like preparing for something the day before. Or something small like turning the lights off before leaving a room. However, there are some bad habits we have all had a glimpse of. Some of these are so subtle we hardly notice them anymore. For example, hitting the snooze button and trying to get a few more extra minutes of sleep has become a bad habit of mine, and one way I am dealing with it is by trying to go to bed a little earlier so I will feel rested in the morning. This has been challenging for me because I have done it for so long.

Habits are hard to break, especially if you have had them for so long. One way to help prevent these kinds of habits is to find the source and slowly decrease its effect on you. This can go with anything. For example, if you tend to have a bad habit of eating out a lot, you can try minimizing the number of times you go out to eat. Rather than completely cutting it off because that would be more difficult. A healthy and more effective way of dealing with a bad habit is slowly minimizing the amount of it.

Another effective way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a new one. Usually, the most effective habits are the ones that are time-consuming. Replacing a bad habit with one that is healthier is one of the most challenging things to do. To begin replacing a habit, you can start by doing something you enjoy doing. For example, reading and writing are good examples of time-consuming habits. Or if you feel like that’s not something you would enjoy, maybe try something more active. Going on hikes and walks are also good time-consuming habits.

There are many ways we can break unhealthy habits. Although some aren’t easy to break, they aren’t impossible either.