How I Eliminate bad Habits

I like to think that for the most part I have developed some pretty good habits, but occasionally I notice those bad habits that never seem to fade away. I used to just accept that the bad habits were a part of me, mostly because I was unsure of how to get rid of them and would become frustrated when my attempts did not work. For a while now, I have been working on myself to be better in every way, and to do this requires that I acknowledge that I have flaws and that I need to work through them. So, I have gotten to the point where my bad habits drive me crazy, which has forced me to work towards getting rid of them. I'm going to be honest, getting rid of bad habits isn't easy, but I have found some methods that work for me. Below are some methods I use to eliminate bad habits.

Identify My Triggers

A good place to start when trying to eliminate a bad habit is identifying what triggers the bad habit to start. One habit that I am trying to get rid of is chewing on my bottom lip. I notice that it is something that I do when I start to feel anxious or I have a lot that I am thinking through. By recognizing what triggers the bad habit, I can find a healthier way to get the same effect. So, when I start to feel anxious and I have the urge to chew on my lip, I can remind myself to slow down and take a deep breath instead. This also helps me become more aware of the habit and notice how frequent I do the it. The more I notice that I am using the bad habit, the more it bothers me and I want to get rid of it.

Choose a Substitute for my bad Habit

It can be hard to just stop doing a bad habit. That used to be how I attempted to eliminate bad habits and it never really worked and I would just end up frustrated. I have found that it is easier for me to stop doing something when I have something else to do instead. It is especially helpful when the action I am replacing the old action with is a good or better habit. So, for replacing the action of chewing on my lip, I have replaced it with applying lip balm. This helps moisturize my lips in comparison to when I would chew on my lip and it would get dry and cracked. It kind of acts as a reward for not chewing on my lip because then my lips feel better after I chose not to chew on it. I also notice that I do not like to chew on my lip if there is something on them.

Sink my Stress Levels

Something that I have noticed is that most of my bad habits relate to stress in some way, whether they are used as a way to escape stress or to cope with it. By reducing my stress levels, I tend to turn to these habits less often. Some ways that reduce stress include focusing on my breathing, eating and drinking healthier, and going to my happy place. Specifically with eating and drinking healthier, I find that I feel better and as a result am less likely to turn to my bad habits. For more information about reducing stress, see my post titled How I Reduce Stress (https://www.mlivesherway.com/post/how-i-reduce-stress).

How do you eliminate bad habits?

• Identify your triggers
• Choose a substitute for your bad habit
• Sink your stress levels
• Other

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