Easy Steps to Break Those Bad Habits

Breaking bad habits is a process that usually takes time and effort. But it doesn’t have to be a frustrating one.

There are a few easy steps you can take to help break those habits. First, start with awareness: What triggers the habit?

There are a few easy steps that can help you break those bad habits that are holding you back. They’re not just good for you, they can also be fun and rewarding!

First, you need to identify the bad habit. This can be difficult, but it’s important to get clear about what triggers the behavior.

You can do this by keeping a journal and recording everything you notice about your habits. Then, you can examine why you engage in them and how you can replace them with something that’s more beneficial to your life.

You can also keep track of how often you slip up. This can be as simple as tally marks on paper, or you can buy a small mechanical counter like those used for keeping golf scores.

The best way to break the habit is to do it on your own terms, or in a controlled environment that doesn't involve your current set of triggers. This may sound counter intuitive, but it's a sure fire way to make the desired change stick. For instance, swap your morning coffee for a healthy brew. You can even try out the new fangled method in the office before hitting the road for the day. This also makes for a more relaxing start to the work week. You'll need to get used to it, but the rewards will be worth it in the long run.

If you’re struggling to break a habit, try to find a way to reward yourself for making the change. It could be anything - money, time, or energy saved - as long as it’s something that will inspire you to keep going.

To create a reward, you need to identify the routine and cues that trigger the habit you’re trying to break. For example, if you’re using your phone to scroll through social media before bed, you might have noticed that shutting your lamp cues you to pick up your phone and scroll through your feed.

Your brain craves the release of dopamine when it feels rewarded. So if you can give yourself a dose of that feel-good feeling each time you make the change, your chances of succeeding are significantly higher.

Patience is a skill that can help you develop strong, healthy relationships with your loved ones and coworkers. It also improves your ability to accept setbacks and enjoy life more.

One study found that people with patient traits experience less depression and negative emotions, report higher levels of gratitude, and have more positive connections to the world around them.

While the idea of patience may seem outdated in our on-demand world, it actually holds more weight than you might think.

The word patience comes from two Greek words that can be translated as longsuffering and endurance. It’s often used in the Bible to describe a character trait that’s earned by going through trials.