How to eliminate an unhealthy habit, in 6 steps
Lately we often hear the word habit and even more is written much of this term and is found as a fundamental ingredient to achieve what we want.
For example; habits to incorporate sport into your day to day habits to integrate healthy foods into your life , habits to improve self-esteem, but what does the word habit suggest?
What is a habit exactly?
A habit is a behavior that we carry out in our day to day, it is part of our routine and we execute it on autopilot, without questioning it.
There are healthy habits like applying body cream after showering. However, our routine is composed of bad habits or unhealthy habits that when performed on autopilot, we do not usually question them since we do not even realize that we are carrying out that determined behavior.
Unhealthy habits are those that are harmful to health and are generated by underlying problems , these problems are usually emotional. That is to say, negative emotions badly managed.
Negative habits that harm us
Currently the most common negative emotions are stress and anxiety. Without ruling out frustration, worry, envy ...
These emotions involve non-beneficial habits, such as biting your nails, smoking , insistently and frequently check social networks, eat between meals when you are not hungry, that is, by gluttony, among many other routines that do not contribute anything positive to our lives.
Steps and strategies to abandon a bad habit
Has it happened to you or is it happening to you? Are you tired of these bad habits? Do you want to change these habits and do not know how?
In this article I encourage you to implement the strategies and exercises that I propose to replace unhealthy habits for healthy, positive, beneficial and productive habits, so if you want: here and now we start!
1. Identify a habit that you do not like and that you do not feel good about
The first step seems obvious, but it is crucial . We must detect what exactly is that habit that is limiting our life and that we want to eliminate from our life. Once we know exactly what it is, everything that follows is much simpler.
2. Decide to change
To get rid of a bad habit you have to be aware of the damage it is doing to you, noting its consequences . To reinforce this decision write down the benefits you will get when you have detached yourself from the bad habit.
Remember that changing and getting rid of a bad habit is not achieved only with the decision, it entails work, effort, willpower and carrying out the steps that I propose, so do not stop reading.
3. How often does the bad habit appear?
Write down how many times you repeat the bad habit throughout the day and record it for 21 days.
4. What or who gives life to your bad habit?
Identify, observe, be aware of what or who gives life to your bad habit and anótal or . Do you feel anxiety every time you have to speak in public and this causes you to drink a lot of coffee? Do you feel anxiety every time you have to face a job interview and this makes you smoke more? Do you overeat without hunger as a scheduled family reunion approaches? Do you make complaints and constant criticism when you visit social networks? Do you eat between meals when you are nervous?
Taking the last case as an example: the unhealthy habit is to eat between meals and what gives life is this state of nervousness. Record what or who generates this state of nervousness.
5. Replaces the unhealthy habit
Replace, change the bad habit for a healthy habit , thus it is less difficult since the habit to be a behavior and therefore a routine, occupies part of our time.
Eliminating bad habit without more is impossible since we will have a feeling of emptiness and this can cause us to fall into the bad habit again. Therefore, it is important to choose a healthy habit that replaces the bad habit and behave as we really want.
6. Reward yourself
As you go acquiring the desired habit reward yourself. Apart from feeling and experiencing the benefits of healthy habit, congratulate yourself by rewarding yourself with something that is rewarding for you by getting what you propose .
Now with these 6 exercises you are ready to eliminate any habit that you do not like, that does not make you feel good, that is not beneficial to your health and replace it with a habit, a routine, a healthy behavior, beneficial and constructive.
Remember, with a day of training in the gym you do not get the desired physical results, the same happens with the mind and emotions, work daily be tenacious, have willpower and persevere to get the healthy life you want and deserve .
