About 45% of daily actions we perform on the machine, most of them are not good for us. Bad habits include not only excessive drinking, smoking or drugs, but laziness, pride, stubbornness or jealousy are also such.
Why do bad habits appear?
Bad habits appear due to a person’s internal needs. The most obvious and common example is alcoholism in people who are constantly under stress. A person due to a suppressed state cannot independently cope with internal anxiety and, in order to relax, resort to alcohol. Thus, people want to lower their inner anxiety or fill the void.
Some habits allow you to be “your” in the company and join a new team. More than 20% of adolescents admitted that they smoke only because their friends smoke. Other behavior can cause aggression from other people.
The social environment plays a huge role in the formation of bad habits.
Do not forget about hereditary predisposition to one or another bad habit. There are situations when a person is immediately born with a high level of dopamine hormone. That is, it is typical for such a person to take risks, look for new sensations, for example, this can lead to drug use. Also, if both parents suffered from alcoholism, then the likelihood that their children will also become addicted to alcohol is 5 times higher than when their parents did not abuse alcohol.
Lack of willpower or weak character - Another cause of bad habits. A person with certain life values will never start smoking just because others do it or because it is fashionable. A strong person understands that alcohol will never solve a problem, but only exacerbate it. Such behavior is characteristic of a limp person who is either too cowardly to defend his point of view, or emotionally vulnerable.
Get rid of bad habits gradually
A person suffering from bad habits sincerely believes that he is deprived of willpower - this is the main problem. Most people who are trying to change something begin to think in advance that their attempts are doomed to failure. Therefore, they often do not even try, because they themselves do not believe in their success.
To achieve a positive result, psychologists do not recommend drastically and radically changing their lifestyle. This is due to the fact that a sharp disposal of the habit can quite strongly affect not only the human psyche, but also the entire body.
For example, if you are a heavy smoker, try to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Continue this until your willpower and you yourself feel that you are ready to finally get rid of this harmful ailment.
Gradual getting rid of bad habits also applies to alcohol, food, physical movements and even parasitic words. If you do not have willpower, it is best to approach the solution of the problem gradually, following certain steps. Do not spare your time, only in this case the chances of success will be much higher.
Motivate yourself
Motivation is important not only for getting rid of bad habits. In order not to lose the thirst for life, it is extremely important to motivate yourself at any moment. Only in this way are the peaks reached. If you are able to motivate yourself, this will help not to feel empty, work will not be a burden, and home life will not be annoying.
The first thing you should start with is to find the reasons why or for whom you want to get rid of a bad habit.
It doesn’t matter exactly what the goal is: to surprise or please a loved one, avoid problems at home or at work, improve your health, etc., the main thing is that it really motivates you.
It is impossible to generalize and indicate exactly what behavior will lead you to success, since the reason for motivation is always individual. But the very existence of a goal can truly inspire you and help get rid of bad habits. Determine what matters to you at the moment, for the sake of which you are able to change, sparing no energy, and then you will succeed.
Get rid of the inner critic
The inner critic often does not allow to budge, we begin to experience a strong sense of guilt. First of all, in order to get rid of an internal critic, one must accept oneself and forgive for one’s non-ideality.
You can use the following advice for this. Make a list of what, in your opinion, you are not perfect, for example: too grouchy, jealous, unfriendly, swearing, etc. And imagine that an inner voice tells you this: “You pity yourself too much, it prevents you from living”, “Because of your jealousy, you will be left forever alone”, “Smoking will destroy you”, “Learn to talk beautifully and politely with people otherwise your friends will never appear. ”
In reality, such words would be unpleasant to hear, but you need to pull them out, because, perhaps, because of them you are suffering from bad habits. After you finish this exercise, tear the list with a list, it will become easier for you.
It is important to understand that there are no ideal people, every person is mistaken. Do not criticize yourself for every little thing, because it will not benefit. And be sure to remind yourself of the things you really do well.
Change one habit
Sometimes a moment comes when it begins to seem that all life is an accumulation of bad habits. We promise tomorrow to change everything. But, of course, you can’t completely change your lifestyle and get rid of a lot of bad habits in a day. In the end, you will fall apart and only exacerbate the situation.
Psychologists always recommend starting small: focus on one problem. Thus, gradually, you can get rid of everything that bothers you. If you want to change everything at once, it is likely that very soon everything will get out of control.
Also, when thinking about changes, it is important to initially perceive them as a long-term project. As a rule, people cannot get rid of bad habits because it takes too much time. If you are upset by the fact that it will take 8-9 months, think about how much this can change your life in the future.
Change habits
The most reliable and easiest way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with another, harmless one. Most often, smokers use this trick. Experts have proven that in the first 6-12 months, a person who smokes does not appear to be addicted to nicotine. In fact, smoking is nothing more than a normal habit, which over the years develops into addiction.Therefore, when there is an irresistible desire to smoke - eat candy or gnaw seeds.
A banal change of habits can really provide the best result. The main thing is that the new habit does not cause harm and does not cause negative emotions. It happens when it is difficult to replace one habit with another, for example, with alcoholism. You just need to think about what could distract you from the desire to drink. Maybe it's a pleasant walk in the fresh air with a loved one or some favorite hobby.
Avoid Triggers
A large number of habits appear due to triggers in our environment. Therefore, in order not to be subjected to undesirable behavior, it is necessary to avoid triggers or gradually reduce their impact.
Suppose you have problems with alcohol, but at the same time, regularly go to establishments where it is sold, what kind of deliverance can we talk about? This also applies to other bad habits. In every possible way, avoid irritants that can provoke a desire to return to a bad habit.
Change the environment
The environment and the people with whom we are constantly in touch can affect you. They can push you to a certain behavior, even if you are actively trying to stop it.
A great way is to change the scenery. Let's say you smoke in your balcony with an open window. Close it tightly and place a flower pot in front of it. You are used to seeing yourself in this place and in this way, and this is a matter of habit. The next time you come to the terrace, you will not see an ajar window, in that place there will be a beautiful flower. That is, now everything will be different at this place, this will change your usual routine.
Even small changes in the environment will help turn your bad habit into a less mechanical one, it will make you overestimate what is happening. Also try to establish communication with people who support your desired behavior. This does not mean that you should abandon old friends, but if you can find new ones who have been living for some time the way you want, this will help minimize the provoking factors.
Even if you are not a driven person, in some cases the brain can change your views on certain situations and succumb to the opinions of others.
Relax
It has already been noted that stress and anxiety often push us towards bad habits. Therefore, we must learn to relax. In a relaxed state, when you are not worried about anything, your brain is more likely to make the right decision.
Neurobiologists have repeatedly proved that stressful situations weaken the prefrontal cortex. As a result, you become vulnerable, since at this time the reverse side of the brain prevails, which acts on your subconscious. You start to eat a lot, bite your nails, drink, in general, do not quite control your actions. It seems to you that this will help get rid of stress.
However, to get rid of stress, you need to relax, for example, sleep, watch your favorite unobtrusive movie, read a book and so on. If you are in a relaxed state, the prefrontal cortex will be able to keep your bad habits in check.
Do not push yourself. Try to stay calm in any situation, and soon you will see that your behavior will change for the better.
Encourage yourself
In fact, our brain loves rewards. Write on paper what you will do or buy when you reach the interim result, and leave a note in a conspicuous place.
Let's say your bad habit is to bite your nails. You can promise yourself: “If I don’t bite my nails for a week, then only in this case will I buy new sneakers, which I so dream of.” Of course, the promotion can be anything: going to the cinema, buying something tasty for tea, on a pleasant trip to the countryside.The main thing is that you want to achieve this result, so you can begin to slowly discipline yourself.
In the end, getting rid of a bad habit will be your main reward. But this path is very difficult and long, it is not so easy to abandon what has long been in life. Therefore, do not forget to encourage yourself with various trifles.
Psychologists advice
In the fight against bad habits, it is important to listen to the recommendations of specialists. Many professional psychologists note a number of tips that will help on the way to achieving the goal:
- Focus on one specific issue per month, and in a year you will be able to get rid of a large number of bad habits. Do not try to change everything at once in a couple of days.
- Do not imitate other people, change your environment and make new acquaintances. Perhaps this environment has instilled a habit that you are trying so hard to get rid of.
- Learn to relax and enjoy the little things. It is because of stress that many harmful things become more attractive. Even in the most difficult situations, keep calm. After a few days, you look at the situation from a different angle and solve it with ease.
- We must accept the fact that it is impossible to completely eliminate bad habits, you need to learn how to change them to otherthat will not harm your health and emotional state.
- Another important recommendation is communicate more with the people you want to be like. If you are with those people who set themselves really high goals, this will motivate you. There will be a desire to strive for something significant.
