Bad habits poison life. Whatever it was about, about smoking, addiction to junk food, hanging on social networks, there is no doubt that it would be much easier for you to live without them. The habit develops gradually. The catch is that as long as you don't consider it a habit and think you can control yourself, the addiction takes over and controls you. Are there easy ways to get rid of bad habits?
You thought you were in control of yourself, but a moment comes, the stress goes off scale, and now it’s not you who decide whether to smoke a cigarette, eat another candy, or bite your nails. You just do it because that’s what will save you stress and help you relax. Indeed, the ruse works for a while. But not a day will pass when you will again find yourself in a stressful situation and will be forced to resort to the old remedy again. Then you will feel remorse and give yourself your word for the hundredth time. Never ever. Is it possible to make the word given to oneself after another breakdown work? How to get rid of a bad habit. Desirable, without suffering.
Neither strength nor will will help
In the fight against bad habits, willpower will not help. Because the situation in which you resort to "calming" actions is stressful, and in a stressful situation, the ability to self-control weakens. However, neuroscience offers a rather simple way, which is based not on willpower, but on awareness of the situation as a whole.
What is a "bad habit"? How does it happen that you reach for the next cigarette or chocolate bar? This is always preceded by stress. A situation in which you are uncomfortable, painful, uncomfortable, tired, and your brain requires a reboot. I would like to relieve the tension that is growing. The hand reaches by itself to the next liver. You will come to your senses when you empty the entire pack. And one more thing - the longer you abstain from action, the stronger the signal will be. The longer you walk past the bowl of candy, the more likely you are to empty it all, and not be limited to a couple of candies. These actions are inherently routine. That is, they are based on repetitions, they resemble a ritual. Strictly speaking, this is a ritual. Which is soothing. You reward yourself for a boring meeting, for a difficult task, for being late at work.
This is how a habit is born. Trigger - routine action - reward. After smoking a cigarette, you calm down. Absorbing chocolates makes you feel satisfied. And then again the trigger - a routine action - a reward. And so on in a circle that is closed.
Don't say, "I can't."
This is a simple trick. The person trying to overcome the addiction usually says, "I can't." Can't smoke because it negatively affects health and financial well-being. Can't eat chocolate, because sweets increase weight and deteriorate teeth. Cannot bite nails because it is unaesthetic or indecent.
Well, it doesn't help. Scientists advise that instead of "I cannot" just say "I am not." Compare. You cannot smoke or you do not smoke. You cannot eat chocolate or you cannot eat chocolate. Oddly enough, it works. For many, this technique helped to quit smoking, which is considered one of the most harmful addictions.
Millions of people strive to quit smoking and any bad habit that they cannot control. And if you are one of those millions, start simple. Whenever temptation looms in your face, say, "I am not."
You need to know triggers by sight
A trigger is what prompts you to act compulsively. Nervous, reaching for a cigarette. Sit in a company, someone offers you a slice of pizza, you are not hungry, but you will not refuse, because "chewing is better than talking."
Answer a few simple questions to help you understand where your triggers or "hot spots" are.
- Where were you when your addiction to a bad habit suddenly surfaced?
- What time of the day is attraction shown?
- What is your emotional state when you start to "pull"?
- Who are you with?
- What happened before you felt this way?
It is best to answer these questions daily, whenever you feel the urge to satisfy your addiction. Get yourself a special journal. You can also check your progress there. Those cases when you managed to abstain.
If-then plan
A plan for fighting bad habits is essential. Now that you know situations that threaten a breakdown and can answer “I can’t” instead of “I can’t,” you need to figure out what you will do if the situation arises.
Here's how simple it works.
- Identify a scenario in which you engage in a stress-relieving habit. Let's say a friend offers you chips or a cigarette.
- Think about what you say after you say "I don't eat chips." or "I don't smoke." For example, you give up chips, but you can ask for an apple instead of chips. It is better to replace a bad habit with a useful one.
- Now put it all together. Write down "if a friend suggested chips, I will say I prefer apples."
This is a simple strategy that doesn't require any extra effort or resources. The main thing here is to be patient. These three steps are easy enough to follow, but it will take time to develop new habits. The process is a bit like learning how to ride a bike. It's simple, but it takes time.
Of course, breakdowns are inevitable here. Forgive yourself for them. And follow the plan. If you persist and devote time to realizing and fulfilling the plan, you will succeed and be free.
