From a psychological point of view, a habit is any action brought to automatism and carried out without effort and control. That is, these are actions that people do without hesitation. Unfortunately, a person tends to acquire more bad habits than good ones: from almost innocent "childish" ones (biting nails, winding their hair around a pencil) and ending with really harmful addictions to smoking or gluttony. Getting rid of them is much more difficult than acquiring them.
Instructions
Step 1
Set yourself up for luck. To break a habit, you have to want it. You do not need to expect much from the very beginning, but you need to believe in yourself. Many retreat immediately, as they already foresee failure. Therefore, it is best to start small, giving up addictions gradually. For example, first try to break the habit of touching your hair when it’s over, and learn not to be late. Having won, you will understand what you are capable of and will be able to quit smoking, for example. Write down your commitments to keep you motivated.
Step 2
Once you've picked one habit to get rid of, determine the cause. In fact, this is a more complex and deeper concept than just an automated action. It is based on serious psychological conditions, such as stress or prolonged neurosis. With the help of certain actions, a person calms himself down and looks for a way out. The habit of tugging at clothes and straightening hair can be the result of an inferiority complex and self-doubt. To understand the reason, observe yourself. For example, you may find that you start chewing on a pencil every time your boss talks to you. As a rule, during rest, vacation or after a change of work, habits disappear, as the cause is eliminated. If you cannot understand the source of the addiction, see a psychologist.
Step 3
Identify the positive and negative aspects of the habit. Even from the most harmful and bad addictions people get pleasure. Smoking, for example, can help refresh your mind or calm your mind. But after listing all the unpleasant consequences (cancer, metabolic disorders, cough), you will understand that there is much less good. If your habit does not harm you or those around you, but gives a lot of pleasure, it may not be worth getting rid of it.
Step 4
Use a trigger is a short ritual that you need to do every time you want to do a familiar thing. Choose an activity that will benefit and please you and will help you to get rid of the urge to do the habit. For example, every time you feel like nibbling on a pencil, start drawing something. To break the habit of getting up late, eat earlier and go to bed.
Step 5
Avoid the situations in which your habits are most often shown. Try to see your mother-in-law less often if you constantly fiddle with your clothes while talking to her. Or keep yourself busy with something very interesting instead of a late dinner, so as not to think about it. It is also advisable to avoid people who have the same habit, since imitation is peculiar to a person.
Step 6
Control yourself and plan your behavior ahead of time. If you want to get rid of parasitic words, learn the speech of the speech, think over your phrases during a conversation. Be prepared for any situation. Place reminder stickers at home in habit-related areas. For example, to the refrigerator, if you constantly carry food out of it, or to the closet with a request to remove your clothes.
Step 7
Telling friends and acquaintances that you want to break the habit increases motivation. Use the action of the leverage - for example, give a friend a thousand rubles and ask for a refund only when you completely eliminate the bad habit.
