If you’ve ever tried to change a bad habit, then you know how difficult it can be. The good news is that it’s possible—and not just for those with willpower. Anyone can make small changes in their lives and turn them into long-term habits. Here are some tips on how to do that:
Identify your triggers.
- Identify the trigger. The first step to breaking a bad habit is identifying what actually triggers it. For example, if you’re constantly late to work because you go on Facebook every night after work, then tracking your social media use during that time will help you determine whether or not staying up late on Facebook is actually causing your lateness.
- What do you do when the trigger happens? Once we know what triggers us—or sometimes even before—we need to figure out how we can avoid those triggers in the future so that we don’t fall back into our old habits again! This can be as simple as setting an alarm clock for when I’m going through my usual routine of checking my phone or making sure I have lots of water with me at all times since dehydration makes people more likely to relapse.
Practice self-awareness.
One of the most important things you can do to break bad habits is to understand yourself. Understanding your triggers, recognizing when you are most likely to engage in bad habits and patterns, seeing what makes you happy or sad—all of this helps people who want to change their behavior see the difference between a good decision and one they will regret later.
Remember: it’s okay if you don’t always know how or when something will make you feel stressed out! Just remember that there are ways around any stressors that arise from changing up old habits (or breaking new ones).
Get motivated.
Once you’ve identified your bad habit, it’s time to get motivated. The first step is thinking about the benefits of change and what you will gain from changing your habit. If you’re struggling with procrastination, for example, think about how much more productive life would be if every task was completed on time. Or if there are times when you feel like eating something unhealthy like chocolate cake or ice cream because it doesn’t really matter as long as I’m eating something sweet right now—think about how much better off life will be when those feelings aren’t there anymore!
Once these thoughts are in place and clear in mind for each bad habit that needs changing (i.e., “I’ll start exercising every day at 5pm”), think about how much effort it takes each day just to keep up with keeping up with this particular bad habit; then ask yourself: “How far am I willing to go?” And finally: “What do I get out of continuing doing this?” If none of these questions answer themselves clearly enough yet – don’t worry! It happens all the time too!
Find healthy alternatives to replace your current activity.
Your bad habit may be more of a health problem than you realize. If you can’t seem to quit your unhealthy behavior, try replacing it with an alternative that’s more beneficial to your overall health and well-being.
Here are some examples:
- Smoking cigarettes? Try walking instead! Walking is healthy and is good for your lungs than smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco. Plus, it doesn’t smell like smoke! It’s also much cheaper than buying packs of cigarettes at the store.
- Drinking alcohol? Switch out those drinks for sparkling water or even soda pop instead—they’re all super refreshing when hot weather hits us here in Florida! If you want something stronger than sparkling water though…well maybe try bourbon instead since bourbon isn’t technically alcoholic but still tastes good enough so why not give it a shot?
Start small to build momentum and make changes that last.
If you’re trying to change a habit, start small.
Your first step should be setting a timeline for yourself—a date by which you will have achieved your goal. Once that date is reached, keep working towards making that change permanent.
For example: “By March 1st I’ll be able to stop drinking coffee without feeling guilty.” This could mean not being able to drink coffee until then; or it could mean going cold turkey (for example). It doesn’t matter how long it takes! The important thing is making sure that once March rolls around and snuck up on us all like an April Fools joke gone awry… we are committed to sticking with our new habit no matter what happens next year (and beyond).
Make a plan and set realistic goals.
The first step to breaking any bad habit is making a plan and setting realistic goals. This can be difficult, especially if you’ve never done it before. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities of life and lose sight of what’s important. But if you want your life to change for the better, then it’s time for some serious self-reflection.
The first thing that needs doing is setting specific goals: what do I want from my new relationship? How much money do I need? When will I stop smoking cigarettes? Where am I going on vacation next year (or even now)? Once these questions are answered, then comes the hard part: how do we actually achieve those things?
Setting realistic but challenging targets can help us stay focused when progress feels slow or uncertain at times; after all
Set up reminders or triggers to help you stay on track with your new habits.
To set up a reminder or trigger to help you stay on track with your new habits, try using a calendar or a to-do list. A better option might be setting reminders on your phone, computer or other device that you use regularly. You can also set up a reminder on paper by writing it down in regular pencil and putting it somewhere where you’re likely to see it (like right next to your bed). Or use one of these more creative methods:
- Sticky note—Write down an actionable task like “Call mom” and stick it somewhere where you are likely to see it often so that whenever something comes up that requires calling someone else—whether they live far away or close by—you won’t forget! This works especially well if there’s no internet connection available at home due to reasons such as power outages etc…
Share your goals with supportive people in your life.
When it comes to achieving your goals, it’s important to remember that you are not alone in this endeavor. You may think that other people won’t understand or care about your goals because they are not as important as their own. However, sharing your goals with supportive people will help keep you motivated and focused on what is truly important for you. It can also help others see how their own lives could improve if they work toward their own personal development as well.
Having a support network of supportive friends or family members who encourage us when we are doing something good for ourselves can make all the difference when we feel discouraged by our failures or challenges along the way!
Recognize when you slip up.
When you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, try to learn from your mistakes and take a break. Then get back on track!
Don’t give up so easily if things aren’t going well for you—you’ll likely feel like quitting before long anyway.
You can create new habits and end bad ones.
If you’re willing to be patient, persistent and consistent with yourself, then it’s possible to change your habits. It takes time but the rewards are worth it!
So, what can you do if you’re struggling with bad habits? The first step is to identify your triggers and find healthy alternatives that work for you. Then, once you’ve identified what works for you and created a plan, it often helps if you have someone in your life who can provide support when things get tough. For example, maybe one of your friends or family members would like to join forces with you on this journey toward better health—or maybe they just have other ideas about how to keep yourself accountable! Whatever the case may be: reaching out for help makes all the difference when it comes down
