Because people are naturally creatures of habit, it is quite difficult to unlearn habits. That’s a double-edged sword, because those habits can be both good and bad. With bad habits, you may experience negative consequences that can have a profound impact on your life. A psychologist gives six tips to break those bad habits.
Earlier we shared a bad habit that is disastrous for your self-confidence.
Tips to get rid of bad habits
Psychologist Monica Vermani tells the American Psychology Today that habits are so hard to break because we often do them without thinking about it. That is why it is good to think about it first of all. According to her, a bad habit often comes in the form of some kind of reward. For example, if you work too hard during the week, you may want to ‘reward’ yourself on the weekend with drinks, food or excessive spending.
She gives six tips to unlearn bad habits.
Create awareness around what you want to change
According to Vermani, awareness is always the first step towards implementing meaningful changes. “Admitting to yourself that you repeatedly overwork, use alcohol or drugs, or distract yourself with online shopping, comfort food, or watching a lot of TV to numb or avoid uncomfortable feelings or situations lays the foundation for the decision to quit.” to do better for yourself.”
Make the decision to change
According to the therapist, you have to promise yourself that you will say goodbye to a habit or behavior pattern. “Remember that a bad habit always has negative consequences.”
Find out what triggers the bad habit
Find out for yourself what the triggers are for your bad habits so you can tackle them better. What situations and circumstances lead to this behavior?
Address your triggers
Vermani advises seeking the help of a professional if you are dealing with trauma, a gloomy mood, anxiety or stress. Help from friends and family can also be very welcome if you are having a hard time.
Have compassion for yourself
Breaking ingrained habits takes time, so give yourself time to make changes in your life and seek help and support when you need it. The psychologist guards against an ‘all-or-nothing mentality’, because this can cause months of progress to be undone if you make one mistake.
Replace bad habits with good ones
How will you replace the habits that no longer serve you? Look for positive, enjoyable, and healthy interests and activities.
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