5 Tips To Break Habits
Habits are habits that we are exposed to over a long period of time, that usually becomes an integral part of our lifestyle. We may have developed some habits early on in life such as the preference for certain foods or a particular pattern of dress. These habits tend to become embedded in our conscious mind and even our unconscious mind, so that our reactions to similar situations do not need conscious attention. However, even though they are not aware of it, these habits are taking over our lives and interfering with our lives. They can be quite burdensome at times and it is important to get rid of these habits. To get rid of bad habits, there are four steps:
The first step you need to identify the bad habit and find out its root cause. There could be a variety of reasons behind your habit such as stress, loneliness, a troubled childhood, or an improper diet and lifestyle. Once you identify the reason behind your habit then you can decide whether it should be changed or discarded altogether.
Step number two is to change your environment and reduce your exposure to the bad habit. If you smoke, try to gradually give up smoking by cutting down on your cigarette breaks and gradually increasing your smoking duration. This method works very well on nicotine because the body gets used to inhaling nicotine and thereby stops the craving for the cigarette after a while. You can also try giving up drinking alcohol by breaking your habit of frequent drinking and replacing it with new habits such as drinking water instead of coffee and having a healthier diet.
Step number three involves a systematic change in your routine. This may require you to go through some discomfort to shift your habits to a new routine. However, this is one of the most effective methods because once you have identified your habit, the process becomes relatively easy. For instance, if you smoke because of stress, you should replace that behavior with some activity that relieves stress such as reading books or going for a walk. By shifting your habitual behavior to the right thing, you train your mind to identify the right thing rather than smoking.
Step number four deals with changing your behavior. Once you have identified your behavior, you simply change your habits to match your new behavior pattern. So if you smoke because you are stressed, replace the behavior of smoking with some other activity that relieves stress. If you smoke because of depression, get yourself involved in a hobby where you get to learn to laugh and smile. Changing your habits to match your behavior is one of the most effective methods of breaking bad habits.
Step five deals with breaking your bad habits through a little help from science. Scientists have conducted many experiments to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture in breaking hidden habits. In fact, they show that people who had to undergo acupuncture therapy, after spending three months, did not recall any of the bad habits that they had to renounce in the past. Hence, with this little help from science, you can take control of your life, break your hidden habits and live a new and healthy life.