Kicking The Habit Of A Lifetime
Everyone has got habits, from playing with your hair, cracking your knuckles, all the way to smoking. Habits are often formed when something stressful happens in someone’s life, and we use them as ways to deal with what’s happening around us. While some are more harmless than others, trying to kick the habit can be more difficult than it seems on paper. If you’re trying to stop your habit and cold turkey hasn’t worked for you, check out these tips on how you can kick the habit of a lifetime.
Identify your triggers
You may not realise it, but habits are formed as a reaction to something that’s happening – a coping method, some may say. Study yourself more intensely and figure out what triggers you. Once you have figured this out, you can work on ways of dealing with the trigger, rather than the habit itself. For example, if you bite your lips and you’ve worked out it’s usually just before something stressful is about to happen, take steps to reduce your stress levels like meditation.
You may also find it helpful to inform those close to you of your plans so that you’ve got a support system behind you. Breaking a habit is much easier when there’s people to back you up!
Distraction
Another fantastic way of breaking a habit is by distracting yourself when you feel the urge to do it. Distraction works as a highly-effective coping mechanism for people with anxiety and other mental health problems, and it could well work for you too. Turn on the TV, read a book, pick up the phone and talk to someone – whatever works for you.
Find healthier alternatives
Some habits are more harmful than others, and some habits also have healthier alternatives whilst you’re fighting the habit. Smoking, for example, is a hard habit to quit. Around 18% of people quit smoking altogether by switching to vape mods. A much healthier, less expensive way of dealing with your habit. Another example would be reaching for unhealthy food every time you feel stressed – make healthier alternatives!
Hypnosis
A tried and tested method of many different health ailments can be solved through hypnosis, and that doesn’t mean you have to head to a psychiatrist to do so either. There are many free or very cheap hypnosis tapes that you can download to your phone and listen to in your own time. Around 93% of people who use hypnosis have complete success!
Set yourself goals
Some habits will be easier to quit than others, but none will be instantaneous. You will need patience and determination to complete this task. Breaking it down into smaller, more easily achievable goals will make the whole process much easier. When you’ve hit a target, for example, one month without cracking your knuckles, reward yourself for doing so!
Stopping a habit that you’ve been doing for as long as you can remember is no easy feat, but with these tips, support from your family and friends, and pure determination, you can do it!
