By definition, a habit is ‘a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.’ The key part is ‘hard to give up’ because it’s true…you can’t just flick a switch, and your habit of biting your nails since you were 8 years old is now gone.
The funny thing about habits (err – maybe not funny, per se) is that oftentimes we do them because we find them comforting. They help alleviate anxiety, they make us feel at ease, and quite simply, they become part of our daily routine. And while not all habits are bad (i.e. meditating every morning as soon as you wake up), many times they are. And it can be hard as hell to break them.
So, how DO you break a bad habit?
Whether it’s something small that doesn’t really affect your day to day or something big that is starting to become detrimental to your well being or your relationships, it might be time to kick that bad habit once and for all.
- When does it happen? If you won’t remember, write it down. Take note of when the habit pops up, what triggers it, what you were doing at the time, what happened earlier in the day, your mood when it starts happening. Sometimes you’re so used to the action that you don’t even know when you’re doing it. However, to understand its why/when/how/where, you need to be a bit more aware of it.
- Once you are more aware of when the habit is taking place, start to take tiny steps towards stopping the habit altogether. It might be rather challenging to completely stop, let’s say, biting your nails (going with this example, it seems!) from one day to the next, but maybe start by limiting how often you bite them throughout the day. Allow yourself to do so only twice instead of five times. Baby steps is always the best way in achieving any goal, and breaking a habit might very well be a goal of yours.
- Make changes in your lifestyle. The reason you might be biting your nails constantly is because you’ve been feeling very anxious for one reason or another. Start introducing practices to your life that can help alleviate that anxiety and worry. Whether its yoga, meditation, shutting off your computer at night, taking a personal day, treating yourself to a pamper day, something that’ll ease your worries a bit, even if just for a period of time. This way, you not only have something to look forward to, but it’s actually something that can push aside anxiety even if just for a little bit.
- Have a game plan. What else can you do when you start doing that habit? Have a readily available list of some great alternatives. What makes you really happy? Whether it’s walking outside, calling an out of town friend, dancing to loud music, watching YouTube videos, or anything in between, have at least 10-15 options of something else you can do INSTEAD of ‘biting those nails.’
- Reward yourself. Look, I’m not saying to bribe yourself in an unhealthy way, but you certainly can reward yourself for sticking to your plan. For example, if you’re one who always makes coffee at home, but you ADORE the cute (more expensive) coffee option at the cute place down the street, treat yourself to a latte once you go 5 days with either doing your habit less often than you used to (or if you stop it all together). As mentioned above, it’s nice to have something to look forward to, and if you need that in the back of your head, then go for it.
We all have had or currently have habits we might want to break. The good thing is; it’s in your control. It might be difficult and it might take some time, but you can do it if you really want to. Put the aforementioned steps in place or try one thing at a time, and before you know it, your nails will be fully grown back to how they once were! Yes, really.
Have a happy Monday and an awesome week. See you back here tomorrow!