6 easy steps to get rid of a bad habit

As humans, we all develop some sort of bad habit. Some bad habits include: nail-biting, sleeping late, eating too much fast food, smoking, sitting around all day, spending too many hours online, and etc. The habit can be small or can be huge. It all adds up to being bad. No one wants to keep their bad habit, and I’ve dealt with my fair share of bad habits. I bite my nails way too much, I procrastinate and put off important stuff, and, worst of all, I sit down online for hours. I mean, my screen time is currently at 10hrs per day. Only a few can successfully break their faulty habit. Here are six steps into carefully getting rid of that bad habit of yours. Let’s take some steps towards the ridding of your bad habit.‍

Acknowledge your bad habits

 For you to successfully overcome your bad habit, you have to first know what that bad habit of yours is. You might be saying, isn’t that obvious? Well, yes, but this step is important to recovery.  If you don’t know what your bad habit is, there is no way you can correct it. You have to identify the bad habit since the problem starts with your self-consciousness. Since habits are a mind thing, you have to become aware of them so that you can reverse them.‍

Start Wanting that Change

You have to want change for your situation to improve. If you want to change, you have to be the one to get up and do something. If you don’t, then everything will stay the same. If you don’t want a change, there is no way you will be able to stick to your goal of getting rid of a bad habit. You have to be all-in. Wanting change is such a crucial step to take when trying to break a bad habit. Not only does your mind have to want that change, but your entire body and entirety has to want it so that it can work. It doesn’t even have to be a large act — you can simply paint your nails, get better sleep, or simply take time for yourself. What you do with this step will determine if your journey towards getting rid of your bad habit is successful or not. When you do this step, you will be one step closer to change. You will be closer to becoming at peace with yourself and your decisions.

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Keep your mind off the old habit with a new one 

I know that getting rid of a bad habit is hard. You need to distract yourself during this time. When something becomes a habit, it takes a lot of willpower to overcome. One step you can take is to take is to divert your attention to something new. Start a new healthy habit to shift your focus off that bad habit that you are simultaneously trying to avoid. Not only will you keep yourself distracted, but you might also find something that you end up loving in the process.

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Surround yourself with like-minded people

It’s good to have like-minded people in your life when you are trying to reverse a bad habit. When you have like-minded people surrounding you, you start to act somewhat similarly to them. The company you keep does have an impact and influence on your choices. If you’re around people who practice that same bad habit that you are trying to get out of, you find yourself falling back into the habit you’re trying to avoid as you see the people around you doing it. The people in your life can also help you and look out for you when they see you relapsing into your bad habit. They can be that little voice that keeps you on track. So, surrounding yourself with like-minded people can help you to grow and change your bad habits. This is because to grow, you have to be around people who understand you.

Know that there might be slip-ups

I know that no one is perfect. I’m not perfect myself, and I have made some mistakes in the past. It’s hard to get rid of a habit, especially when trying to correct something that has become routine. Everyone slips up. It’s perfectly normal. I have slipped up so many times. I find myself procrastinating or biting my fingernails after long talks with myself saying, “It’s the last time” or, “I’m done doing this.” So, don’t let some fallbacks discourage you on your journey to recovery from your bad habit. It’s okay to slip up. Humans make mistakes. You’re on a journey, so there might be some bumps or falls, but you can always get back up. When you slip up, just make sure to remember the change you want and start working towards it again for as long as it takes. Don’t let it faze you too much, just use that slip-up as a lesson or reminder that encourages you to do better the next time.

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Be positive about your situation

It’s dire to be positive on your journey to free yourself of the bad habits you develop over time. You shouldn’t let negativity consume you, especially when you are truly trying hard to give up something that has become something of a lifestyle for you. If you let negativity consume you, it might start to affect your performance in correcting that bad habit of yours. Positive thinking will help you on your journey. Positive thinking in my life has helped me overcome so many of the rocky situations I’ve had to pass. Accept things that are good in your life at the moment. Don’t worry about all the negatives. I know that it might be hard but it’s good to try.

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Getting rid of a bad habit will turn your life around. You will start to feel relieved. No matter the bad habit that you’re trying to get rid of, kicking it will improve your lifestyle and overall health. That feeling of addiction to your bad habit will be broken, and you will feel yourself starting to grow. These six simple steps will help you to break these bad habits. I hope that you are successful on your journey to a happy and healthy lifestyle.