It’s the time of year when we want to better ourselves in starting off the new year well. Perfect timing to find out some ways to kick your bad habits to the curb!
1. Recognise the Habit Trigger
The first step to identifying a bad habit is recognising the habit when it’s happening, and what happened directly before it. Usually, bad habits are a result of something else- there’s usually a reason why this habit manifested. Perhaps you click your pen constantly when you have a stressful deadline, or you bite your nails when you’re in a tough situation. Maybe you binge-watch TV series because you are bored, restless or your passion & purpose soul food needs nourishing. Identifying these triggers is the key to eliminating the habit in its entirety!
2. Redirect the Habit
Now that you’ve established when your habit is taking place and have recognised the trigger, aim to redirect that habit to something rewarding. For instance, if you are a nail biter when you’re stressed out during a major launch or with a project deadline, use a stress ball and give that a few squeezes, or try using a fidget spinner to stop you from biting your nails when anxiety hits.
Once you have distracted your attention and the urge to bite your nails has passed, immediately redirect your attention to making a detailed list of how you’ll accomplish the work you need to do to avoid the stress associated with strict time lines. I love doing a brain dump as a way to clear overwhelm where I write down everything that’s on my mind and then prioritise the three most important tasks to complete in one day from the list.
3. Make Small Changes to Your Routine
Make small changes to your routine to further stop your bad habits. If you overeat while binge watching the latest episode of Suits, try turning off your iPad for dinner time and mindfully eat at the dining table without any distractions. Combating a bad food habit is as easy as having healthy snack alternatives available rather than chips, or having a variety of stress management tools within reach.
