How To Break A Bad Habit

The nice thing about good habits is they can be strengthened and what’s equally nice is that bad habits can be broken.

It may not always be easy, but with a little effort a bad habit can finally become a thing of the past. Don’t let bad habits win!

If you struggle with a bad habit, get on track to get rid of it and move forward with your life.

Ways to break a bad habit

Here are some simple but effective ways to overcome a bad habit.

1. Replace it with a good one

This is a great way to turn a negative situation into a positive one. Use the consistency and commitment you’ve put towards a bad habit towards a good one.

Remember, though, that moderation is key and sometimes there is a such thing as too much of a good thing. If you switch to a good habit, make sure you employ the right amount of it in your life to benefit you.

Switch that bad habit into a good one.

If you have a bad habit you’ve already proven that you can be consistent, so be consistent with a good thing. Switch out smoking for eating vegetables, nail biting for journaling, etc.

Any time you feel the urge to engage in your bad habit, go do something beneficial for yourself instead. Not only can this end up breaking the bad habit, it could end up having a positive impact on your life.

2. Use willpower

Sometimes it really is this simple. If you have a bad habit simply use your willpower to overcome it. This is such an obvious but effective strategy.

Bad habits might be pushing you to do one thing but you can stand firm by not caving in to them. Take nail biting, for example. Simply do not allow yourself to perform the bad habit. If your hand moves close to your mouth for nail biting, force it back away.

Don’t view a bad habit as something you are powerless in front of. It’s in your mind so use your mind to overcome it.

3. Distract yourself in healthy ways

Don’t allow yourself much time to think about or engage in a bad habit. Distraction can help keep your attention occupied with something else. This could help minimize the amount of time you spend thinking about doing the bad habit and also minimize opportunities to act on it.

Make sure your distraction is healthy, however. Replacing a bad habit with a good one is beneficial, so distract yourself with something beneficial to you.

Try spending time with friends or family, reading a book, journaling, exercising, etc. You can even distract yourself with more than one thing and jump from one healthy distraction to the next.

4. Use a reminder  

Bad habits aren’t always done out of malice. Sometimes, people genuinely forget that they shouldn’t be doing something. Or they may even do it without noticing. 

Staying aware of the fact that a habit should be avoided can help with avoiding it. Put a reminder for yourself to not engage in the bad habit.

Write a memo on your phone or put up a sticky note on a wall. Put a reminder in sight that’ll jog your memory and help you catch and stop yourself if you’re engaged in the bad habit.