Bad habits cannot only affect your mental and physical health, but they can also waste your time, money and energy. Although it’s common knowledge to let go of bad habits, it’s easier said than done. Even the most strong-willed of us can fail. However, if you want to finally break free from your unhealthy behaviour, here are six ways to kick bad habits.
- Find a Healthier Substitute
Giving up a bad habit might seem easier said than done, but it doesn’t need to be. You simply need to find a healthier substitute that’ll improve your lifestyle. For example, if you want to say goodbye to traditional cigarettes, you should buy a vaping kit from Redjuice, as it will not feature any harmful cigarette smoke that negatively impacts your health. You could also choose healthier food alternatives, for instance, Greek yoghurt instead of the low-fat options that are usually laced with a high-sugar content.
- Cut Out Triggers
Different situations can cause people to embrace their bad habits. For example, you might be tempted to put your hand into the biscuit tin if they are in your home. If so, you should throw them away. By identifying your triggers, you will be able to avoid them to improve your lifestyle. Give yourself the best chance possible by cleaning our your kitchen and not allowing friends or family to leave sweet treats around the house. Additionally, if you’re quitting smoking, don’t allow them to smoke inside your home or even around the perimeter.
- Realise You Don’t Need to Become Someone Else
Many people believe they need to almost become someone else to break their bad habits, but that’s not the case. If you want to improve your lifestyle, you must realise you are not your bad habits. No-one needs to become a healthy person, they simply need to return to being a healthy person, as you more than likely haven’t had the habit all your life. Remember, you’ve lived without your vice before, so you can definitely do it again.
- Avoid Negative Self-Talk
It can be easy to convince yourself you can’t do something, and it can be much harder to believe you actually can change your life. Whenever pessimistic thoughts strike, you must finish your sentence with “but…” For example, you could say “I’m unfit and overweight, but I could get in shape and enjoy a healthier body within a few months.”
- Don’t Be Afraid of Failure
Everyone makes mistakes. It is what makes us human. Yet many people view a setback as a lack of willpower. As a result, they might be tempted to give into temptation, as they believe they don’t have the capability to follow up on their goals. It is therefore important to remember that failure can happen from time to time. There might be days when you indulge a little too much, skip a workout, or take a puff of a cigarette, but don’t let the mistake hold you back. Just accept it was a blip and get back on track as soon as possible.
- Visualise Your Healthier Lifestyle
Every time you’re tempted to buy fat-filled snacks, indulge in too much alcohol or skip a workout, visualise yourself living a healthier lifestyle. Imagine looking and feeling healthier, happier, or leaner, or envisage throwing away a pack of cigarettes or buying healthier food. Usually, once you’ve worked out or said no to an unneeded cupcake, you feel fantastic, so try to remember this feeling. It will help you to realise that your dream can become a reality, so you’ll be less likely to embrace your bad habit.