Building good habits and burning bad ones is a change
process, one which takes intention, strategies, and endurance. Here is your
guide on this journey:
1.
Understand
the Habit Loop
Cue: The thing that will trigger a behavior.
Routine: The behavior itself.
Reward: The benefit, gratification obtained from the
behavior.
One needs to change one of the habit loop components to
change a habit.
2. Start Small
Make small changes you can easily manage, so as not to
become overwhelmed.
For instance, if you're starting an exercise program, begin
by doing a mere 5 minutes a day.
3. Set Specific
Goals that are SMART
Encourage yourself to make specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant, Time-bound (SMART) goals.
Instead of saying, "I want to read more," you
would say, "I will read 10 pages every night before going to bed."
4. Use Triggers
as Advantage
Bond new habits to existing routines (habit stacking).
For instance, "After I brush my teeth, I will meditate
for two minutes whenever it is convenient."
5. Replace bad habits
with good ones
Identify the trigger and the reward of a bad habit. During
the period of habit formation and solidifying, allow the unhealthy routine to
be replaced by a more positive one.
If you tend to snack when feeling stressed, try deep
breathing or a short walk instead.
6. Track Your
Progress
Grab a habit tracker or journal to track your consistency.
Let each little win be duly celebrated.
7. Leverage
Accountability
Tell a friend about your ambitions or a community of
like-minded individuals.
Nothing lifts your spirits like the necessity to be
accountable for others.
8. Focus on
Environment Design
Let it be easy to practice good habits and hard to do bad
habits.
For instance, let healthy snacks be evident and junk food be
tricky to take.
9. Practice
Self-Compassion
Understand that there are setbacks that happen in the
process.
When mistakes happen, instead of quitting altogether, think
through what went wrong and renew your commitment.
10. Reward Yourself
for Achieving your Habits
For being true to your habits, reward yourself.
Choose rewards that feel aligned with your goals: A nice hot
soak after an excellent week of exercise might be good here.
11. Visualize Success
Envision what will be gained from your new habits and the
losses from not changing.
Visualizing can strengthen a sense of motivation and
reaffirm one's commitment.
12. Be Patient and
Persistent
Forming habits is a time-consuming process. Research suggests
it could take 18 to 254 days depending on the person and the specific habit.
Keep going, no matter how slow it seems.
13. Consider Failure
as a Learning Experience
Examine all the reasons why you went back to bad old habits
and change your plan accordingly.
Learn from relapses rather than calling a failure.
14. Seek Professional
Help if Needed
In the event that any bad habit is so engrained or serious
like an addiction, it would require one to contact a therapist or coach.
15. Celebrate
Long-Term Success
Be sure to honor yourself when a habit becomes automatic,
and you are finally in a position to set some new goals for future growth. By
understanding the science of habits and applying these strategies, you can
slowly but surely build good habits and break the cycle of unhealthy ones. The
change happens in the journey and not at the destination
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