How to break bad habits in 4 steps!

Breaking habits can be challenging. James Clear has written an interesting segment about this in his book: Atomic Habits. This blog will discuss his methodology that can help you break your bad habits!

Often bad habits are a way to deal with stress and boredom. From biting nails to spending a lot of money on food or alcohol, can be a simple response to stress and boredom. Stress or boredom, however, is sometimes caused by deeper problems. Are there certain reasons that hide behind bad habits? Is there a fear or event that makes you hold on to something that is bad for you? Acknowledging the causes of bad habits is crucial to overcoming them.

1. Eliminate as many triggers and cravings as possible

We will continue with smoking as an example of a bad habit. If you are trying to quit smoking, make sure you practice conscious self-control and stick to the commitment that you have made to yourself. You can do this by for example making sure that there are no lighters and cigarettes at home or the office. If you are trying to lose weight, don’t buy cookies or candies in order to live a healthier life. Essentially, you need to make it easier for yourself to break bad habits by simply not having triggers that make those habits inevitable.

2. Choose an alternative

Many times, when people face boredom or stress to numb emotions, pain, and anxiety, they gravitate toward bad habits such as drinking, smoking, using drugs, revenge eating, Netflixing, etc. James Clear indicates that you should have a plan when you feel like smoking a cigarette. What action can you take as an alternative? In the absence of an alternative, one is only left with existing habits as a way to numb whatever they are going through. Apart from finding ways to handle nicotine withdrawal (through e.g. nicotine replacement products), one of the best and free alternatives is breathing exercises when one experiences stress.

Ultimately, we intuitively know what’s best for us, what is suitable for us personally. One-size-fits-all alternatives may not work for all. 

3. Team up with someone

How often do you try to diet independently? Or maybe you have ‘quit smoking’ but the triggers are too intense to sustain non-smoking. In such cases, taking on the challenge with someone can really help ease things. You can hold one another accountable and celebrate your progress together. Knowing that someone else is expecting you to get better is a powerful motivator that assists you to hold yourself accountable.

4. Be you

A common tendency is that we think we have to become an entirely new person. The truth is that you already have what it takes to be someone without your bad habits. In fact, it is unlikely that you have had these bad habits all your life. You don’t need to change into a healthy person, you just need to get healthier again. Even if it was years ago, you have already lived without the bad habit, which means that you can certainly do it again.

How do I get started?

If you’re looking for the first step to breaking bad habits, I suggest you start with awareness. 

Ask yourself:

• When does the bad habit happen?
• How many times do I do it every day?
• Where am I when it happens?
• Who am I with?
• What triggers and causes the behavior to continue?

Simply keeping track of the answers to these questions will create more self-awareness about your behavior and provide you with multiple ideas to start breaking bad habits.

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