11/10/2020
๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐
Everyone has habits, and thereโs nothing wrong with them. Some are pretty useful.
Maybe you lay out your clothes for work the night before or automatically turn off the lights when you leave a room. These are good and useful.
But other habits, such as biting your nails, smoking, hitting snooze in the morning and snacking or eating unhealthy foods, might not be so beneficial.
Breaking unwanted habits can be difficult, especially if youโve been engaging in them for a long time. But understanding how habits form in the first place can ease the process.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ข๐ณ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ. This is a trigger, or cue, that could be a conscious behaviour, such as taking a break at work.
๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ. This is the behaviour associated with the trigger.
Taking a break at work, leads you to smoking.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ. The reward associated with a behaviour, like smoking causes the pleasurable release of dopamine in your brain, which makes you feel good.
๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐ฝ๐ ๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐
๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
Remember, triggers are the first step in developing a habit. Identifying the triggers behind your habitual behaviours is the first step in moving past them.
๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ข๐ป ๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ง๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ
Why do you want to break or change a certain habit? It will be easier to change your behaviour when the change you want to make is valuable or beneficial to you.
๐๐ป๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐
If you find the correct support, you will find it easier to make a change. Itโs hard to do something when you have the wrong tools.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ ๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ
You might have an easier time breaking a habit if you replace the unwanted behaviour with a new behaviour, instead of simply trying to stop the unwanted behaviour.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ข๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐น๐น-๐ข๐ฟ-๐ก๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐ฒ๐
Accepting youโll probably slip up a few times when trying to break a habit and coming up with a plan is one thing. Preventing feelings of frustration and failure when you do slip up is another story.
๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ข๐ณ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
Use a Tally app or flash card to keep track of the triggers and your replacement behaviours to resolve it. This will quantify your progress.
If youโre struggling to break habits and are not sure how you can go about it, do not hesitate to get in touch.
I am only one message awayโฆ I would like to hear which habits youโre struggling with!
