We all have habits. Some good, some bad. The outcomes of our lives are dependent on these behaviors. Oftentimes, we get an idea to break bad habits and dive in headfirst. However, many people fall out of their new attempted routine and go right back to their old ways.
The Four Stages of Habit
According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, there are four stages of habits: cue, cravings, response, and reward. The brain is wired to go through this process each time you do something that is a habit. Moreover, your mind is constantly analyzing your environment and reacting to cues to set off the chain reaction. So as you move into the craving state, you crave something because you already know the outcome you will receive from it. For example, anxiety comes up, you “crave” a cigarette, you “respond” to grab one and smoke it (this is the habit step), and your “reward” is that your anxiety and stress decrease. Another example is your phone buzzing (cue), you are consequently curious about the message (craving), you pick up your phone to read the message (response), and you are satisfied with reading that text message (reward).
In addition, the more immediate the effect to you, the more intense the craving. For instance, a cigarette gives you immediate relief from an emotional state. However, exercising to lose weight and feel more confident in your skin takes weeks or even months to achieve.
In other words, if you eliminate one of the steps from the four stages of a habit, you will no longer have a habit as a result. No cue? So no habit. No reward? That means no habit…In short, that’s how you can break bad habits!
You Can Create Good Habits and Break Bad Habits By Doing The Following
How to Create Good Habits According to James Clear
- Create an obvious cue (cue)
- Adjust the cue to make it attractive to you (craving)
- Make it easy (response)
- Turn it satisfying (reward)
How to Break Bad Habits According to James Clear
- Make it invisible (cue)
- Adjust the cue to make it unattractive to you (craving)
- Make it difficult (response)
- Turn it unsatisfying (reward)
Therefore, take time to think about your bad habits and how you can look for these steps that make you complete the habit. Do you want to make a new good habit? So, write down the four steps to get you there. Also, to help you out even more, here are 10 tips to get you started with positive change.
Top 10 Tips to Successfully Break Bad Habits and Create New Habits
- Write Down Your Reasons for Change
- Support
- Practice Mindfulness
- Find a Substitute
- Reminders
- Have a Flexible Mindset
- Baby Steps
- Switch to a More Suitable Environment
- Celebrate Your Wins
- Be Patient
1. Write Down Your Reasons for Change and Wanting to Break Bad Habits
Firstly, jot down on a sticky note the reasons you think you should change. Afterward, place it somewhere where you can see it daily. Ask yourself what you want to change. WHY do you want to change that habit? What’s the benefit? What will happen if you don’t change?
2. Search for Support to Break Bad Habits
Ask a friend, a loved one, a coach, etc. to keep you accountable. Finding someone who also wants to make the same changes, cheering each other on is a great way to stay on track. This is one of the reasons why joining a community/group that works on a goal you want to achieve is important.
3. Practice Mindfulness
You can practice mindfulness through yoga or meditation. Consequently, the more aware and mindful you are, the more you can notice triggers for bad habits. What emotions come up that make you want to engage in a bad habit? Can you notice that emotion that triggered it? What pattern do you keep getting stuck in? If you are aware of these cues, you will be better able to avoid engaging in a behavior that you want to change.
4. Find Substitutes For The Bad Habits You Want to Break
Try to find a substitute for the habit you want to break. For instance, say you snack on chips or candy and need to stock. Make sure you have a healthier snack packed with you like nuts, beef jerky, or fresh fruit. Suppose you want to stop smoking cigarettes. Every time you get the urge to smoke you can do squats, go for a walk, call a friend, do a breathing technique, or anything else until your mind is off of smoking.
5. Remind Yourself Why You Want to Create Good Habits
Leave yourself reminders. If the reason why on the sticky note is not enough… Place your running shoes and workout clothes out the night before if you want to exercise in the morning. Place a full bottle of water next to your bed the night before so you drink it when you wake up. Importantly, leave more notes for yourself or set times on your phone to remember to engage in a particular habit.
6. Have a Flexible Mindset
Every time you fail, do you give up completely? If yes, you may be stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset. Be kind and forgiving to yourself. If you slipped up, that’s okay, but get right back on track when you notice you have fallen off.
7. Baby Steps are Important in Creating Good Habits
You have a list of things you want to change, but most likely you will get overwhelmed trying to do them all at once. Start with one or two first and get used to those. You, therefore, need to start small.
8. Switch to an Environment That Is Conducive to Creating Good Habits
Do you want to stop drinking alcohol but ALL of your friends drink? Well sorry to say, but you need to find new friends, or just don’t go out with them when they are drinking. Do you want to exercise more but struggle to get motivated? Go to group workout classes where the community is motivating. Do you want to eat better but the people in your household eat unhealthy food? Change the whole house’s diet so there is no junk food nearby. You need to change your environment.
9. Celebrate Your Wins
You need to acknowledge and celebrate your wins. Did you accomplish the task that you were hoping to do? Then have rewarding, positive self-talk with yourself, or reward yourself in another way. Above all, celebrate small victories as you progress. This can keep your drive going.
10. Be Patient
Most importantly, give yourself time. Acquiring a new habit doesn’t happen overnight. Moreover, the amount of time it takes for a habit to stick is individual. It also is different depending on what kind of habit it is.
Reference
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: Tiny changes, remarkable results: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones.
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