July: Celebrate YOUR independence--five tips to break a bad habit.
July: Celebrate YOUR independence--five tips to break a bad habit.
It does not matter if you are thinking about a good habit, or a bad habit. Depending on who you ask, it can take anywhere from three weeks to three months to form a habit. As a therapist, I have seen that it really depends on the person. Here are five important tools, steeped in evidence-based practice
Form your goal. Do you want to lose weight? Improve your relationships? Feel less anxious? Write your habit down on paper (or on electronic paper). BusinessStudyNotes.com noticed people go through five steps before making a decision. If you write out your goal you are automatically more likely to commit.. You are not alone. committing is the hardest part.
Be MINDFUL: in New Jersey we have a quit smoking program free to all residents: NJQuitLine.org This website has helped many people. They offer these tips: change your routine- if you usually smoke after a meal then go for a walk instead, or drink water. Being mindful of your triggers gives you the chance to form an action plan before you are triggered.
Speak KINDLY to yourself. Quitting a bad habit (or forming a good habit) takes time. It also takes patience. Just because your brain knows a habit is bad, doesn’t mean your heart is ready to give it up. It also doesn’t mean your body instantly forms muscle memory to stop doing it. ResearchGate.net suggests the most successful athletes give themselves pep talks. Be GENTLE with you. Studies show people learn best when they feel supported and heard. Give yourself praise every time you do (or don’t do) a thing. How you talk to yourself matters.
Act KINDLY to yourself. If you skip a smoke, reward yourself. If you start to end a toxic relationship, reward yourself. ScienceDirect.com suggests you treat yourself well at every opportunity. Let yourself go to that park you always think about on the drive home. Let yourself read that trashy romance novel. Let yourself enjoy more minutes in the day. Lavish yourself with rewards.
Chart your AWESOME PROGRESS Keep a daily log: any time you feel like doing a bad habit, write the time down. Choose one day to look back at your progress every seven days. You will observe the days/times that you felt most tempted. You will also observe the days/times when you did not. This step is like meditation- you are only noticing. No action is necessary. Like they say at Mindful.org you are just paying mindful attention to yourself.
You don’t have to do it alone. I am a licensed clinician. Contact me for a free 30 minute consultation. It does not have to stay this way. You deserve to feel heard. You deserve to feel happy. You deserve to feel safe. www.therapyfellows.com choose Individual and Family Therapy and use password Picture1925
