“A change in bad habits leads to a change in life.”
– Jenny Craig
Time for Some Good-Habit Changes
Bad habits are like a chain around your neck. They never stop bugging you. If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a few! The thing about bad habits is how easy they are to learn and how hard to change. Take my fingernails, for example. I never realized how much I gnawed at them until I was 10 years into the bad habit of biting them! Yikes. But I broke that easily using hypnotherapy and so can you.
Here are Some Good Ideas
I decided to come up with a list of important tips I used to help me break this terrible habit and wanted to share it with you, too!
- Be hesitant about miracle cures. Kicking any bad habit is difficult to do and sometimes it takes time. In 2013, a Gallup poll found it took smokers an average of 3.6 tries before they were able to quit. (Here’s a wonderful list of online resources to help you quit smoking)
- Watch out for triggers. Try not to put yourself in situations where you’re going to be tempted. For example if you’re trying to quit smoking, avoid hanging out with other smokers if at all possible.
- Sometimes we fail. It’s not always possible to reach your goals on the first try. Accept that sometimes you will make mistakes and move on.
- Cold turkey isn’t always the best. Studies have shown that going cold turkey isn’t always the best method for quitting a bad habit. You can try reducing the frequency in which you spend doing your habit and see if that method works better for you.
- Get social. Chances are, if you get some sort of social support in breaking your habit, you are more likely to succeed. Reach out and talk to others, whether it’s friends, family or professionals.
- Change your schedule. Try and separate your bad habit from your routine. If, for example, you always smoke when you wake up, try eating breakfast or doing some exercise before having your cigarette instead.
- Record your habit. Making a journal of where and when you gave in to your habit can help you see potential patterns. When you’re able to create a roadmap of your habit, this gives you more power to change it.
- Find a replacement. Finding a healthy replacement for your bad habit can help you break it. If you chew your nails like me, for example, try chewing gum or a toothpick whenever you get the urge.
- Look after yourself. Bad habits tend to occur when we are stressed, hungry, or tired. Make sure you look after yourself by getting enough sleep, eating well, and meditating.
- Remember this...recent studies have shown the five most common bad habits, such as excessive drinking, smoking, not exercising, and ineffectively dealing with stress, can take over 7 years off your life.
If You Can't Do It Alone, Hypnotherapy
and Success Coaching Can Help
Applying these tips to the breaking of any bad habit can greatly increase your chances of success. If, however, you are still finding it difficult to stop, consider hypnotherapy as an alternative treatment option. Hypnotherapy has been proven to help people break many bad habits and I’m confident it can help you too.
You are always welcome to book a free consultation. Click on the link below and let's talk.
