Break Bad Habits

We’ve all got bad habits.
They can be frustrating.
Why can’t we just STOP doing something we know is bad for us???

nail biting. snacking at night. emotional eating. eating too many sweets. eating too fast. etc.

The solution to stop bad habits:
Don’t try to STOP doing the habit.

Say what??!!!

Instead: Put a NEW HABIT in its place.
Why: It’s easier to do a new habit than it is to break an old one.

Here are the details inspired by a journal article I love about habit-formation….

Step 1: Pick a bad habit you want to change.

Step 2: Pick a new, simple behavior to do instead.

Step 3: Repeat that exact new, simple behavior anytime you would normally do the bad habit. (Think of this as a HABIT SWAP!)

Step 4: Give it 66 days. And it will become easier and AUTOMATIC. Meaning it will become your new normal, ingrained, natural, second-nature.

Personal story: I’m currently working on this exact thing for my bad habit of taking automatic seconds after dinner. Instead of taking seconds, I’m going to the couch to PAUSE BEFORE SECONDS for 10 minutes. If I want more after the pause I will get them. Otherwise, I’ll just keep chillin’ on the couch. Now I need to repeat this new specific behavior… and watch it get easier AND AUTOMATIC as I get to the 66 day mark!