Kicking that bad habit
Everyone has a bad habit. I used to drink a lot of juice and soda. It took me a while to kick that bad habit. It doesn’t happen overnight. Maybe you stay up too late and fail to get necessary rest. Maybe you eat junk food too often. Maybe you smoke, despite wanting to quit for a decade or more. Perhaps you spend your evenings watching Netflix instead of walking outside.
Habits can be tough to break, but it’s worth the effort to trade them in for better ones. According to a new study from Harvard Medical School, good habits may be a factor in reducing the incidence of cancer cases in the US. Research shows the risk of certain cancers is much higher for those who smoke, drink heavily, have an unhealthy BMI, and don’t exercise regularly.
Ready to make a change? With a few key steps, you can kick your vices for good. Here’s how to start the process.
All About That Commitment Boss
Whatever you have to do to solidify your commitment to nix that habit, do it. Write down exactly what your goal is, and make that commitment to your partner, your kids, yourself. It’s crucial to have that defining moment, otherwise it’s that plan that never gets started. Having a written contract can help, so type one up, print it out and sign it. It also helps to make it a challenge. Make it fun!
Roadmaps Are Essential
Now that your commitment is set, you’ve got to be clear about how you’re going to get there. Goal/Deadline: Set a date to hit your goal and quit your habit entirely, keeping it in the back of your mind along your journey. When you reach your goal, set a new one or continue your journey. It needs to be Specific: Maybe you’ll bring healthy lunches to work every day, or hit the gym immediately when you wake up or leave the office. It should be Measurable: You should be able to track progress, like steps on your Fitbit or the hours of sleep you’re logging each night. It’s got to be Attainable: If you shoot too high, too fast, you’ll get discouraged by lack of progress toward your goal, so keep it realistic. It should have built-in Rewards: The reward should match the achievement, so perhaps you go to the movies on Friday if you hit your healthy-eating goal for the week, don’t be afraid to treat yourself on the weekend.
Identify Your Triggers
For example, “I don’t even realize I’m doing that!” or “I can’t help it!” These are the reason for triggers. You want to identify and change the behaviors that set off your habit. Perhaps you eat too much sugar and you get too little exercise on days where you get less than six hours of sleep. Maybe you smoke or bite your nails whenever you’re under a deadline at work. Start tracking the behaviors that eventually set off your habit. Then, get creative. You might need an extra brick of chocolate during your period, so you don’t binge later on, or maybe you need to pace the office a couple times during the workday instead of biting your nails. Think, adapt, change.
Evaluate When You Fall
The biggest reason people can’t quit their bad habits? They have a difficult time getting back on the wagon once they’ve fallen off. Let’s say you go on vacation for a week, busting up your positive sleep habits and your smart diet choices. When you dive back into reality, don’t try to immediately pick up the good habits; although you don’t realize it, a stark change back might be too high a mountain to climb. If you were going to bed at 2 am, you might need to try 1 am for a few days, and then midnight, until you get back to that healthy bedtime. The same thing can be said for food. Maybe you need to gradually cut back on chocolate and add in more veggies, instead of trying to instantly transition from vice foods to waistline-friendly foods.
Just remember that kicking habits is a process, and staying the course is essential. You should always have a plan to get back on course for moments when you falter, which is the real way you beat bad habits for good: Don’t let the missteps wreck your attitude, and never give up on your goal.
