How to break a Habit

I just wrote an article about creating a habit. This article is the opposite, how to break a habit. If you have read the previous article, you may think you can break a bad habit my replacing it with a good habit. You will fail miserably. Why? First you would be breaking the No Thinking rule by trying to replace. And, secondly you will be stuck with your bad habit still. So, how do you break a bad habit?

The main rule is to think about you habit. You must make it apparent to you mind and yourself when and why you do you habit.  All habits, smoking and drugs included, can be broken in 30 days. Here are the steps:

 

 

1. Consiously note when you are doing your habit
• Since a habit is a mindless state, you may not even know when you are doing it.
2.  Consiously note how you feel emotionally when you are doing you habit
• Do you feel good, bad, nervious?  Mostly note if you feel anything at all. Since a habit it mindless, you will most likely feel nothing
3. Consiously note how you feel physically when you do you habit
• Think about the feeling of the cigarette or cupcake in your hand.  Note its texture and weight.
4. Do not over think!
• Dont pine over you habit every second of the day. Only think about it when you are about to do it.

Being consience of your habit is its destruction.  Once you are knowledegable about what you are doing, you will find it is easy to not do it.  You will start slowly, the first week you will still have your habit strong, but you are learning. The second week you will know you habit and you may even skip it a few times. the third week you will be skiping it more. And, the fourth week you will no longer be doing it!

Most importantly, DO NOT OVER-THINK. Over thinking, or constant thinking will drive you nuts.  This is not hard work and it shouldn’t feel like it is. And remenber, it takes atleast 30 days, and usually not much more than that.

Permanent Link  |   Del.icio.us  |   Cosmos  |   Digg  |   Slashdot