How to break up with bad habits

According to Leon Ho, bad habits have become so ingrained in everyday behaviors that it is bound to be tough to change them. These routines are a part of life that even knowing the potential negative impacts might not be enough to change them

Here are three proven steps to get over bad habits once and for all.

1.No excuses

Make sure you understand that your bad habits are not helping you and don’t give yourself any excuse to continue. The more excuses you give yourself the farther you get from breaking the bad habit. Don’t think whether you should do the bad habit or not, just don’t do it no matter what.

2. Be super aware whether you have done the bad habit every day

Write down how things are going with your commitment. It’s easy to lose track of progress if you don’t make a note of your behaviours.

You are bound to slip up when you are turning over a new leaf. Writing down your behaviors might reveal patterns related to these moments of weakness. If you can spot the pattern, you may be able to disrupt it.

3. Train yourself like a dog (for a Good Cause)

Ultimately, you’ll want to train yourself to do the right things the way that Pavlov’s dogs salivated automatically when they heard a bell ring. The dogs salivated (their routine) without thinking because they had been classically conditioned to associate the sound of the bell ringing (a trigger) with food (their reward).

Don’t let a fear of failure stand in your way. Even if you have been engaged in a bad habit for years, it is still possible to eliminate the unhealthy behaviour. Know that it may not be easy at first, but eventually, the good habit will become your natural response to the trigger. The commitment to break bad habits could lead you to a healthier and more successful future.