Tips to Quit Bad Habits and Lead A Better Quality of Life
Healthy habits are not acquired overnight. Even experts say that it is easier to replace one habit with another than to create one from scratch.
This process begins once we know what the negative habit is that we want to change, we identify its trigger, whether or not it is generated in a specific environment and what is the reward that is sought with it. Next, we will see each of these steps in detail.
Define Objectives
Studies have shown that people who have clear goals manage to establish healthy habits much faster. Since there is a commitment on their part and they associate the fulfillment of the related activity with a greater purpose.
Go Slowly
Many habits are abandoned quickly because they represent a drastic change in the person’s routine. For example, when we start exercising, we tend to start with more difficult routines or exercise for a long time. However, it is recommended to maintain the habit, start doing low intensity exercises and progressively increase the time.
Make a List of Bad Habits
Make a list of the habits you want to eliminate from your life, as well as the consequences they have on your health. This advice is important if you are focusing your energy on combining a healthy diet with exercise routines that benefit your body. You may have some relapses while changing these habits, and you should not give up because of this, but rather remember the reasons that led you to make this decision.
Replacing A Bad Habit with A Good One
As we mentioned above, it is easier to replace a bad habit than to create one from scratch. The brain processes information much better when we make the exchange, than when we propose to develop a habit from scratch. For example, if you are looking to apply healthy eating habits, but your weakness is sweets with high sugar content, try changing to snacks that are much healthier for your body.
Listen to Your Body
It is important that when you consider what healthy habits you should have, you pause to also listen to what your body wants. You must take into account the time it will take to modify this behavior and if you are really satisfied with the reward it provides. These elements are fundamental, especially when we want to establish healthy eating habits.
Identify What Triggers the Bad Habit You Want to Abandon
Knowing what motivates us to continue with a habit that harms us makes the path much easier. Knowing the enemy will help you know where to attack.
Define What the Reward of The New Good Habit Is
Habits have a characteristic: while negative ones give you short-term pleasure, healthy ones give you long-term well-being. For this reason, we feel guilty when we eat poorly and do not have healthy exercise habits, but we have more energy when we carry out this routine in a healthy way. (SG)