5 Science-Proven Ways to Break Habits

Are you looking for a way to kick a bad habit that's been bothering you? Help is available, whether it's for a minor or major change in your daily routine.

Breaking a negative habit necessitates rebuilding your brain and may involve a significant amount of effort on your behalf. However, the life-changing outcomes are well worth the effort. Everyone has something they need to let go of, therefore it's quite normal to seek assistance in doing so.

It's difficult to sort through all the noise, though, when everyone from experts to casual friends is offering advise. Discover five scientifically proven methods for breaking a habit! Begin right now and see benefits sooner than you expect.

1) Recognize Your Triggers

It's critical to understand what sets off your undesirable habit. Before you can quit doing something, you must first comprehend why you do it.

Look for the signs in your life that trigger your sweet craving, for example, if you can't control it. Do you buy those inexpensive cupcakes in the grocery store aisle on the spur of the moment? Does a restaurant's dessert menu make your mouth water? Do you take a sugary treat every time someone offers it to you?

Once you've figured out what's causing the issue, you can take a step back and evaluate your decision critically. You will begin to recognise patterns in your life very fast. You can break your habit before it gets out of hand if you recognise the patterns and triggers.

Saying "no, thank you" to a slice of cake at a coworker's birthday party has actual weight. When you refuse dessert in favour of a cup of tea, you will feel more in control.

Triggers frequently appear when you become locked in a routine. You are more stuck than you realise when you go to work the same route every day, stop at the store on the way home and pick up snacks quickly. However, simply travelling a different route will make you feel less tempted to succumb to temptation.

Allow diversity to be the spice of life. Tomorrow is a fantastic day to get started. Take the back routes to work, make dinner at home — do anything out of the norm to break up the monotony of your daily routine.

2) Replace a bad habit with a good one

You have the power to make a better life choice.

Start small if you don't have the urge to get off the sofa but later regret not doing so. Stretch in front of the television or alternate standing and sitting. You won't be able to completely replace your TV time with an exercise right once, but you can work up to it over time.

Repressing your thoughts will almost certainly lead to a relapse in your habit. You can only keep an addiction at bay for so long. As a result, you create a void in your life. A void, on the other hand, is a vacuum, sucking you back in and making it much more difficult to escape.

Replace the hazardous void of dependence that you've created with something positive. If you have a habit of biting your nails, try putting a piece of gum in your mouth instead. If you do this often enough, your mind will eventually correlate the impulse to bite your nails with the desire to chew gum.

According to studies, rewiring your brain and breaking a bad habit takes roughly two months of effort. Some people will click immediately, while others will take longer. However, the more rigid your practise is, the easier it will be to sustain.

Begin a new way of life today, and keep it going for the rest of your life – one day at a time.

3) Understand why you want to quit.

Make a compelling case for yourself to break the habit. “Because it's harmful for me,” for example, is not a useful way to phrase your behaviour. Stopping because "someone instructed me to" does not put you in command.

A distinct and reachable 'other side' will provide you with something to look forward to as well as a long-term objective. Setting goals is important for improving one's lifestyle since it offers you something to work towards.

Reframe your mind if you have a habit of drinking too many beers after work. Sure, it's bad for you, but if that doesn't deter you, consider the consequences for those you care about. You break a habit not only for your own benefit, but also for the benefit of your entire circle of relationships.

When people can fully externalise their goals, they have a better chance of breaking free from a habit. Working from the outside in is a tried and true method for achieving success.

Not everyone has the ability to look deep within themselves and fight an internal conflict. Having a child or partner explain how your behaviours have harmed them, on the other hand, provides an external reminder that a change is required.

Make a long-term goal for yourself that will take consistent practise. Plan to run a marathon a year from now, for example. Stopping your habit is the only way you can achieve that goal. By the time you cross the finish line, you'll realise you've overcome your addiction and accomplished something you never imagined possible.

You have the ability to self-discipline and pull yourself out of any ruts.

4) Develop a mindfulness practise

Think about the sensations fully and clearly in those instances when you engage in your habit.

Consider this: how does this make you feel in your body? Am I content? Will I come to regret this decision?

Meta-cognition, or thinking about your thoughts, is a mindfulness technique. To achieve this state, all you have to do is focus on your breathing.

When you're stuck in a habit, try this breathing exercise:

Relax your body and place both feet on the ground, feeling solid against the ground. Pay attention to your breathing. Follow your body's natural rhythms... inhale... exhale. There's no need to force things. Close your eyes for a moment. Allow your thoughts to go anywhere it wants. Continue for a total of 5 minutes.

You'll be able to contemplate the repercussions of your habit after slowing your breath and calming your body.

Modern cognitive behavioural treatment includes mindfulness as a component. The core tenet of CBT is that you can alter your body by changing your thinking. It's all about being kind with yourself and recognising your patterns of behaviour.

Everyone can benefit from awareness. However, you might be surprised at how many individuals go through their days on autopilot.

Many persons with addictive personalities claim they aren't even aware they are in the midst of their addiction. You can't change or adjust your habit if you don't even realise you're doing it!

If you slide back into your vice, ask a trusted buddy to remind you what you're doing. Having a second pair of eyes on you can make you rethink your behaviour.

Maintain your composure, focus, and mindfulness.

5) Be willing to accept relapses

Even with the best means, lying to your brain is impossible. We all make mistakes. You might find yourself returning to familiar territory.

But now, more than ever, you have the means to conquer it. Remember that you are no longer in the dark. Remind yourself that you are no longer starting from the beginning.

Beating yourself up for failure is the worst thing you can do. Accept your mistakes, learn from them, and move on.

Not becoming connected to your meditation practise is a key Buddhist principle. Consider this the next time you have a relapse. You haven't completely destroyed the system you've worked so hard to create. You go through ups and downs in life, and that's just the way it goes.

If you find yourself reverting to old habits, pull out your tools. At that time, practise mindfulness and analyse your situation without passing judgement on yourself. You're only doing your habit for a few minutes; it's not something you'll do forever. Keep in mind that your habits do not define you.

Relapses might be triggered by trauma, previous triggers, or unforeseen events. Expect to find solace in your poor habits as you attempt to replace them with healthier ones.

Conclusion

Being gentle to oneself is the most crucial method to break a habit. Punishment does not lead to happiness.

It should not be as difficult to break a habit as it is to break a bone. It's more like a melting candle in that you fire the flame of change and then let the wax trickle away until you're left with a clean slate.

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