The skinny of bad habits

Building healthy new habits is so important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reaching your goals. But let’s talk today about the reverse: How to break a bad habit, whether it’s a mild annoyance or a serious health risk. Research is clear that you can do it. Take these power steps to rise above.

➡️ Know your triggers. Traffic? Mother-in-law? TV news?

➡️ Plan an alternative action when they strike. Gum instead of a cigarette… Meditation instead of drinking…

➡️ Tell a friend what you’re doing. We all need encouragement.

➡️ Get further support from a doctor, therapist or 12-step group if necessary.

➡️ Vividly imagine how you’ll feel if you commit the bad habit. Play the tape of the last million times you did it… you know how this story goes!

➡️ Keep up all your good habits – and even pick up a new one to draw your focus. Stack the new one onto a positive daily step you already take so that you associate them together without even thinking.

➡️ Reward yourself. Did you go, say, a week without biting your nails? Take yourself out for a healthy smoothie.

Look, I get it. Life is stressful, and we use little tricks to help us deal with stress or to bring us a moment’s pleasure, to build us up when other people (or our little demons) are knocking us down. It’s only natural – so don’t make it worse by beating yourself up! Instead, take positive action now.

Joining a healthy community, such as a gym or studio, is super-helpful. And you don’t have to wait until you triumph over your bad habits to start exercising, eating right, and enjoying positive friendships.

I believe we can create new habits that then give us added power and inspiration over those persistent negative behaviors, too. Fight the negative with the positive. It works every time!

Do you know what triggers you? Are you working on it? Let me know in the comments.😊