5 Ways to Get Rid of a Bad Habit

Bad habits are something that we all have to come to terms with because we're all going to have them at some point. It could be smoking, it could be nail biting, or it could even be overeating. There are just too many possibilities out there to name them all, but what you may find hard to believe is that you can get rid these afflictions quite easily.

Following these five strategies will set you on the right path:

Be Committed: Oftentimes we want to do things that we will never actually do. Make sure that this is truly something you want to do, and that you will stay committed throughout. It might sound easy, but you will find that staying committed is difficult, especially if the work involved is something that you really do not want to do.

Avoid Peer Pressure: You are only doing this for one person - you. Don't let anyone else pressure you into doing anything!

Document your Progress. You need to know when your undesired behavior is occurring as this knowledge will give you a better idea of how to break it. This might sound a bit harsh, but sometimes writing things down really isn't a bad idea.

How do you feel when these things happen? Document your feelings. Oftentimes you may look back and believe that the experience was not quite as bad as you made it out to be. If you've documented your feelings however, you will know just how bad it was!

Substitute Behavior: By substituting your behavior you will either be coming up with a new behavior that reminds you to stop the old one,or you will be replacing with a much more desirable behavior.

Any activity can be used for your alternative. For instance you could ride a bike, play a video game, jump rope, or even watch a movie. Anything can be used as your replacement, just make sure you're not replacing your current habit with a worse one.

Schedule your Replacement: It may not be possible to do a complete change in a short period of time. Try scheduling and gradually replacing your bad habit.

You could start by doing it once a week, then gradually move it in more often. Soon enough, you should find that your new habit replaces your old one entirely. Remember however that people learn at different paces and others may be able to quit before you do. Don't be discouraged!

A Vow of Silence Doesn't Help: You need your family now more than ever. Don't leave them out of the loop, and certainly don't lie to them. Let them know if you're not doing okay!

Let's be clear, this isn't going to be easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. Gain the willpower you need to push through this difficult time and break the habit that you've always wanted to break. Before you know it, you will truly have your life back, and you will love every minute of it.