Changing bad habits – an important, but above all, difficult topic in implementation, if you do not know how to approach it properly. Habits, rituals, automatisms – they determine our life, whether you like it or not.
- The alarm clock sounds and the first action is the grasp to the mobile.
- The day starts in the office and the first gear goes to the coffee machine.
- You come home after work and do your daily workout.
These are just three examples of countless routines. Some have a positive influence, others are more damaging and that is why it is important to change bad habits into good habits.
Habits are actions and behaviors that run automatically. They are based on decisions that we once made consciously. To create a habit from a one-off action, three steps are taken.
- First, there is a trigger or trigger called. These include thoughts and external stimuli.
- They cause us to make an action/habit. For example, your alarm rings (Trigger =) and you press the Snooze button (Action).
- Now your behavior is encouraged/rewarded. Because you get 10 minutes more time to sleep until it rings the next time.
Apart from the fact that the snooze function robs a valuable time, it is an integral part of many.
The more you devote yourself to a new cause and persecute her continuously, the better you will become him. The better you get, the more excited you expect new results. The better the results, the more motivated you will be and stick to it.
Steps to change habits:
What do you really want to achieve?
Think about what you would like to own as a habit and write it down.
What or who keeps you from it?
Why have not you already acquired these habits? Consider exactly what or who has prevented you from doing so.
Are you afraid of the change? Do you have a bad environment that might not support you? Or do not you really have any reasons and have just not been disciplined enough?
Link pain with the idea of clinging to the current situation and enjoy the benefits of changing it.
You have to build up internal pressure to take the first important step. You have to feel pain. This pain is the pressure that drives you. You, me, all people strive to avoid pain and gain joy.
So if you’ve decided to go jogging regularly, you might also think of your cozy couch or movie night with your friends. But what if you turn the tables and put the pain on the movie night or the couch?
After all, they keep you from becoming fitter. Take them as the “bad guys” and look forward to the round of running in the park.
Because think about what you would have to do without if you do not change yourself? What disadvantages (mental, emotional, physical, financial, and mental) are you already aware of? You want to avoid this pain and replace it with joy.
Change your patterns
As soon as you realize that you are falling into old patterns of behavior, interrupt them with an abrupt action. For example, if you repeatedly reach for your cell phone at work and distract yourself unnecessarily, hit your fingers or shout “Hallelujah, what am I concentrating again” (possibly internally, if you’re sitting in an open-plan office).
Yes, you can smile now. But it is a tip that works. Anthony Robbins, one of the most well-known NLP coaches, puts it this way: “Hooray, my feet are not stinking today.”
Imagine something funny and you will laugh immediately. Your attitude, your emotions change immediately into positive and you will notice how pointless your behavior was before.
Mostly we are annoyed about things that we cannot change anyway. So why stick to it and pull your own mood into the cellar?
Next time you get angry at work and get out of your lows, stop acting and say your funny sentence again. Remember, with a positive attitude, you’ll do things much more effectively.
It’s also a lot more fun to walk around the office with a smile and show your colleagues how to move forward more quickly and successfully through a positive attitude.
Or, if you are totally unmotivated to make your rounds in the park, and then remember the last time you were proud and full of happiness after your sporting activity. Smile and get the feeling again.
Develop an alternative
You now know how to reach the point where you have to act. You have collected enough disadvantages and gained convincing benefits for change. Plus, you know how to break patterns so you do not “relapse.”
You start fresher and more active in the day. Does not instantly interfere with others and take control of your actions.
Repeat and reinforce your new action
The more motivated and consistent you repeat your alternative, the easier and faster it will solidify and become easier for you.
At this point, the law of affirmation comes into play. It means that you should reward your behavior. By confirming and rewarding, you strengthen your new behavior. Keep in mind that when you reward yourself, it matters a lot.
Try it
Make sure that your new changes are appropriate and fit your lifestyle, beliefs, and values. Also, see what impact the change has on your environment. Once you have acquired a new habit, check that you have achieved the desired effects. If it does not, start with step 1 again.
Author bio: Katey Martin is an entrepreneur by profession and has in conjunction with others have authored several books on topics such as personal habits, confidence-building and career how-to. She can be contacted for essay writers UK by following her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.