4 Sure-fire ways to quit bad habits before the New Year
Do you need to quit bad habits? Everyone has personality traits and quirks that make them unique and individual; however, sometimes, you might get into a pattern of behaviour that becomes detrimental to your health, wellbeing, or lifestyle. Trust me, we’ve all done this!
Deep down you know that if you really want a happy and fulfilled life, you need to combat any bad habits that are becoming a nuisance, or worse, a hindrance, to you and those around you. Smoking, over eating, stress, drugs, disorganisation, laziness – whatever your “vice” – it can be changed.
With Christmas and New Year fast approaching; it might be tempting to continue as you are and decide to not deal with any issues until January is in full swing. Big mistake! Leaving things for another few weeks will only increase the strength of your habit, and you want the new year to begin as you mean to go on; with a happy and healthy outlook, a positive attitude, and a fresh start each day. You CAN do this. The power is within you.
Whether it’s smoking that you want to quit, you want to better your eating habits, or if you’ve lost some of the control regarding your finances; taking action sooner rather than later is your best plan of action. Don’t ignore the things in your life that are currently bringing you down until the new year; read on and start making your changes today. The following are some ideas, inspiration, and advice for those who are ready to kick their bad habits now and get into positive patterns of behaviour by the time the new year arrives.
Get the best advice
Kicking a detrimental pattern of behaviour is always going to be a challenge; however, doing it alone is even more difficult. Therefore, it’s worth looking into professional help who will be able to give you the tools and information to make the changes you need towards a happy and successful life again. When you need to quit bad habits this is something you should consider carefully.
Whether you look into hypnotherapists or counselling; it’s worth taking some time to research into reputable help, before embarking on any course of therapy. If you feel that something isn’t working for your straight away; give it a little time and patience before trying something new. Try to make the allowances you’ll need in your life to keep up the practices, sessions, and any changes that the professionals tell you to do; you’ll be on a new path towards your goals in no time.
Refocus your energy
Everyone who has ever quit bad habits has employed the power of focus. Now is the perfect time to stay busy; take up a new hobby and make sure that you’re around friends and family as much as possible. The more that you’re out and about, or keeping yourself occupied with other things, the less likely you are to be tempted to slip back into things you don’t want to.
Make sure that you tell your nearest and dearest about the changes you are making and your plans for your future; they can become your support network and will help you along each step of the way. This makes you more accountable. Keeping focused, honest, and open about your life is a great way to get next year off to a positive start in the knowledge you’re already putting the hard work in.
Be kind to yourself
There’s no need to beat yourself up for your actions in the past, in fact, this can only make you more depressed and unlikely to move and change. Even if your “problem” is quite serious, forgive yourself, and focus on a better you for tomorrow.
When we have a “bad” addiction or continue with a “bad” behaviour, we can feel that we are failing ourselves and failing those we love. This feeling can push us further and further into a state of inaction – “Things are already so bad, I might as well just continue” – is a common way of thinking. Try to remember to be kind to yourself – you are worth it when you need to quit bad habits.
If you fail, try again
Addictions are difficult to conquer and it might take you several attempts to finally let something go. This is OK, this is normal. If you “slip up” just get right back up again and try one more time. Failing is part of growth. Each time we fail, we get closer to the attempt where we will succeed. Don’t get down on yourself.
There are some studies that suggest that failure actually makes us smarter. “Our brains do not function in an orderly, linear fashion. Instead, they fumble and guess and predict and fail, then rinse and repeat,” says influencer Jeff Stibel. “The brain is a prediction engine, a pattern recognition machine. We have experiences, we use those experiences to make predictions, and then we guess our way through the world. With each passing guess, we grow wiser. Brains are unique in their ability to learn through failure.”
Plan to quit bad habits by starting today
Don’t wait until the end of the year. Start now. Take small steps. Remember that the first steps are often the hardest, so be proud that you’ve started your journey today. By January next year, you could be on your way to being a different person – one that is happier, more in control and proud of yourself. Good luck! You can quit bad habits when you believe in yourself.
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