Identifying your habits is the first step towards gaining healthier habits that work for you, not against you. Once you have your habits identified, you can analyze which habits you’d like to keep and which ones you may want to rid yourself of. Most everyone has some sort of habit they’d like to change. How do we know which negative behavior we want to change first?
Bad habits range in severity. If any of your behaviors are detrimental to your health, start with that first. In some cases, you may need the help of a counselor to do so, if you cannot on your own. Take quitting smoking for example, if you notice that every day after lunch you want to smoke a cigarette, try replacing that desire with something else. Instead of reaching for the cigarette, chew a piece of gum or call a family member that you know supports your decision to quit. Even if you cut down on a few a day, you are closer to your goal.
Next, you should choose to break habits that hold you back from happiness. A pretty common example of a habit that will affect your happiness is negative self-talk. Oftentimes, people do this without even realizing it. Making a conscious effort to remain positive will greatly improve overall mood and happiness. Affirmations are positive sentences that you can repeat to yourself several times a day. This helps keep positivity on track and ultimately help you reach your goals.
It’s important to not change too many habits at once. Start by picking one habit you want to change that you believe is detrimental to you moving forward toward your goal. Try making a few changes to that one bad habit that you’ve picked. Let’s say your goal is to get healthier physically by starting to go for a walk every morning. Start small, like a short walk around the neighborhood instead of expecting to start with a five mile walk. Set small goals that will eventually lead you to your ultimate goal.
Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone has habits they would like to change. The first step is to acknowledge the habits you want to change. Then, you will be able to move forward achieving your goals.
