Good And Bad Health Habits

By Kerul Kassel

Bad habits are simply patterns we've gotten used to. We're comfortable with them, even though their consequences make us uncomfortable. It's the old "devil you know" story. Exchanging bad habits for good ones is not as hard as you might think. There are only 4 steps to new habits:

Step One toward creating strategies to start the new year without old bad habits holding you back is to first identify which habits are the most bothersome or distressing to you - that's where you'll start, and you'll work on only 1 or 2 habits at a time, otherwise it will be overwhelming and you'll give up. Choose something that will really count for you, not something someone else is trying to "guilt" you into doing.

Step Two involves identifying what triggers this bad habit (pattern); what are the kinds of situations you find yourself in that are more likely than not to set the bad habit into play? What are the thoughts that go through your head before you engage in the bad habit? You need this information so that you can be prepared for the next step.

In Step Three you'll create a new pattern to replace the old, bad habit. For example, if smoking (or eating or drinking too much) is a response to stress, and it makes you feel like a victim, identify what helps you feel victorious and accomplished. When have you had success with overcoming something and how might you apply that to the current situation? What behavior could you replace the bad habit with such as step outside for a breath of fresh air, call a friend and chat for 2 minutes, take a brief walk, pet a dog or cat, take 10 deep breaths, or watch the Comedy Channel for a few minutes?

Step 4 helps this new habit become sustained, making it easier to follow through than to fall back into your old ways. Enroll others in your success. Tell them what you're doing and ask for their assistance in whatever way makes sense. By involving other people you’re acknowledging and accepting that you're really committed to making it work. Tie rewards and consequences: give yourself a reward for making some progress, or pre-assign a consequence (one you don't want to have to pay) for not following through. Be flexible about how things go, and maintain an attitude of play or experimentation. The first thing you try might not work, but that doesn't mean something else won't...don't give up.

About the Author: "Plagued by the temptation to procrastination? Would you like 2006 to be your year for procrastination renunciation? If you think overcoming procrastination is only about will-power and discipline, think again. Procrastination Expert and Coach Kerul Kassel has worked with hundreds of people on their procrastination challenges and created a quiz as a result: http://www.newleafsystems.com/one.php, or visit http://www.stopprocrastinatingnow.com. "

Source: www.isnare.com

Share this: