Topic: How do you create good habits and break bad ones, what actually works? (Read 744 times)

It might sound stupid but replacing bad habit with other less bad habits works faster and slowly you can turn it into a good habit in a more consistent way than just outright trying to replace it with a good more healthy habit.

At least for me personally that works best, whenever I try to remove or replace a bad habit with a healthy one and go cold turkey it usually just doesn't last more than a day or two and I just end up back on the train of bad habits, not sure what is the habit that you are currently trying to remove/replace right now but for instance in junk foods case people could start eating less and less junk food and replacing some of them with healthy ones here and there and gradually work their way up to a fully or mostly healthy diet.

We all have different ways through which we can develop new good habits against troubling ones that we're dealing with. I will suggest you apply almost same strategy and discipline you used in improving on your diet against junks, all you've got to do is to be intentional about changing them and also bearing in mind the benefits that you stand to enjoy by keeping those good habits. Maybe that will help you achieve your goals faster.

Change your way of thinking is the key to appreciate the new habits.

Vitally, understanding your bad habits is the first step. & I don't even think this is exclusive to just habits. Patterns we have (whether it be job, relationships, etc): Understanding them on a deeper level permits us to understand when we are committing them.

Once you understand your habit, & why you need it (on a fundamentally deeper level), you can start to work around it.

Is a matter of choice to develop good habits or bad habits, if you  want to create good habits to break bad habits just make sure you start following good people that have good habits, and it will make people to begin to see the good habits in you and bad habits will gradually leaving you.

Op this question is difficult base on how one perceived it, any thing bad habit mostly once it's addicted can't easily be abandoned but need gradually process because it will appear as if you want to learn another new things from what you know already.

The major process of creating good to avoid bad habit involves, limiting oneself from certain situations that leads to that which is perceived as bad example if it's through a friend avoid regular meeting together, if it's food you try something else that is not harmful as the one condemned or if you take it twice daily, once a day can be tried until you begin to skip taking of it.

This continues even in spending if money beyond one expectations, one can create but for everything and once you have reached the budget everything should be suspended.

Creating good habits and breaking bad ones often involves a combination of strategies. Start by setting clear, achievable goals, and make small, consistent changes over time. Use positive reinforcement, such as rewarding yourself for progress, and hold yourself accountable by tracking your habits. Surround yourself with supportive environments and people who encourage your efforts. Additionally, understand your triggers for bad habits and develop strategies to avoid or replace them with healthier alternatives. Remember, patience and persistence are key; change takes time and effort, but with dedication, you can reshape your habits for the better.

Habit is a psychological issue and creating good one to abandoned existing one must start from the internal body system mostly the brain. Example person that is addicted to alcohol or womanizing etc must kill the emotional feeling first. Another thing is to retrieve what leads to such actions if it's friends related cut gathering gradually, if it's eadible things find out close substitute that is not harmful take it gradually to stop the effects until your free.

Most often, the bad habits amongst us are the most comfortable and enjoyable ones we exhibits so of definitely we can be mean to do away with those private ones we can hopefully do away with ones we feel it is bigger ones.

Sometimes ago I was influenced and mislead by friends that I can't have a better thinking about the future and can't resist to my Indulgence with them so I found a love whom I am flexible to be controlled, she asked me to do away with those of my friends but due to how hard to was for me since I still finds them around, she conditioned me to choose between she or my friends. It was hard for me but I was frozen by her passionate feelings towards me so I surrendered up to her and we both relocated to a different region where I had the opportunity to rethink and make better plans for myself including considering my future some better places.

We can only work on our habits in a way that a time comes when it is changed but the problem is we never work on our habits nor think ever about our habits, in the world we are living in now we only focus on our money that how we could earn money from which resources we can earn money. I'm not saying money is not important but we have a limit in everything simple the case with the habit we have to work on our habits till we succeed in getting good habits and changing the old ones.
We have to start with changing a small habit that we can easily change then go for unchangeable habits.

One of the hacks is to keep accountability partners who will help you stay on track. So you tell them what you want to achieve and allow them access to the reality of how much efforts you put into staying faithful to those goals you want to achieve. Also ensure you have milestones, what to achieve by what time, and celebrate those wins, stay away from whatever prompts you to get yourself involved in such that you wish to do without.  

You can read up on google to get more views on this.

Changing a habit needs some time, we cannot say that we can change our habit very fast because it also takes time. As I can say a habit can be made because we have done the tasks several times again and again and thus we call it our habit. But first, we have done it many times. Now how could that habit change faster even if we didn't make it that fast?

As smoking was my bad habit. As I started to change myself in a way before I was smoking about 5 cigarettes per day. Then I started to make it less for about 3-4 then gradually after some days it came to 2. Spending the time with it I go for 1. Now I didn't some at all and had left the habit. The Slowly but surely habit can change it we have the will to change it.

bad habits are hard to control if you dont understand the habit or why its bad.
first thing is to learn about it. then you are more willing to avoid it.

many people that fail keep saying "oh this wont hurt me if i just have it now and again"

if you dont understand the problem you wont see it as a problem thus less willing to stop doing it

..
lets take diet.
many people think dropping sugar and having sweetener is a beneficial change.. and on some level it is..
but..
removing all sugars and only going to sweetener actually removes a needed energy source.

many people dont realise that drinking 2 litres f fluid all day thats artificially sweetened is not good for you
your tastebuds sense the sweetness so your hormones send a signal to expect glucose(sugars) so you produce insulin. yet the fluid has no glucose. so your body then slowly learns to not produce insulin when tasting sweetness

the actual habit is not to stop having sugar. but instead have less.
dont drink 2 litres of sugar free flavoured drinks like diet pepsi which fools body into expecting glucose. and instead drink water.
but still have some amount of sugar. just the dietary amount. not excess

..
but first it requires people learning what is a bad habit to even know what to do, to even understand the benefit. to even attempt to change and be willing to put the effort into doing the change. knowledge is power

Bad habits a really very hard to change or control but I think the best way to stop a person who has a bad habit is to always tell them at all times you find them doing it, tell them the dangers that a associated with such bad habits and the possible solution for them to be free from such habits.

The hardest thing I have ever done is to forgive myself.

It's challenging not to dwell on the past but don't bang yourself up on " I did XXYYZZ for XX years I'm so stupid".

Your good now in this moment, keep moving forward.

It's easy to say but harder to be done, I know.

What you consume or fill your mind/body with always, (whether things you see, hear, think, words, foods, drinks etc) and find acceptable, will form your behavior and move you to act or behave in certain way... Or rather, you are what you consume. The more you consume something you like the more control it has over you and your body would get used to it and want it always.
Find good things you enjoy or good things that make you happy and consume them always. Your body would crave the good things when you stop consuming them.


To break bad habit, stop consuming the bad (whether words, foods etc) that caused the bad habit and forget about them. Replace them with good alternatives you enjoy. Consume the good always and it will form your new habit/behavior.


You develop "self-control" when the good things you consume(while avoiding the bad) have made you strong enough to resist the bad when you come across it, in your mind, with your eye, ear, etc, ... it's basically the good things strengthening your body to become resistant to evil. That why it's important to consume the good always.

Hard work, dedication & a good mentality are three important traits to have if you want to succeed at anything in life. Try & build a certain level of self discipline, it’ll take you far in life.
If you have realistic goals then just do everything you can to achieve them. You can do anything you put your mind to if it’s realistic for you. Nothing good ever comes easily, work hard to realise your dreams.

Addicting to another habit can be a way to escape from your previous habits. This works for me may be you can give some try too.  

I may not be an expert but base on my experience on how to break bad habits.

1. Let someone control your Money - before you do/buy/eat something you need money. so if you are not the one controlling or handling your money it will be difficult for you to do/buy/eat etc etc this is baby step to break bad habit...
2. Look for a Travel buddy - Mountain Hiking for a week (no money included) just like for survival, a week will result for Life appreciation.
3. Time Management - Clean (House Chores), Drink lots of water just no coffee or Energy Drink so you can sleep better and be productive for a boring but safe life.

Action Plan:
1. What will I stop Doing?
2. What will I start Doing?
3. What will I continue Doing?


 Steps that changed me. (just my Experience.)

To create good habit is not hard as for me. Just to obey the instructions of nature, and once you didn't violate the rules of nature then you will definitely have good habit. Such have which I know a few. Sleep when you feel sleepy, always Clean your compound and inside the house always tidy them. Don't over feed yourself. Don't press your devices always. Have a leisure time with your family. Always eat fruits. Check your health every month end in the hospital. Take a work some morning and jog. Always ignore bad behaviours from others and do the right thing and walk away from them.

You can do away with bad habits by trying to replace those habits by learning newer things. Habits are not easy to stop especially when they have been long practiced. Good habits are hard to form, unlike bad habits that are easier to start. To form good habits, you need to be committed and understand the importance of having giving better habits and the benefits it can provide to you.

make a list of the bad habits you'll want to do away with, set a means to which you think you can do that and live with it.
First, determine inside of you that you can and will do without them
Second, know for a fact that it's not easy getting rid of a habit, some may take years or lesser, just don't give up at few attempts of trying without seeing results.

It's not easy to break bad habits but
Be honest with yourself
Set a goal and create a plan
Write those goals down
Tell a friend about your goals
Give yourself sometime
And don't
Give up on yourself..

I want to share my experiences too. To be honest, after being able to get rid of alcohol and porn addiction, I have been very happy for almost 6 months. To be honest, giving up alcohol is not difficult because at first I was just a social drinker or drank with friends or on certain events, but getting rid of porn requires a lot of effort, but masturbation is different, subconsciously it's human nature to get the sensation of pleasure in an orgasm. himself and if done in the "right" levels it is very, very useful for the body.

Bad habits that are ingrained are very, very difficult to get rid of, especially if it's been a long time, we must have commitment and a sense of fighting negative feelings. Using the 1 percent principle, we can change ourselves slowly from small every day, the results will get bigger.

what I do when I get rid of bad habits:
1. Self-reflection
Check which things you already need to stop running and stop getting used to.
2. Get out of your comfort zone
Start something new..
3. Self-control
Must know to stop against bad things.

Bad habits are things we usually don't question.

At the point we evalute and assess them, we come to the conclusion that they are useless and limiting.
Shed a light on the downsides of bad habits, remember yourself often, preferably every time you think about them or you are drawn towards them.
You also almost always need to define alternative actions, in which you visualize yourself carrying them out instead of using your "bad habits", every time you think about one of them, at best.


I think i read something about how long brain cells need to "travel" from the brain stem to the outer, grey matter area, which is about four weeks.
After two weeks, some other significant milestone is reached. Don't remember details, but researchers were assuming that it takes two weeks of practice to get used to some behavioural practice, another two weeks to automate it.
This also matched my own experiences.

It's said that when you do something for around 21 days straight, you're likely to make it as a habit. So, that's likely to make you form the good habits by doing it repeatedly and the same goes for the bad habits that you want to eliminate.
Just keep on doing it and they'll be formed in whichever side you want them to be. But of course, it's still going to depend on how you endure the process, it won't be easy but it's worth it.

To think about the benefits of good habits and the harmness of bad ones, that's the direct reason or belief to get yourself disciplined. Trust me, it really works if you have a strong willpower. But let me dig this topic deeper, I think the most effective way to "execute" what you plan to do is to empty your mind. Too many people are reluctant to do things because they are lazy and lack of motivation. If you empty your mind and do things like a ritual, without thinking about "the thing" itself, it will be much easier to perform any task well. Take me as an example, when I was a little boy, my older brother used to teach me how to exercise like push-ups, sit-ups, punches etc. I was not very willing to do that at the time but did most. A few years later, I was so used to doing exercise and began to see it as a everyday ritual. Even to this day, 30 something years later, I still do push-up or sit-ups before bed every night. Do I feel anything when I exercise ? Nope. My mind is always empty and my body just flows with rythme. Hope you'll understand.

Ask God for help, that helped me a lot, promising God to not do the bad, put a few days in between every time.
For example, I promise God to quit smoking for a day and keep that promise.
Next time I'd make it 2 days, next is 3 days and so on, though it's hard and frustrating, but it works.

Making healthy habits and breaking bad ones are both incredibly difficult, but it is up to you to do so. You must join the good habit people as soon as you've made the decision to develop excellent habits. The individuals we live with always create these behaviors into us, as we can all witness. Therefore, no matter how someone was raised with excellent habits, if people surrounded you are with bad habits, their habits will undoubtedly change you, so your habits depend on the kind of people you surrounded your. You will benefit by altering the group of individuals you were previously with.i had a friend doing my college days which was not that good in academic do to he don't t like reading and all is  his were same type but when his parents discovered that, they changed his school and took to him another school  hostel, so he can stop living with those set of friends at home. when he got to the hostel he make friends with new set of people and it was lucky that he make friends with serious students and this studends like reading and that is how  my friend started abiding to the new  friends habits by then, before he finished  college his performance change seriously, in fact it was among the five best in the college.

Get outside and meet people. Join groups and have hobbies and activities. Bad habits and poor choices are a result of being stagnant and not working towards your goals.

If you are on the path of growth then you will delite in your progress and not worry about minor setbacks. You will be excited about putting in effort to reach your full potential.

Small changes are a great reminder, and also a fun excuse to put off bigger ones. 

Good and bad habit lies on your self-concept, its like the processor of the human body and it controls how we think and behave. The things we say to ourselves records on the subconscious mind and as well affects our habits. If you think about good habits or repeat this to yourself " I won't eat junks again"  4-5 times everyday. It'll trigger your self concept through the subconscious mind to stay conscious of eating Junks. In the past, I had an addiction on women, I fought that bad habit for months to no avail. But, after spending a month with friends that rarely discuss women or indulge in sexual activities the urge in me stopped and for 3 months now I've never felt like going back to that habit. Same thing applies to everyother habit you may be fighting. Get closer to people who are not in the same condition with you and soon your self-concept will change towards the way those people think.

Changing habits begins with reprogramming your brain, and it varies from person to person, but in my case, all I have to do is have the desire to do something, repeat it for 3 days, to turn into a habit, but the problem remains in continuity.

The problem remains that if the impulses do not come from within, they will be like batteries, they will reach a time when they need to be recharged, and then your brain may program a new habit.

It's like going to the gym, you'll go the first week of a month, and from there you'll go back to fast food, but in a few months you rarely find someone who continues.

Well, this is probably going to be the dumbest answer ever -or not.
I think the best way of creating good healthy habits is having a dog. Since they need their daily (quality) walk to be fit and healthy and there's no other option but walking with them, it has proven to be the best way for me to remain healthy.
Taking good care of others always provides some perspective about our own health. I think that taking diary walks improve your life in every possible way and playing with your dogs, spending time outdoors with them, taking care of their nutrition, will help you gain some consciousness about your own.
Of course, it only works if you take care of your dog properly, hehe.

I highly recommend reading the book "Good Habits - Bad Habits" by Wendy Wood or listening at it as ebook (which I did). All your questions will be answered there and it is a real treasure which will enhance your abilities and most of the all the understanding WHY you got these bad habits.

of course with good initial intentions and good seriousness,
that was my initial way of improving my bad nature into good,

because without real intention will be tired in the middle of the road.

My bad habit is always lazy to do something sometimes. To force it is full of obstacles. Why am I lazy, because I always think negatively about an uncertain future. But after much thought, I always advise myself that laziness will only lead to badness. When other people work hard, I get lazy. Therefore I advise myself and impose my laziness.

I think to get rid of bad habits and the way to deal with them is to force yourself. Also always advise yourself. Will those bad habits make you worse in the future? If yes, then leave.

But from my experience, pushing myself but the body is tired. I think you should rest first. If you continue it will make your mood will be restless. Unless you enjoy it.

 I think for one to actually imbibe a good habit is not just easy because bad habits tend to stick faster than the good
For me, I take a counter action against that bad vice.

 For instance, before I learnt how to organize my stuff, I had the crazy habit of dropping things were they weren't supposed to be. But had to make a conscious effort to stop by trying to keep where I left.

Great question.

It's certainly not easy.

Small incremental changes, large swings can but rarely stick.

For instance I used to go to the bar and chum in up after work, it was fun and something to do being single. I'd have about 4 drinks and go home... I wanted to do better things with my time. Next week I had three, next week two, next week one then just spent the time in the gym. Kind of let me say goodbye to it and do something else.

There isn't no right answer just what is going to reasonably work for you. Anticipate setback and keep trucking forward.

Good luck!

I have proven to have enough self-control to make several big improvements, for example, my diet no longer includes certain junk foods. On the other hand, I still have some bad habits which need to change ASAP. How do you create good habits and break bad ones, what actually works?