Many of us will have bad habits. We always think about getting rid of it. but mostly we always think that we will do it from next week , next month or make it a new year goal. Trust me the day never comes.
If a person really wants to quit the habit then he or she should have a determination to leave that habit the next day or the day itself. Otherwise it’s very difficult to leave those habits.
Bad habits include smoking and drinking in excess, eating too much, scrolling social media for hours,and many more. everyone must have a bad habit which triggers them and finding ways to get rid of it.
In this blog i am going to tell you psychology behind bad habits and also provide you steps to leave them.
Psychological process behind bad habits
Our efficient brain working is based on patterns. Brain works on different patterns when these patterns get used to it then it gets familiar with it.
For example, we want to learn how to drive a car. At that point our brain works consciously as we are learning that thing. Once we know how to drive, it will make a pattern in our mind which is then used in future subconsciously.
Similar when a habit is formed and the brain makes a pattern of it. If we like any habit and do it on a daily basis, the brain gets used to it and it makes it difficult for us to leave it. Those bad habits become a necessity for us.
Habits can be both bad and good. but our brain doesn’t know the difference between it. Our brain just saves energy and doesn’t use that energy to perform daily habits. Habits like drinking water or eating food which comes naturally.
The difference here is that bad habits are like having a pleasure time. So we continue to do them on a regular basis. For example, naturally most of us like to eat as compared to doing exercise.
In one’s life habits play an important role. It defines a person’s success. The one who is able to get rid of bad habits will always lead to the path of success.
The habit loop
From the above diagram there are three things in a habit loop. The first is cue also called a trigger. The second is routine and thirdly it is reward.
In forming a good or habit it requires these three steps. Trigger or cue comes when someone or something urges a person to try it. When the trigger gets satisfied it becomes a person’s routine. Then that routine is like a reward for that person which provides him with satisfaction.
This process forms a habit. It can be good or bad. But mostly people adopt bad habits like this.
5 easy steps to get rid of bad habits
- Identify what triggers you- bad habits starts with triggering things. identify what is that thing or place that is triggering you. For example, to avoid eating junk try to clear your fridge which contains junk food. Replace that with healthy snacks. Similarly to avoid spending hours on social media try to deactivate your account temporarily.
- Accept that there are obstacles ahead–studies have proven that people don’t take the obstacles seriously which they are going to face while changing habits. This makes them discouraged. To avoid this it is necessary to think all the things that can go wrong.Then prepare ways to overcome them. Try to make realistic goals and accept that failure is a part of the process.
- Create a reward system- every time when you pull back from your bad habits reward yourself. for example having a cheat day after having a one week of healthy diet. if sometime you again cave into bad habits then its important for you to set some rules for yourself to get back on track. you can also share your rules with your friend or family member so that they can also keep a check on you.
- Make changes slowly- it is difficult to get rid of any bad habit instantly. So give time to the changes and help yourself to get rid of habits both mentally and physically.
- Don’t let your failure be a reason to give up- sometimes you will come across some situations which will make you feel low and it will not easy for you to leave These habits. But honestly try it again and again and till the time you reach your winning stage. Don’t let your failure rule you.
I have explained to you about the psychology reasons behind bad habits and provide you with steps to get rid of it. Personally, if i say to win over your bad habits is some different kind of achievement you will get in your life. It makes your mind stronger and helps you to overcome your failures.
I hope you will all try this and it will also help you a lot to get rid of bad habits. if you want to learn more then you can purchase this book mentioned below.
(SOURCE- THE POWER OF HABITS BY CHARLES DUHIGG)