Human personality is composed of various habits that we possess. Good or bad habits are developed by us over a period of time and then these habits drive our lives without even our notice. Some people say that habits cannot be changed but many are of the opinion that habits can be changed with concerted effort. All of us want to get rid of our bad habits and in order to have good reputation we want to develop good habits. Here are useful tips to change your habits:
Convert Bad Habits by Developing Good Habits
Develop New Habit Over Four Weeks
Select a habit that you want to adopt. Gradually and slowly practice it over a period of four weeks. After this time you will notice a marked change and will feel that the activity is becoming your habit. Focus on one habit at a time.
Adopt a Small Action to Leave a Habit
It is advisable that you adopt an action, a movement, a gesture or even a thought that should be associated with the habit you want to leave. This action is also called a trigger. For example if you want to leave smoking you may stroke your one finger over the other as and when you think of a cigarette.
Substitute One Habit With Another
One of the effective way of leaving a habit is to replace it with a better habit. This is because human mind doesn't accept a vacuum being created by just abandoning a habit. It wants to have another habit to stay upon. A substitute habit tends to fulfill the need or desire which was being met by the 'unwanted' habit. For example you can replace smoking by drinking a cup of green tea.
Tackle One Habit at a Time
Do not attempt to change more than one habit at a time otherwise you may end nowhere. More attempts at one time may confuse the mind. Practicing one new habit over a period of four weeks will root it deep in your mind.
How New Habit Can Effect You
After adopting a habit for over four weeks you will come to know whether the new habit creates a pleasant or an adverse effect on you. For example if you have adopted a habit of swimming on the inspiration of maintaining a healthy body but from within your heart you do not like swimming, you will never enjoy it even after adopting swimming. Don not impose the habit compulsorily upon you. You can replace swimming with some other healthy activity like jogging, tennis or going to a gym. It is the experiment that will tell you whether the habit suits you or not. [ Tips to Improve Your Life Instantly in Few Days]
Improve Bad Thinking
Bad habits are associated with bad thinking. In order to remove an undesirable habit you will have to remove bad thinking as well. For example if you think about leaving smoking, you should think that continuing smoking will be injurious to health.
Commit it in Writing
Once you decide to change a habit write a note in your diary about it. This will keep reminding you of your self- commitment and will reinforce your desire to change the habit. Mere keeping the decision in your mind is not so effective.
Condition Your Changed Habit
A changed -habit requires time to get deep -rooted in the personality. During the four weeks of practicing the habit you may face some problems. After about three months you will feel it easier to continue the new habit. However after one year you will feel that leaving the newly acquired habit will be difficult.
Announce Your Commitment in Public
When you decide to leave a habit make it public so that you are aware of the impending embarrassment if you fail to honor the commitment. Tell your friend that you will pay him fifty bucks for any violation of the commitment. You may fix an award for yourself for completing the stipulated period of four weeks successfully.
Practice with Simplicity and Consistency
Practice the newly acquired habit once a day for about half an hour. Keep the practice as simple as possible so that it entrenches in your personality. Making it difficult will harden its acceptability with mind. Keep repeating the habit with consistency for four weeks.
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