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Limit your interactions with people
who encourage your bad habit.
If your bad habit takes place
in an environment that you
can’t alter, like your place of
work, then try changing the
social configuration of your
habit. For instance, if you
smoke on breaks with a group of
friends or co-workers, start
timing your break differently
so that you’re not tempted to
join the fray and light up. Your
social life might suffer, but
your health will improve.
3. Create barriers to the habit. If
your reason for avoiding the
habit is more pressing than
your desire to engage in it, the
behaviour will become
continually easier to avoid.
Here are a few suggestions:
•
•
Find someone you like who
disapproves of your habit. Tell
yourself you will not indulge
in the act whenever you are
around that person. Use the person as an anchor, and try to be
around them whenever you feel
like controlling the urge.
need more time, take another
30 days. As long as you’re still
improving, don’t pay too much attention to how
is
there
long the process
taking. You’ll get
eventually.
You just got to do it!
Capitalize on other habits. Use
another behaviour or tendency
to combat the habit. For instance, if you’re lazy, be lazy
about your habit. Think of it
as too much effort. If you’re a
smoker, keep your pack locked
up in your car down the street.
4. Find a placeholder. Try to replace
your habit with something new and
positive in your life. The key is not to
focus on the “not doing”, but to think
instead about “doing.” For instance,
if you’re trying to stop smoking, eat
a sucker or walk around the block
when you would usually light up.
Filling the void left by your old habit
with another activity will help you
avoid backsliding.
5. Be patient. Behavioural conditioning is a long process, and breaking a habit takes time as much as
you’d like to, you probably won’t
stop doing it overnight. Set realistic
goals and plan to have the behaviour wiped out in 30 days. If you get
to the end of a month and find you
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