How to Get Rid of Your Horrible Habit and How to Create Good Ones

Summary

The article outlines strategies for breaking bad habits by understanding their psychological underpinnings and replacing them with good habits through self-awareness and incremental changes.

Abstract

The article discusses the psychological process of habit formation, emphasizing that habits are created through a cycle of cue, routine, and reward. It suggests that to break a bad habit, one must become aware of the negative feelings associated with it and consciously reflect on those feelings when the habit is performed. The article also provides guidance on developing good habits by committing to small, manageable actions, which can lead to longer periods of engagement due to the initial difficulty of starting a new behavior. It encourages readers to focus on activities that bring joy, eliminate those that cause distress, and practice self-acceptance.

Opinions

The author posits that most people are unaware of the mechanisms behind habit formation, which involve a trigger, an action, and a reward.
The article implies that social influence, such as wanting to be perceived as "cool," can lead to the adoption of harmful habits like drinking and smoking.
It is suggested that recognizing the negative aspects of a bad habit can help in breaking it, as the associated unpleasant feelings can act as a deterrent.
The author advocates for a gradual approach to building good habits by initially committing to very short periods of activity, which can help overcome the resistance to starting a new behavior.
The article emphasizes the importance of enjoying the process of habit formation and being kind to oneself, which can contribute to the sustainability of new, positive habits.

Whether you know it or not, you have a bad habit.

Most don’t know the way you create habits. They are created when you need something or want something and your brain thinks, “try this.” Then you try it and you get a reward, in dopamine or another way, but you get a reward. Your brain then remembers it and keeps it in the back of your mind and then whenever you feel the same way, you will do it.

For example, if you see the “cool” people drinking and smoking, you then want to be cool, so you then drink and smoke and feel good (at that moment). The memory of doing it and feeling good will remind you to do that same thing again and again, which then creates a habit.

How to get rid of your bad habits

Your bad habits make you feel good and happy about what you do and as a result, you don’t think about what you are doing to yourself. So to get rid of the bad habits you need to think about what you are doing. Think about what is the feeling that you experience when you do that habit? You will probably feel horrible.

Then by knowing this, you will know it and remember the feeling of the bad habit.

You will remember the very bad and very good parts of life.

The next time you do a bad habit that you know is bad, think, what do I feel when I do this. And in the end, unless you feel great about what you are doing, you will quit.

Replace those bad habits with good ones

To create good habits you will need to know what habits you need or want.

Once you know this, it will probably be easy to get started if you are really motivated. But after a few days, even if you are motivated, you realize that it's not enjoyable enough to keep doing it, so in return, you stop.

The key is to tell your brain, I will only need to do this for 10 minutes. So your brain agrees and you do it for 10 minutes, which is what you thought. However, in reality, you did it for an hour or two. This is because the hardest thing is to get started.

After doing this for a while, your brain will figure out it feels good to do this. So then you keep doing it and miles ahead from where you were.

Keep doing what you love, stop what you hate, and love yourself for who you are.

Enjoy the rest of your day.