How To Unlearn Bad Habits

A guide on how to unlearn bad habits and live a productive life.

Your ability to unlearn bad habits is just as crucial as learning productive ones — it is even harder getting rid of harmful tendencies. More often than not, you’ve desperately tried to cut down on your social media use, only to end up creating another account — I know I have. Just ask TikTok.

Frequently doing any action makes it a routine — just like positive actions, bad habits manifest over time. However, negative actions, unlike positive ones, stop you from living and being successful. In some cases, you may even endanger your mental and physical wellbeing while wasting time, energy, and resources.

Unlearning bad habits is a learning process — it is never comfortable. With a bit of patience and perseverance, you will have one less distasteful quirk to worry about.

So, read on, and don’t be afraid to unlearn, learn, and relearn.

Accept You Have a Problem

A bad habit is a lot like an addiction. Owning up to it is the first step to getting rid of it. Accepting your bad habits lets you realize who you were before, which gives you the strength to see your habits precisely as they are — toxic tendencies. Once you’re able to come to terms with your reality, you will have a clear picture of why you need to change.

Accepting what you’ve become alone can’t kill your bad habits — it is just the beginning.

Know Your Triggers

Knowing what fuels your ways is another step toward learning how to get rid of toxic behavior.

Understanding your triggers can help you to manage your bad habits. Most bad behaviors become ingrained due to boredom, stress, keeping bad company, anger — a combination of many factors can make such inclinations worse.

Take a hard look at most of your negative inclinations, and you will realize that these triggers are the sources of your problems.

If you pull your hair when stressed, you use it to cope with anxiety. If you drink a lot when out with friends, your habits are triggered by the people you keep around you.

Recognizing your triggers helps you to act when they appear. Take the time to understand each trigger before it occurs.

Sometimes your only solution is to isolate yourself from harmful situations. Don’t put yourself into circumstances that urge you to relapse.

For others, bad habits signify a deeper issue that may require professional help — don’t be afraid to see a therapist if you need to. Nothing is more important than getting help from the right person, when you need it.

Replace Your Bad Habits With Positive Ones

Quitting bad habits cold turkey isn’t only tricky but mostly ineffective. However, swapping your toxic traits for positive ones helps you get a grip on your undesirable habits.

If you smoke when stressed, you will want to learn to deal with anxiety. Any time you’re anxious, smoking will dominate your thoughts. Taking a walk or doing something different can help you calm your nerves and forget about your nasty craving.

If you are persistent, your new ways will turn into desirable habits.

Plan for Failure

Planning is your only sure answer to successfully overcoming your toxic quirks. Nonetheless, no matter how hard you try, you are more likely to fail the first time. Study your mistakes — “dust yourself and try again.” Each failed attempt is a badge of honor.

If you cannot avoid being in sticky situations, then try to control the outcome.

You may be focused on quitting alcohol, but you’re forced to attend a work cocktail party. A great way of dealing with this situation is going with your own beverages — any nonalcoholic drink will be more than helpful.

Being innovative and meticulous with your planning can save you from starting all over.

But, if you fail or stumble, it isn’t the end of the world. You’re only human, and humans always make mistakes.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Withdraw from your toxic habits slowly — repeat until its gone.

You may not resist quitting, but you can slowly reduce the amount you smoke daily. If you burn a pack a day, you may want to take it down to a few sticks a day. Ultimately, you can make it once a day — until you are able to get rid of it completely.

“Strange, what being forced to slow down could do to a person.” ― Nicholas Sparks

Be Assertive and Committed

Being assertive goes a long way. A simple “I will not smoke today” can go a long way in calming your desires. The greater your assertion and commitment, the more likely you would be able to overcome your shortcomings.

Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your family and friends for help. Tell people about your goals — be sure to ask those who are rooting for you.

Keeping people in the loop about your struggles allows them to push you to do better when you slip.

If you are on a diet, the people around you will remind you when you’re about to let yourself down.

Better yet, you can find yourself a support group. If you have a drinking problem, AA groups are a great way of maintaining your sobriety. Don’t hesitate to look for a group that would help you.

Document Every Step

You are more likely to succeed if you keep track of your journey.

If you are on a weight loss quest, keep pictures of your progress. It is always empowering to see what you’ve accomplished throughout your struggle.

Prioritize the Process

Your plan to overcome your bad habit should be your priority — don’t focus on the habit alone.

Put time and energy into your journey and never focus on deadlines. Targets make you anxious, and you are more likely to return to exactly where you started. Focus on your efforts alone — do the work and stop overthinking.

Stay Around People You Want to be Like

Go out and get yourself new friends that inspire you to be better. Limit your interaction with the people that influence you negatively, even if they are family. In some cases, you need to take extreme measures — cut off those who only amplify your toxic traits.

You need to take care of you.

Stay Upbeat in the Face of Adversity

Although you are fighting a difficult battle, it won’t take anything away from you if you remain positive.

Finally…

Pour out that bottle of wine hidden on the back shelf of your living room. Throw away that stash of cigarettes tucked away underneath your bed.

You need to see yourself defeating your demons while cherishing your achievements. You were once what you are aiming to be.

It may not always work, but being patient and persistent will eventually yield desirable results — but you need to stick with it.

Take baby steps — giant strides will make you stumble. However, sometimes you may slip, and it is totally fine — “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” You don’t expect to rebuild yourself all at once. Persistence and perseverance is your only solution.