QUICK TIPS: Changing Bad Habits?
A few Tips from Dr. Chartouni, Licensed Clinical Psychologist at the MIAMI Institute.
A habit is any action that we have performed so often that it becomes almost an involuntary response.
The only way to get rid of a bad habit is to recognize it, figure out what triggers it, and then replace it with another, more positive behavior.
Once you have identified a bad habit that you would like to change, think about what feelings, events, or situations triggered it, and then answer the following questions:
- Can I change anything about what triggered this behavior?
- What would I have liked to do (good habit) instead of what I did (bad habit)?
- Is there anything I can do to trigger the good habit?
Do your best to try and replace your bad habit with the more positive behavior. If you have difficulty, that’s okay, give yourself time and keep trying… just don’t give up.