How To Break A Habit

You may get the feeling that you have dodged the bad habits that others have, unless you spot yourself learning bad habits from others around you. The people may not pass on their bad habits intentionally, but you get affected all the same.

There are chances that you learn bad habits from others like they eat. In case you spend a lot of time with a person, you may start eating in the similar manner. It is always easier to prepare one meal and share it. It is always simpler to go to one restaurant to eat instead of two. If that particular restaurant offers only greasy foods, chances are you end up ordering the dishes you normally wouldn’t eat. This way you are sure to pick up your friend’s bad habit.

Smoking is another bad habit people easily pick up from others. If you share the room with your smoker companion every evening, you slowly either get sick of it or get accustomed to it. You may perhaps start enjoying it. That is when there is a possibility that you pick up the bad habit.

Arguing with each other is a bad habit which quite a few partners get into in a relationship. Your spouse may begin a brawl. You may not want to get into an argument. But your spouse might not let you walk out. However, a fight starts and soon both are in it. This may become a regular issue and thus turn into a bad habit.

In the office, sloppiness is very contagious. If one team member is also careless with the weighty gear, his stance can pollute the attitude of rest of the workers. Before you realize, they all are into bad habit of getting careless at work. In case one worker gets into the bad habit of telling all he knows, the habit spreads. If one gives out his pay, soon all will. If one talks private organization business, the gossip will spread. The bad habits can really get out of control.

In case you are in the habit proving yourself superior to others even when you are not, this habit can easily be picked up by others. A person tells something he did, and you tell a better thing you did. Somebody might follow you and try to one-up you. This may go on endlessly.

Pessimism is another bad habit. Pessimistic people always look at the negative side of all. This can rub off to anyone spending a lot of time with them. Such people can only think of bad things that can happen and before you realize you have been affected by this attitude. You may be next one to predict doom in the future.

Of course, you can not hold the other person responsible for choice you make. That is up to you. If you want to evade bad habits of others, you can if you are determined. Do not forget you need not always match up to those around you.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the Author:

Abhishek is a self-development expert and he has got some great tips on Getting Rid Of Bad Habits . Download his FREE 42 Pages Ebook, “How To Kick Bad Habits Out Of Your Life!” from his website http://www.Positive-You.com/33/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Other resources:

http://www.thegadgetmagazine.com/2008/07/17/how-to-stop-snoring/
http://www.marcandangel.com/2008/06/02/50-things-everyone-should-know-how-to-do/
http://hoomancan.com/blog/2009/02/youre-a-hard-habit-to-break-7-steps-to-overcome-your-bad-habits/
http://trulyace.com/blog/general-musings-on-life/diy-design-is-fools-gold/
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2009/05/06/chateau-alpharetta-website-lampoons-citys-proposed-project/

As they grow up kids may develop certain bad habits but mostly it is part of growing up and they overcome those on their own. Of course some bad habits of theirs are worrying and truly exasperating. Many parents worry over the child’s bad behavior. There are some things the parents must know:

1. What you feel is a bad habit may in reality be a part of growing up. For example, if your child is exploring lint between the toes, do not take it as bad habit. It may be that the child is finding toe lint fascinating. He will naturally out grow this habit in due course.

2. Some time what parents feel as bad habit may be for the child a way to comfort him. Some times when the child feels like screaming, instead he may just suck on his clothes. This comforts him and makes him feel secure.

3. Children can use bad habits to seek attention. When they are left for the first time at a day care center, they may feel insecure and start behaving oddly. For example, it could be rubbing the fabric of their clothing. As they settle down in day care center this habit might go away. But in case they don’t feel secure at the center then the habit may turn into bad habit.

4. Some things kids do is beyond the parents, they do not understand why the child is behaving in a particular manner and see it as a bad habit. For example, if the hands are cold, children may keep them between the legs to warm up. Parents may misinterpret the action and overreact. If they realize problem was cold hands, then they would react differently.

5. Punishing and shaming are the worst things to do. If a child is into bad habit in an effort to comfort herself, then making her feel bad about it can be destructive. That is why parents often get stressed while dealing with a child’s bad habits.

6. Replacing a better behavior for the destructive one can work wonders. You tell your child to be conscious of the bad habit. Then, tell them how to replace that with a good habit instead. When they do it, reward them.

7. some times incentives work wonders specially with older children to over come bad habits. This particularly true if the child is old enough to think at least a few weeks ahead. You can offer a reward every time they try not to repeat the bad habit. By the time they get over bad habit a big reward would be waiting for them.

8. Normally, the best thing to do is be patient and bad habits will go away on their own. Do not emphasize on the bad habits, the kids should out grow them. Once they grow older, their school friends will be more attractive and their bad habits will go naturally.

Do not be alarmed about your child’s bad habit. Only if the bad habits are detrimental then it becomes imperative for to put a break on them immediately. Otherwise, with little gentleness and understanding you can easily handle your child’s bad habits effectively.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the Author:

Abhishek is a self-development expert and he has got some great tips on Getting Rid Of Bad Habits . Download his FREE 42 Pages Ebook, “How To Kick Bad Habits Out Of Your Life!” from his website http://www.Positive-You.com/33/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Other resources:

http://www.thecyn.com/blog/dual-diagnosis-drug-rehab-helps-worrying-and-ruminating/
http://breakinghabit.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/mia/
http://www.freshiq.com/jewelry/mens-watches-break-away-from-boring.html
http://loveblog.in/romance/dark-secrets-hidden-inside-a-man?s-mind-find-out-what-they-think-feel-and-really-mean/trackback/
http://doc2p.web.fc2.com/steroid/

We all have personal habits that we act out on a daily basis.  Some habits are positive and contribute to a healthier and happier you and others are counterproductive and can prevent personal growth. You want to focus on maintaining and adopting the good habits in both your personal and business life and rid yourself of those habits that will not help you move forward.

Good Personal Habits

There are several excellent habits that you should maintain if you already practice them. If these habits are new to you then slowly try to make them your own as they can only benefit you and the people around you.

Focus on taking care of yourself. Try to eat natural and healthy foods to keep your body strong and well. This does not mean you will never have a steak or enjoy a piece of cheesecake. It does mean moderation in all things. The steak and the cake should be special treats instead of everyday fare. Try to exercise daily, as this will also make you strong and healthy. Keep to a regular routine whether walking in the morning or stopping at the gym on the way home from working. By making nutrition and exercise personal habits you will live longer and be less likely to fall ill.

Make it a habit to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep every night. A good night’s sleep will help you stay alert and active throughout the day. It is just as important to allow your brain to rest as well as your body. The medical community states that at least 6 hours of sleep are mandatory to maintain a healthy mind.

Set aside time everyday for yourself.  Take ½ hour in the morning or an hour at lunchtime or 45 minutes at night to do something for you. Relax and read a newspaper, meditate, watch your favorite TV show or bake a cake. Do something that you enjoy.  This will also help you rejuvenate and allow for personal reflection.

Good Moral Habits

Personal habits do not have to be a specific action. Personal habits can also be a way of living.  For example, making a habit of treating others as you wish to be treated is an excellent way of living. This behavior sets a good example of how important it is to be considerate to others. Another excellent moral habit is to take part in conservation activities such as recycling newspapers and bottles and cans or spend a day every month volunteering at your neighborhood soup kitchen or participating in some other activity.

Good Work Habits

Another area of your life to adopt good habits is in the workplace. A good work ethic will impress your supervisor and will only serve to move you ahead in your company. Always be sure to arrive at work a little early so you have time to prepare for the day. Never leave work early unless you have received your supervisor’s permission. When you find yourself with free time on your hands make it a habit of asking your supervisor if there is any more work or a co-worker who needs help. Make it a habit to never speak ill of a co-worker or manager or a policy or procedure regardless of your personal feelings. Also refrain from listening to or spreading office gossip. Always try a stay upbeat and positive at work and never complain.

Goodbye Bad Habits  

Like all of us, you have bad habits and you can get rid of them with a little effort and self-discipline. When trying to get rid of a bad habit ask for help from those around you. For example, if you are trying to stop smoking ask friends and family to discourage you from lighting up. Take note of the circumstances under which you might engage in the bad habit. For example if you tend to chew your nails when you are nervous try to avoid those situations that make you anxious until you can conquer this behavior. Through determination, will power and support you can rid yourself of your bad habits.



By: Victor Ghebre

About the Author:

Victor Ghebre is the editor of http://www.settinggoals101.com where you get
practical tips and information on goal setting, motivation, leadership and
more.

Visit http://www.settinggoals101.com/habits-of-successful-people.html to learn how
to set yourself up for success and get free tips on how to effectively
develop good habits.

Don’t miss your FREE set of goal setting forms at:
http://www.settinggoals101.com/GoalSetting-Newsletter.html

Other resources:

http://kovensky.project357.com/2009/03/23/homepage-redesign/
http://www.woodworkersguide.com/2008/05/05/table-saw-safety-is-serious-business/
http://almostfit.com/2008/07/27/should-restaurants-be-required-to-display-nutrition-information/
http://merlenedavis.bloginky.com/2008/09/26/program-helps-saving-become-a-habit/
http://www.doingitforme.com/conversation-tip-use-their-name/

Bad habits keep following you wherever you go, in some form. There are many reasons for people to start practicing bad habits. There are several ways to quit this. Several researches in the past few years have rendered results.

When people researched what is the basic motivation for people to actually quit habits that are bad, it gave the answer that it is more because of emotional reasons that people have. The successful ones are the ones who wanted to quit it badly, and succeeded, those who don’t even think of it, don’t succeed.

Knowledge is best only when it is used to influence a person’s emotional balance. For instance, if a person sets up a wide network to actually help people quit smoking, he uses his mind to influence his emotions. The penalties because of the bad habits influence the emotional balance of a person that makes them want to quit.

A research was conducted on the habitual behavior of the brain. Researches tested them with rats. Rats were made to run through a maze, which had a chocolate in the other end. The rat was learning the way through the maze, and responded to all information.

After sometime, the brain responded only to the starting and the ending points. This is exactly the response that our brain gives, when our brain gets used to the bad habits. It keeps focusing on its reward.

After sometime, they removed the chocolate. Then, basal ganglia started responding to all the parts in the maze. This is exactly like quitting all the bad habits to live every moment in life.

After sometime the chocolate was put back in place, the basal ganglia started responding to the starting and ending point as before. Then, the brain again got back to the addiction, as the object was put back in place. This is exactly like the bad habits resurfacing.

A study was conducted to check the extent to which people were ready to get over the old habits and replace them with new habits. This test was conducted by testing using word tests and memorization. The research checked if the people learnt new associations after grasping similar associations first.

The test was concluded, and the results were interesting. The habits that were learnt first were below the level of consciousness, and more automatic. Stress made people revert back to old habits.

There was a study related to risky behavior, and what people think about it. This survey was conducted in several parts of Canada to learn what the most dangerous thing to do was. Most of the people actually accepted that overeating, smoking and drinking were all considered most dangerous. The health habits were the most risky habits other than the thoughtless behavior.

It is really important to learn how to react and tackle bad habits. The more information one knows, greater are the chances for them to learn the ways to get over them. With all the research being put in, the bad habits might be kicked out of the system pretty soon.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the Author:

Abhishek is a self-development expert and he has got some great tips on Getting Rid Of Bad Habits . Download his FREE 42 Pages Ebook, “How To Kick Bad Habits Out Of Your Life!” from his website http://www.Positive-You.com/33/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Other resources:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-keep-new-years-resolutions/
http://hackyourday.com/2008/01/31/correcting-bad-habits/
http://beingfrugal.net/2009/04/30/a-look-back-one-must-be-organized-to-be-frugal/
http://www.staygolinks.com/walled-gardens-the-walls-keep-tumbling-down.htm
http://houndsgood.com/2009/04/15/dog-daycarestay-at-oneopen-one/

Your health and weight is determined by your eating habits. Your social habits affect your relationship with other people. Your sleeping habit dictates how well you sleep. Your working habits affect your success. Besides you’ll have sexual habits and also buying habits. The way you do things, and the things you each day are all related to your habits - like the first thing you do the moment you wake up from bed; which hand holds the tooth brush, and how you hold and squeeze tooth paste are all habits you have developed.

If you ask people what’s the meaning of habit, most will give bad habits the hard press, and say they are negative actions that people do over and over again, like smoking, gambling, over eating, and procrastination.

We know bad habits produce negative benefits, poor relationship and affect your life negatively. What if we can add positive habits to our life. What is a positive habit, you ask? A positive habit is simply a habit that produces positive benefits, attitudes and actions you want to acquire and make a part of your life.

Why is there such great power in positive habits to effect change in our life? Because by their very nature, habits are automatic. After a period of time they can become permanent. A habit becomes a voluntary action and in turn develop into an acquired behavior pattern that become part of you.

Overcoming Procrastination For the purpose of discussion on how to add good and positive habits to our life, we will confine ourselves to overcoming procrastination. It’s really quite easy. Like adding any positive habit, you simply begin repeating an action, attitude or thought process every day for at least 21 days. Ok, let’s get started with the following tips on repair works as an example.

1. When you think that a work can afford to be delayed, it can also afford not to be delayed. By having the work done without further delay, you feel a sigh of relief making the load of work on our back lesser or lighter, which eventually makes you feel better. Do it now overcoming procrastination immediately.

2. Do you have things on your pending list? Then attend to them after being busy with something more important and you have time to spare. Don’t wait as delaying is one of bad habits.

3. If the reason you delay some work is because you feel it is difficult, then delaying will make it even more difficult. For example, a leak on the roof may not be harmful if it doesn’t rain; but once it rains, water goes into the house resulting in wet floors and carpets and eventually, the extent of damage could be more than can be imagined. A stitch on time saves nine.

4. When you are not sure if work that needs to be done will be effective, you must seek advice from people who are more knowledgeable on this field. Procrastinating won’t help.

5. Delayed work due to incomplete materials will remain delayed unless you fill in the incomplete items. Remember, overcoming procrastination is a must.

6. Make a list of all pending work in the house and post it on the refrigerator door to constantly remind you about them.

You may feel lazy at times and tend to delay some work that needs your attention. It’s understandable that ’starting’ to get a job done is the most difficult part, but once you have started, the rest will be easy.

Remember you will reap the benefits of positive habits for as long as you maintain that habit which can change your life entirely. Research has shown that action is likely to become a permanent habit, if it is repeated for a minimum of 21 days.



By: Ronald Yip

About the Author:
Ronald Yip has been learning and applying intuitive and creative processes in personal, business and community life helping people to improve their life. Visit Self Improvement for more info.


Other resources:

http://www.just4business.eu/2007/11/five-weaknesses-of-chinese-companies-operating-abroad/
http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=4757
http://www.lifeevolver.com/break-bad-habits-autopilot-mode/
http://www.nynaeve.net/?p=159
http://www.discoverdebtfreedom.com/2008/05/07/record-breaking-debt-how-did-we-get-this-way-and-how-do-we-get-out/

hanging a habit is a tough thing to do isn’t it? We start out full of hope and positive expectation. We build our resolve, take some advice and start out with enthusiasm. But little by little it begins to fall. Until suddenly -– snap! We’re back to our old ways again. By recognizing this reality, and getting a grip on what habits are, we can prepare for building the skill of habit change.

The first thing to realize is that we are our habits. Everything we do is a habit. When we carefully watch a presenter on cable we will notice words repeated. Favorite words they use -– habitual words. We are made up of thousands of habits, some small, some big. Habits are the automatic behavior that happens without the need to think. Oops, thinking can be a habit too. Maybe we have a habit of thinking about the bad things in life! So if we want to change a habit, recognizing that we are actually changing a little bit of ourselves is a useful insight.

Next we need to understand that our habits have been around a while. So long we don’t have to think about them. True, we may notice that we’re still picking our nails, but the impulse is deep in our subconscious and overrules our thinking. Your mind is already made up before you consciously try to resist that next chocolate. Only by shifting the subconscious can we avoid the battle than follows.

Finally, we need to accept is that our habits have found a way to exist together. Similar to a group of people, they have worked out how they can all survive with each other. They may bicker but more or less they rub along together okay. They are a tightly knit community of habits that treat newcomers with suspicion. If our new habit threatens one of the existing habits – the fight is going to be bitter.

By recognizing these truths we can give our new habits a fighting chance. Rather than just throwing them in at the deep end, plan carefully. Select habits which will find it easy to survive within you before you send in the big ones. Make habit chance a life enhancing skill. For more tips on changing habits, see resources below.



By: Charlie Dodds

About the Author:

Charlie Dodds is a self development expert with nearly 20 years of experience helping people to achieve their goals in life and work. As a professional coach, trainer, speaker and author, Charlie has helped thousands of people to succeed. Visit him today!

27 Tips to make Habit Change Successful

Other resources:

http://ravivora.com/blog/have-energy-all-day-without-caffeine
http://mpwilson.com/?p=3694
http://puyallup.neighborhoodsundressed.com/2008/01/23/indulge-cupcakes-in-puyallup/
http://www.name-selector.com/wordpress/?p=21
http://www.remoteviewer.nu/?p=4014

erience as a tennis coach, the more I learn about players’ own individual styles of playing tennis, the more I question what really are bad habits in tennis. How do you describe a bad habit? Everyone is so worried about developing bad habits that they run from teaching pro to teaching pro and stress themselves out attempting to stave off the dreaded ‘bad habit’! They read books and tennis magazines and study videos seeking answers to the ultimate tennis strokes.

Now do not get me wrong. I’m not telling you that there are no guidelines to follow when learning to play tennis. What I am telling you is these guidelines are far too rigid and in many cases totally incorrect! Do you know how many ‘bad habits’ there are in tennis history of the past that are now not only accepted as correct, but often preferred?

From the 1950’s through the 60’s and on, tennis pros were teaching that holding two hands on the racket for the backhand was a bad habit. They claimed two hands limited the player’s reach and had too many drawbacks. So when pros gave tennis lessons they insisted that players stick with the one-handed backhand. Onto the professional scene came the likes of Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors and Bjiorn Borg. All with the two-handed backhand ‘bad habit.’ Well now maybe it’s not all that bad! So the tennis professionals and amateurs slowly embraced the two-handed backhand to the point where nowadays the majority of players have the two-handed backhand ‘bad habit.’

An interesting historical fact to note is that in the 1937 Australian Open between Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich both played tennis with two-handed backhands. Was it accepted then? Not even close! In fact it was ridiculed. Below is a searing excerpt from the Time Magazine 1937 archives specifically describing the experts’ response to Vivian McGrath and his backhand. See what you think:

Time Magazine, Monday, 10 May 1937: “When Australia’s Vivian McGrath appeared on the international tennis scene four years ago, experts could not have been more astonished had he been a kangaroo. For all backhand shots McGrath held his racket with both hands. For a first-class tennist to do such a thing was so unthinkable that tennis experts, instead of trying to explain it, simply regarded McGrath as an antipodean freak.” Lots of “antipodean freaks” are around today. You may even be one!

And how about the swinging volley that at one time was considered a bad habit. Just another ‘bad habit’ gone right! Don’t forget the big looping forehand of Bjiorn Borg with massive topspin…again another ‘bad habit’ gone right! The so-called experts said he could not win Wimbledon with those big looping tennis strokes. He won five championships in a row at Wimbledon and the experts were nowhere to be found. Now everyone has the ‘bad habit’ of hitting with a looping forehand.

How about the ‘bad habit’ of tossing the ball high on the serve. I remember watching the great Ivan Lendl toss the ball so high on his serve it would go off the television screen. His timing was set for that type of ball toss. I say, leave him alone!

Not too long ago hitting with an open stance on ground strokes was a ‘bad habit.’ Now it is becoming the standard.

Can you see why I do not teach tennis lessons with excessive technical information? First, learning tennis is an individual process. A bad habit for one player is fine for another. Second, the tennis profession is constantly changing the idea of what a ‘bad habit’ is. Third, and this is the key, most players’ ‘bad habits’ are just part of the learning process. An example would be taking the racket back late on ground stokes. This is nothing to worry about. Taking the racket back late is just part of the individual learning process. You do NOT have to force the racket back. Eventually preparing the racket properly will resolve itself. This is a timing issue that will be resolved by hitting thousands of balls…no need to overthink this so-called bad habit.

How about the bad habit of falling off-balance when hitting a tennis stroke. Not a problem. Just keep swinging and in time your balance will improve. Falling off-balance is just a phase of learning that all players MUST go through.

STARTLING CONCLUSION

There is no way you can monitor every little movement each minute you play tennis. Practice some of the simple techniques which you have learned in your tennis lessons, but do not stress yourself out if your stroke is not perfect. A ‘bad habit’ today could be the next great shot of the future. Just like remembering “the next shot is more important then the last mistake,” remember, when it comes to the process of learning keep moving on. The wisdom of the body is smarter than you are! Spontaneous and intuitive playing will come to the rescue after you have spent hours and hours and hours hitting thousands of tennis balls.

By: Gen Wright

About the Author:

Tom Veneziano is a professional tennis coach who runs a successful website offering online tennis lessons. Find out how you can learn to play tennis like a pro.

Other resources:

http://johnkowalsky.com/2008/10/23/baby-steps-to-success/
http://www.seanrasmussen.com/kurek-ashley/quitting-smoking-this-year/
http://www.dianapfrancis.com/?p=56
http://www.mamasdiary.com/bad-habits.html/
http://www.aircondition.co.uk/articles/six-highly-effective-steps-to-maintain-an-air-conditioner-420.html

Some bad habits are not only illegal. They push the envelope of what can be considered merely bad habits. However, in a way they are bad habits. They are definitely bad, and they happen frequently enough to call them habits.

Serious fighting can be illegal bad habits. This is the kind of fighting that leads to assault arrests and convictions. People do not think before they act. Or, if they do, they only think angry, destructive thoughts. This fighting can cause injury or even death.

Some fighting happens in bars. Barroom fights are bad habits. Too many people are intoxicated. There are not enough reasonable people in the room to calm things down. There are also often shortages in bars.

There may be a shortage of available men, or of available women. There may not be enough places to sit. This causes animosity, which leads to fighting. Just being in a bar where fights are known to occur is sometimes a bad habit.

Some people, both men and women, have bad habits of domestic violence. They do not think twice about hitting their partner in the face on the way in the door. They have no compunctions about throwing their spouse on the floor, even if she is pregnant. Are these bad habits? Yes, they are the most extreme forms of bad habits.

There are illegal money transactions that are bad habits. There are many forms of illegal gambling. There are restrictions in every state about where gambling can take place. The kind of gambling is also regulated. Abiding by these rules will keep you out of jail. It will also keep you from losing money in a betting scam.

Shoplifting is an illegal bad habit that young people get hooked into before they even think about it. One day they are going to the store and trying on clothing to purchase. The next day, they are going to the store to see what they can stuff under their coats. This can give a young person a very bad start in life. It can also give them bad habits that are hard to break.

Sometimes, people who deal with other people’s money decide to borrow a little for an emergency. They find out how easy it is, and they do it again and again. Eventually it becomes the bad habit known as embezzlement. This can land them in jail for years and cause them to pay restitution for the rest of their lives. It can also put the people they took the money from in a terrible situation.

Arson is not always a malicious act. It is not always a well thought out scheme to collect insurance money. Some arsonists simply have a bad habit of starting fires. They are obsessed with flames and torch buildings for their twisted pleasure. It is a bad habit that can cause incredible destruction.

Bad habits are more than just picking your nose. There are bad habits that can destroy property and ruin lives. It is these behaviors that society must work on.



By: Arjun Singhe

About the Author:

Author sites: Self Help Articles , Home Remedies and Free Health Tips

Other resources:

http://idents.tv/blog/2007/09/03/summer-heights-high-enrolling-this-wednesday/
http://www.blackenterprise.com/entrepreneurs/entrepreneurs-technology/2008/04/01/virtual-storage-lockers/
http://lifecoachesblog.com/2007/09/24/change-your-beliefs-about-money-or-stay-broke/
http://farrhad.com/demo/2009/04/debt-10-bad-habits/
http://www.hiphoprx.com/2009/02/16/rihannas-father-confirms-her-break-up-with-chris-brown/

A bad habit can be like a weight on your shoulders that you bear every day whether it is something minor like biting your nails to something social like a need to put people down to something unhealthy like smoking or drug addiction. If you have decided that you need to stop whatever habit it is that is plaguing you the question of how to stop bad habits needs answering if you cannot seem to just turn it off. The problem most people encounter with bad habits is that if they were easy to stop repeating they would have a long time ago, but now they have been doing it for years it is ingrained and will be a subconscious action most of the time. Sometimes this habit can be so overwhelming that we can label it an addiction where the need to continue is so strong we give in and continue because it feels comfortable or pleasurable even if we logically know we need to stop doing it. So what do you do to quit a habit that you desperately want to be rid of?



1. Identify Causes

One thing many people do not take into account when trying to lose a bad habit is identifying the original cause of the habit. While for some this may not apply, for many habits there are triggers that make you do them or some event that made you start that you need to understand. If you start doing whatever your bad habit is stop and analyze what just happened before you acted that might have been a trigger. Was it something someone said? Was it something you saw? Was it sheer boredom perhaps? There are an infinite amount of reasons so you must find the one that affects you! Once you know the triggers you can then trace them back to the original cause of why these triggers activate you habits. This may not help you quit straight away but armed with this knowledge you can make better decisions and maybe sort out issues in your life that trigger the habit making it less of a problem.

2. Be Positive

I used to think positive thinking was just a load of hogwash but once you try it you realize it is not a magic cure-all to problems but it does have an impact on how you think and act. If you become negative you can become apathetic or give up on ideas much more quickly. If you concentrate on the good side of things your body and mind actually help you stay on the positive and happy side aiding your effort to break a habit. To help stay positive think of all the good things that will come from breaking your bad habit. What benefits will come from this, write a list down and keep it in your pocket if that helps but do not think of all the bad things associated with quitting or it becomes a slippery slope you may slide down.

3. Reward Yourself

While it may feel like you are training a dog don’t be embarrassed, people learn in the same way as well! Celebrate your successes with some small rewards to keep you motivated and keep you looking forward to that reward. Set small goals and when you achieve them have that reward then set a new tougher goal to achieve. It can become like a game and it builds your confidence like no other.

4. Replace Your Habit

One pitfall with some habits is that when you stop doing them you are left with a hole in your time that you have nothing to fill it with leading to a fall back into the habit if you do not have a new option. One action you can take is to find a new habit to replace it … but this time make it a healthy or good one. Spend that time exercising maybe or take up a fulfilling and creative hobby. Find something to occupy your mind that is a positive influence in your life rather than a negative one.

5. Build on your Success

Every success and achievement of a goal should be celebrated and every failure should be ignored. If you focus on failure you will invite more failure and if you focus on success you will find more success. What is the point of thinking of your failures? all it does is bring you down and make you lose belief in yourself. Put it out of your mind and think of the successes and I guarantee you that your successes will start becoming more frequent than the failures until before you know it all you have is success and a habit you USED to have!



Using these tips I hope you can start quitting your terrible habits and start a new chapter in your life. The answer to how to stop bad habits is never though so you must tailor the solution to your own life.



By: Hengster

About the Author:

Do you feel you may be able to stop that habit now?
Do you want to know more amazing, insightful ideas that will help you break them first time?
If you are ready to quit a habit that is ruining your life click here for more information!
http://www.kick-addiction.com/Break-Habits-In-21-Days.html
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Originally posted at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Stop-Bad-Habits-Positively—5-Tips-To-Stop-Repeating-Your-Habit&id=963722
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Other resources:

http://www.dirjournal.com/health-journal/who-wants-bad-memories-edit-your-emotions-and-be-happy/
http://dangerousintersection.org/2009/02/01/should-we-slap-warning-stickers-on-our-friends-to-avoid-picking-up-their-bad-habits/
http://20-forty.com/2008/11/02/hes-just-not-that-into-youwtf/
http://www.elharo.com/blog/pop-culture/videogames/2008/06/18/age-of-slonan/
http://robert.accettura.com/blog/2007/09/29/demofall-07-browseros-statistics/

Bad Habits control your life. They can turn you into a failure at work, school, also relationship. It is very essential to tackle this issue before it is too late. Self help books are best. A few are given below.

The Twelve Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back: Overcoming the Behavior Patterns That Keep You From Getting Ahead by Waldroop and Butler. Focal point of this book is workplace bad habits . It tells how to identify your own bad habits. It also teaches new ways to connect people. They imply that doing this will guide you to go ahead and flourish in your career.

A book on all habits jointly authored by James Claiborne, Ph.D. & Cherry Pedrick, R.N. It is titled Habit Change workbook: How to Overcome Bad Habits & Form Good Ones. The book shows a related-behavioral method to bad habits. Psychological principles are used to get to the base of bad habits. Then, steps are given in details to overcome them. It also gives details of a group of people having bad habits and how each one is overpowering them.

What to Do when you don’t know what to do :Bad Habits & Addictions. This is a short book by Henry Cloud & John Townsend offering a religious viewpoint to those who feel overpowered by their faults. It advices on how to overcome the addictions.

One book is some what heavy understanding on the topic of addictions. However, it gives some sound psychological advice. Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward. Book is co-authored by James O. Prochaska, John Norcross, & Carlo DiClemente. This book is a serious reading. The authors worked together to compile a system of dealing with undesirable behaviors involving six steps, discussed in detail.

If your child needs assistance, the book titled Good kids, Bad Habits: The Real Age Guide to bringing up Healthy Children may help. In this book, the author Jennifer Tratchenberg discusses children’s various habits as they grow up. She perceives as to how these habits can pursue them in life later. Then, the writer also guides the parents to start a plan that is designed particularly for their child. This might help the child to overcome bad habits.

Of course, only an “Idiot’s Guide?” can conclude a subject properly and author Suzanne LeVert has turned up a Complete Idiot’s Guide to overcome Bad Habits. This is a book wonderful introduction on bad habits. Simultaneously, it is done with a sense of wittiness and sincerity.Scanning this book may not assist you to overcome bad habit. However, it will definitely put you in the proper mood to do it.

Books of self help are very practical tools for overcoming bad habits. They also help those used to comprehend the problem and find how to expel them. It is always better to go in for another opinion. Reading books like these on bad habits can offer you tips that would never even occur to you otherwise.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the Author:

Abhishek is a self-development expert and he has got some great tips on Getting Rid Of Bad Habits . Download his FREE 42 Pages Ebook, “How To Kick Bad Habits Out Of Your Life!” from his website http://www.Positive-You.com/33/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

Other resources:

http://www.covenanteyes.com/blog/2008/11/25/surf-your-values-part-2-what-are-your-cyberspace-values/
http://www.lieslnet.com/blog/2006/07/15/achieving-your-goals-ii-form-a-plan/
http://www.jasondevitt.com/mobile/manifest-destiny-part-iii/
http://www.lifeevolver.com/break-bad-habits-autopilot-mode/
http://reallifesolutions.net/blog/breaking-bad-habits-start-today/