Behavioural Change: Breaking Bad (Habits)
Happy Monday! It’s the start of another amazing month and week, and no better time to start making a change focused on our theme for this month: Breaking Bad Habits.
Habits are patterns of behaviour that we develop over time and become part of our daily routines, interactions and experiences. Similar to how we develop muscle memory through repeated exercises, habits - good and bad - are the thoughts, emotions or reactions that are 'hard-wired' in our brains as we become used to thinking or doing things in a particular way.
Whereas good habits (like, eating well, exercising regularly and practicing self-care) have a positive impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, bad habits (like, smoking, worrying, or overspending) are destructive to our lives and hinder our personal goals by draining our energy, time, and overall wellbeing.
Most bad habits are caused by two things: Stress and Boredom. In other words, just about any bad habit can be replaced by a better one. The key to success is self-awareness - understanding the reasons behind our bad habits and deciding that our desire for change is greater than the comfort of repeating the habits that do not serve us.
Once you’ve identified a habit you want to break, consider the ways you can start to chip away at it. Remember that change doesn’t happen over night; the key to lasting change is to start small and build incrementally from there. And the best time to start is (always) right now.
What is one bad habit you will start breaking today?
If you’re struggling to think of one, here are three questions to ask yourself:
What is one area or current situation in your Life/Work that is not working?
What is your usual M.O. (modus operandi) when it comes to this particular area or situation?
Hint: Think about your patterns of thought, emotions and behaviour in this area/situation.
Based on the habits you’ve identified in the previous question, what could you do differently?
Write down your answers and review your thoughts.
Download our FREE Breaking Bad Worksheet to help you put your plan to action!
Need help staying accountable? Share your completed worksheet on our Facebook page and we’ll follow up with you personally one month later to see how you’re going!
