Five Steps to Change Bad Habits Into Good Ones - Part 1

By James Claiborn, PhD 

Habits come in one of three forms -- good, bad and indifferent. They are all acquired behaviors that you do often and automatically, and are difficult to change. That's especially true of bad habits.

While it can seem impossible to break free of their pull, you can do it with careful thought and some work. 

WHERE TO START 

Make a list of the habits that concern you. Typical items might include eating junk food, going to bed late, excessive shopping or Internet browsing, or interrupting others in conversation. 

With list in hand, consider what each habit is doing for you. For example, habits can serve to relieve boredom, lower anxiety or create excitement. There is always a reason we hold on to a habit. The more you understand any habit, the better you can deal with it. 

1. CREATE HABIT AWARENESS 

You built your bad habit over time, and it will take time to reverse it. The process requires a series of steps. 

The first step involves creating in-depth habit awareness. To achieve this, do the following about a habit you wish to break... 

 *  Keep a "habit record." Include the date and time you felt the urge to indulge, the duration of the urge and if you gave in. 

 *  Make lists of advantages and disadvantages. Under "advantages," note reasons for keeping the habit. Under "disadvantages," reasons for changing it. 

 *  When you indulge, identify what came before -- the feelings and situations that triggered the habit behavior. 

 *  What were you thinking when the habit urge hit you? To harness these automatic thoughts, slow your thinking process.

Ask yourself what mental steps you made between seeing or experiencing something and the urge to eat candy, bite your nails, etc. 

Example: You see candy and you think, "That would taste great" ... "I have been careful on my diet so it doesn't matter"... "I deserve a treat"... "I am weak." 

Part 2 tomorrow. 

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God bless your family and your marriage.

Jim Stephens