Most people have some bad habits they wish they could break. Those bad habits do not allow them to do many of the things they want, in the way they want, whenever they want. They seem like obstacles blocking their path and turning their world upside down. Luckily, there are ways for the situation to improve.

Tips for breaking bad habits

Do not beat yourself up 

Beating yourself up over not being able to break your bad habits is only going to have the opposite results, as it will keep your mind focused on what you cannot do and not on what you can do. With your energy focused on the wrong goal, you won’t be strong enough to focus on what you should do. It is like telling a child what a failure he is all the time- he will never be able to believe anything different, and he won’t even try to prove you wrong. In order to help yourself, you need to be more gentle and less judgmental with yourself. Thinking of all the goals you have set and accomplished will boost your self-confidence and will give you a reason to try.

Think about  what holds you back

While it may seem as if you cannot break a bad habit, what actually happens sometimes is that you actually do not want to. Difficult as it may seem to believe and to accept, you may be actually gaining something from that bad habit and that is what is holding you back. For example, if your bad habit is to eat many sweets, the reason why you cannot break it might be that you have actually associated sweets with sadness. Sweets may be your way of dealing with pain and this is why you eat too much of them when you experience a difficult situation. In such a case, you need to find a different, healthier way to deal with your pain. A way that will not simply distract you but actually help you think of the long term consequences.

Think of what you will earn

When trying to break a bad habit, it will help you to think of what you will earn from it. That will be the best motive you will need to go through with it. If you want a motive to stop smoking, it will help you to think how healthy you will be because of that. Imagine yourself  engaging in physical activities that you previously couldn’t with ease, all because you have stopped smoking. You will wake up one day ready to do it.

Breaking a bad habit is a combination of willingness, patience and persistence. The above tips can show you the right direction but the rest is up to you.