6 Steps that will bring you closer to life without that bad habit.
The list of bad habits and addictions people deal with today goes on and on, and there are many different types of addictions. Today I’m going to focus on physical addictions such as nail biting, knuckle cracking, over eating, compulsive shopping, TV, video games, caffeine, sweets, and so on. No matter what your addiction is, it is possible to break it.
Step 1: The first step to breaking an addiction is to set a goal for yourself and create a mind set of no compromise. The goal should be a date in the future by which you want to be completely free of your addiction. You know yourself best so base this date on what you know you are capable of, don’t set a date too close or too far in the future. “Commit to your goal and make it something that will be easy to accomplish. Don’t tell yourself you will never crack your knuckles again; that is an unreasonable goal, and if you fail you may be tempted to give up completely” (Arasin).
Step 2: Make a plan. For example, if video games are your addiction, you don’t have to suddenly stop playing them, instead start with little goals like allowing yourself to play twice a day, then once a day, then once a week and so on.
Step 3: Reward yourself. Give yourself a little treat every time you accomplish one of your little goals.
Step 4: Stop yourself. Come up with a way to stop yourself from cheating when you feel tempted to engage in your addiction. For example If your addiction is knuckle cracking, try keeping a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you feel like cracking just pop the rubber band. It will cause your brain to associate cracking your knuckles with pain (Arasin).
Step 5: Replace your addiction with a positive behavior. It should be something similar (Arasin). For example if you’re addicted to sugar, keep less sweets around your house, and every time you’re tempted to sneak a bite, eat a healthier but similar version of it. You can eat carrots for fries, a smoothie for a milkshake, or frozen yogurt for ice cream. If you feel like playing a racing video game, go driving for real.
Step 6: Stay strong. What you’re doing isn’t easy. It takes a lot of determination to break an addiction. If you mess up a few times don’t give up! Keep setting new goals and eventually you’ll find yourself addiction free.
Bibliography:
Arasin, Ann. “How to Teach Yourself to Stop Cracking Your Knuckles.” (2011): 1. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/how_7725755_teach-yourself-stop-cracking-knuckles.html>.
“List of Addictions and Bad Habbits.” (2006): 1. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/726515.html>.
“Breaking Bad Habbits.” (2005): 1. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. <http://www.about-personal-growth.com/bad-habits.html>.
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It might be prudent to seperate bad habits from addiction. Addiction has been studied a lot over the past couple of decades. The conclusion generally accepted is that it is a. A disease and b. It is genetic and no controllable by mere “willpower” I am an addict, and when I have been clean of drugs and alcohol I have to watch myself and rely on others to as well. I can obsess or be addicted to anything that toys with my pleasure centers. Fishing, hunting, sex, my garden, bingo…..others as well but that list I have become so obsessed that I was affecting my life in a negative manor. If I had not been regularly attending meetings, did not have a sponsor, or hid my addiction from my loved ones, I may have continued down another destructive path.
I am not clear if you are writing about bad habits or addictions. It appears to be on bad habits, the solution suggestions are much more appropriate for that, than for addiction. If you look up addiction you will find that recovery is a life long commitment, and it is remission not a cure. Remission for as long as you do not use. I have not found anything to work but a twelve step program, others have failed to find a better way. For bad habits, it can be done the same way but on a much smaller scale. Using the same ideas simply do not bite your nails for one hour. Anyone can do an hour then another and so on. you will be surprised when a week has gone by in two days.
It simply concerned me to see addiction grouped with what appeared to be about bad habits. Bad habits make us appear immature, and are a bit unhealthy. Addiction is a road to institutions, insanity or death. A share:
by Paul Gordon on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 2:01pm
.
One, Two, Three, Epiphany
Stolen souls slip into darkness
A steady fall from normal, often towards immoral
Hidden hells, many tales
Seduced by false realities
Reality no longer known and avoided
No joy in the dank dark place of deceit
violence, cheating, stealing,lack of sense
Never me, rings in your ears
Fooled with truth looking you right in the eyeball
Giving in as self fades into obscurity
Merging into a dark life, continued growth o=of unseen problems
Clank of heavy doors, as they close
Total loss of reality, lost into other realities
One other is the reaper, many lost into ever
Doomed to one of the three, or one other
Parting of the clouds, sky opened by an epiphany
Passing by again and again string of hope in the wind
One through twelve, jerked from hell
Not a cure but sweet remission, or one of three
PG
The best advice/step that I 200% agree with is Step 6: Stay Strong.
An addiction is an easy way to head to but such a tough mess to get away from. Aside from the personal strength that the addicted individual should have, he/she should also reach out and acknowledge the help from people around him- loved ones and professional help. The journey out of addiction can be made easier and bearable if the individual is also surrounded by strong people who want him/her to get out of the addiction.
For addicts, recovering addicts, and friends and family of these individuals- keep all the strength together to finally overcome whatever addiction you (or your loved one) may be suffering from.