How to Change a Bad Habit.

During the course of our lives, we all develop bad habits that we would like to stop doing. Some of us are able to stop these habits easier than others. This article will assist the average person to stop the bad habit and move on.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A bad habit
• A will to stop the bad habit
• An Instead Activity to do instead of the bad habit

1. Identify a habit that you would like to stop. Keep this a secret, not telling anyone about your plans. Family and friends have a way of sabotaging our good intentions. It doesn't take much, just a negative statement, and we have lost our courage to pursue.
   1. Purchase a spiral notebook.
   2. List the bad habit on the top of the first page.
   3. Make a list of all the reasons why you would stop the bad habit.
   4. List all the negative things you can identify about the bad habit.
   5. Do a research of the bad habit, looking in magazines and professional journals. Accumulate all the information that you can accumulate on the bad habit.
2. Make pictures of yourself doing the bad habit. Make pictures in different settings, in the settings in which you do the bad habit. Arrange these pictures in your spiral notebook so that you can review the pictures periodically.
   
   Place the spiral notebook next to your pillow. Study your lists of reasons to stop the bad habit and the pictures of you doing the bad habit. Before you go to sleep think about the bad habit and why you want to stop. Perhaps you will begin to dream about the bad habit and your concerns, and this will help you to put the bad habit in proper perspective.
3. Identify something you would rather do instead of the bad habit. This will be an Instead Activity. It is easier to replace an activity than to stop doing one, so we are going to replace the bad habit with an Instead Activity.
   1. Make pictures of you doing the Instead Activity.
   2. Place these pictures in your spiral notebook. Fantasize about yourself doing the Instead Activity.
   3. Make a list of all the reasons why you should do the Instead Activity rather than the bad habit.
   4. Study all your data.
   5. Write down all your concerns in relation to the bad habit and the Instead Activity.
   6. Answer any questions you may have.
   7. Repeat why you are doing what you are doing, 'talking yourself into accepting the entire idea.'
4. Begin doing the Instead Activity as much as possible. If you are trying to stop smoking, and your instead activity is munching on ice, start munching on ice as much as possible.
   
   Buy whatever items you need to make your Instead Activity as pleasurable as possible. For munching ice, buy a colorful plastic cup just for munching of ice, etc.
   
   Major step: Don't buy anything to reinforce the bad habit. Don't visit the places where you engaged in the bad habit. Stay away from people who do the bad habit. Rid the house of all reminders of the bad habit. Surround yourself with all items that will remind yourself of the Instead Habit.
   
   You are not stopping a bad habit, your are doing something instead, which will be easier.
5. Locate a support group for your efforts in stopping the bad habit. There are support groups out there; we just have to look around. Get involved in the support group. If there is not a support group, start one of your own. Post a small article in the local newspaper. Seek a place for meetings. Begin your own support group.