How to Quit Bad Habits Like Picking Your Nose
You are not alone in possessing a bad habit -- or in your desire to change it. Unfortunately, there are too many daily choices that are made; so every choice cannot be a good one. One key that will help to change a bad habit is to put desired behavior on the path of least resistance. This will ensure that it takes less energy to do the desired behavior, rather than avoid it. Cultivating a strong support system will help you kick the bad habit and start making better choices.
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Instructions
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Make your old habit more difficult. Physically set up your home to make the act of performing your bad habit harder. If your goal is to watch less TV, throw your remote batteries out, so that it takes more effort to flip through the channels. If you want to stop picking your nose, put nail polish remover on your fingertips to defer you from putting your finger in your nostrils.
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Track your successes on a calendar to see how long you have followed your goal. Set up reward points for meeting your objectives on a weekly or monthly basis.
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Inform others of your goal to end your bad habit so that you are help accountable for nixing the bad behavior and also to provide yourself with people that are in support of your lifestyle change.
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Visualize or meditate the positive changes that will occur in your life, once the bad habits are taken out. Thinking often -- but not obsessing -- about changing your poor habit will ready your mind for the change and reduce anxiety when the bad habit sounds tempting.
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Add good and healthy habits to replace the bad ones. If you are trying to stop picking your nose, instead of the action, below your nose with a tissue and use hand sanitizer or wash your hands. This new ritual will be ingrained in your brain instead of the previous bad habit.
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Tips & Warnings
We all make mistakes and have slip-ups, just because you have an off day, don't use that as an excuse to continue the behavior.
Rid yourself of people or objects that remind or contribute to the bad habit you are wishing to shed.
Alternative practices, such as hypnosis, medication and therapy can assist you in eradicating your bad habits.
References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Stockbyte/Getty Images
