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Summary: Stopping bad habits is a process of positive reinforcement, picking up good habits and having lots of self-control. Gradually break a bad habit, from nail-biting to alcohol abuse, with helpful tips from a jack-of-all-trades in this free video on life skills.
Teri Lynne is a jack of many trades with a thirst for knowledge.read more
"Oh, hi, I'm Teri Lynne and in this segment we're going to talk about how to stop bad habits. I have a bit of a bad habit, I like to bite my nails. Well, anyways, what you really need to do is be realistic about your habit. I mean I'm not going to stop it in one day but if I just keep working at it, maybe in a few days, weeks or maybe even months I'll completely stop biting my nails. Same with any habit that you might have. Also, give yourself some positive reinforcement. Say for example, if I stop biting my nails for two days straight, I'm going to go buy that new shirt I was eying up at Macy's. Something like that so that you reward yourself for stopping the bad habit. So give yourself frequent rewards also frequent positive reinforcement. So if I start to bite my nails again, instead of saying oh Teri you're an idiot, say Teri remember your nails look much nicer when they're long. Say something that will make me want to stop biting my nails instead of getting down on myself. Also you want to substitute the bad habit for a good habit. so instead of maybe biting my nails, I could pick up an exercise program, join the gym, do a yoga class, something that will get me out and doing something else and keeping my mind off of this bad habit that I have. Also if you want to stop a habit, you need to quit or change for yourself, not for anybody else. If you quit smoking or drinking or biting your nails for that matter for somebody else, inevitably you usually go back to the habit. You have to be the one to want to stop that habit for it to completely be done with. Now finally if you can find a support group that will help you with this habit, that's wonderful. For alcohol abuse or substance abuse there's AA groups or support groups for all sorts of things that you might have problems with. And lastly pace yourself. Again you're not going to get rid of the habit within seconds but give yourself time and slowly you might stop wanting to bite my nails. And that's how you stop a bad habit."
eHow Article: How to Stop Bad Habits
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