What is it about bad habits? Are there any of us who don’t have any? And why is it that we focus on our bad habits and not our good habits at this time of year? Is that a bad habit?
Many of our “bad” habits are only bad because we think they are, but if they are a negative behavior that interfere with our lives, then that qualifies them as bad.
Addictions are the extreme end of the bad habit scale. Anyone who has ever tried to kick an addition knows how difficult it can be, emotionally and physically.
Makes us wonder why we ever started in the first place. If we only knew “then” what we know now, or if we had just listened to all the good advice everyone was offering...
But we all walk our own paths. Our persistence, dedication and faith to overcome bad habits and addictions make us stronger and wiser.
The longer we indulge a bad habit, the harder it is to break. That doesn’t mean we should try, try and try again.
“Experts” tell us that right about now, all of those “bad habit” New Year resolutions are being re-evaluated and are in danger of failing either because the benefits aren’t showing up fast enough or because the lifestyle still supports those habits and the temptation to succumb is overwhelming.
So we give up, feel crummy and commiserate with our Facebook friends about how tough we tried.
Where there is a will to do it, anything can be achieved. How bad do you want it?
Three things:
Find out when and why you eat, spend, smoke, drink, fight, belch, crack your knuckles or commit some other bad habit. Seeing a pattern might help you break it.
Put it in writing. Log the events surrounding your bad habit for at least a week. What were you doing, what were you feeling, who did you see?
Recognize what triggers your bad habit and eliminate or modify them. It’s more difficult when you’re living with an enabler - someone who supports your bad habit, but strength, determination and creativity will reward you with success. And sometimes, kicking a bad habit is just the start.
Wendy Coomber is editor of the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal