Breaking Bad Habits & Making Good Habits

What the science says about habits and more.

Let us begin by defining habits. Habits are the minor decisions and activities you take daily. According to studies, habits account for over 40% of our daily behaviours.

Today, your life is essentially the sum of your behaviours. As a result of the habits: How happy or unhappy are you? How successful or unsuccessful are you? What we do repeatedly every day in our life becomes a habitual mental program & it becomes registered in our subconscious mind and gradually it will change our attitude, approach & perception and that becomes a new pattern in our life. Better habits start with better habits, from procrastination to productivity to strength and nutrition. When you learn to change your behaviours, you can change your life.

Let us consider whether we should form or break habits. Easier habits take at least 21 days to form or break. The average time to form/break difficult habits is 66 days. The period for tiny to large habits ranges from 21 days to 8 months. So, if it takes you a long time to form or stop a bad habit, you are entirely normal. Continue to work on it. “There’s no such thing as a one-and-done,” as one family member always says. Please understand that is a gradual process. Please remember the great quote by Aristotle stated, ‘We are what we repeatedly do’. Excellence, then, is a habit, not an act.” Our identity is heavily influenced by our habituation (or re-habituation).

Following are some examples of beneficial behaviours: One to five times a week, go for a hike in the woods (or at least go for a walk somewhere). Hiking has been shown to improve creative problem-solving and attention span while reducing exposure to technology. Add in some Vitamin D from sunlight and fresh air, as well as physical health benefits like burning 500 calories every hour.

Eating healthily and maintaining a healthy weight benefit our mood, physical health, and self-esteem. You’ll never go hungry if you try some of these ancient and new ways to eat. Eating huge meals in one sitting, which our insulin production can’t handle, is a common cause of weight gain. Carbohydrates that have not been digested are converted to fat.

The majority of us gain weight in this manner. By noon, eat high-calorie carbs so you don’t take them to bed with you and gain weight. Good carbs (e.g., fruits and vegetables) and protein should be the focus of your last few meals. You will never go hungry if you eat every three hours. The Blue Zone Diet is another excellent way of eating. People who reside in blue zone areas are more likely to enjoy long and healthy lives.

Accepting the existing unchangeable circumstances in your life can help you relax. We increase our stress in a challenging situation by refusing to accept the stressor’s truth. He argues that simply accepting stress can reduce it by half. Accept the situation and find a solution they’re not the same thing, so don’t get them mixed up. Talking to a trustworthy friend or counsellor about your feelings about those conditions and problems that are mentioned makes them manageable.

Feel-good, important, and redemptive films and novels should be seen or read. Choose your favourite classic novels and movies. It’s ideal to watch with a group of friends or family.

Interdependence helps us to heal and thrive. Independence isolates people and makes them anxious and depressed. Make contact with a trustworthy individual (many people are). Make yourself a cup of coffee. Make your way to a place of worship. You can always select a group of friends or relatives or other persons with similar interests and mental makeup. Focus on the important ties you do have, such as your family and community. Learn to expect the best from others, connect with them, and reconnect with them. Make it a daily practice to support at least one person. This behaviour, especially if it becomes a habit, successfully substitutes negative self-loathing and thoughts.

We all know what we need to alter; for now, commit to changing only one item and sticking to it before attempting another new habit, such as a 21-day challenge. Use your victory to take on a more difficult 66-day challenge, and so on. Remember, if it takes you anything from 21 days to eight months to attain your goal, you’re normal. Winning one new habit motivates us to pursue others. And finally, it may not get better from that point.