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Breaking bad habits is an incredibly challenging feat. This is because of what a habit is: a routine that’s so ingrained that you do it out of muscle memory. When you try to quit that habit, you’re breaking that memory. That’s why your brain has a hard time adjusting. As a result, you may also hesitate to break your bad habits due to a fear of failure.
However, you shouldn’t let this fear stop you—especially if your bad habits are the kind that affect your long-term health and well-being. Unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking, and following a sedentary lifestyle can lead to multiple conditions down the line, like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.
That’s where the power of positive thinking comes in. We’ve noted that it can help you shift to a healthier mindset so you can overcome the struggles you face in life—like quitting unhealthy habits. Here’s how you can use our tips to let go of the following bad practices.
Smoking: rewire your brain
Cigarettes contain toxic chemicals that can cause various heart and lung conditions, impair your immune system, and even lead to brain shrinkage. And they’re addictive—so smoking can quickly become an unhealthy habit. If it did for you and you’ve tried to quit, you may have experienced failure with the cold turkey method. This isn’t your fault: the strategy exposes you to withdrawal symptoms in their full force, pushing your body to relapse. So, instead of feeling down, rewire your brain. Just as how you can practice positive self-talk to gain a more optimistic outlook on your situation, you can trick your brain into stopping smoking by quitting gradually.
The best way to do so is by using alternative nicotine products. They’re smoke- and tobacco-free, meaning they’re less harmful than cigarettes but can keep withdrawal symptoms at bay. More importantly, they offer different doses of nicotine so you can taper your use over time. Take the nicotine pouch, which you tuck in your gums for up to an hour. The ingredients you’ll find in nicotine pouches are limited to flavorings, sweeteners, plant-based fillers, pH adjusters, and water. That means they don’t contain any cigarette ingredients that cause adverse health effects—with their pH adjusters further ensuring they don’t irritate your mouth. Another alternative is the nicotine patch, which you stick on your skin for full-day withdrawal relief. The patch’s non-nicotine components include ethylene vinyl acetate and polyester backings, ensuring it stays on while water- and sweat-proof. Like pouch ingredients, they’re not as harmful as cigarette chemicals.
Drinking: stay away from negative influences
Like smoking, drinking has adverse health effects. This unhealthy habit can impact your heart, liver, and digestive system while also putting you at risk of developing cancer. Drinking can also be particularly addictive: it produces happy chemicals like dopamine, stimulates your nervous system, and makes you impulsive. That’s why you may also have difficulty quitting drinking cold turkey. Unlike smoking, however, alcohol consumption is socially acceptable and significantly encouraged through peer pressure. If you’re surrounded by people who regularly drink large amounts of alcohol, you’re likely to do the same.
That’s where one of our other tips comes in handy: stay away from negative people and influences. Steer clear of individuals who bring you down by saying drinking isn’t a bad habit—or put you in situations where it’ll be harder for you to quit. We note this doesn’t mean cutting people out of your life. Simply surround yourself with things that can uplift and inspire you. You can start by ensuring the loved ones in your support system can truly motivate you to break this habit. You can bolster that support with professional guidance through accessible apps like Sunnyside, an AI mindful drinking coach that can help you quit your drinking habit without guilting you in the process.
Sedentary lifestyle: visualize your goals
Merely sitting is considered the new smoking. A sedentary lifestyle makes you more likely to develop chronic pain and cancer. You’re also more vulnerable to obesity and the comorbidities that come with it—including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolism syndrome. As a result, you may be thinking of kicking this particular habit by moving more. However, these goals require overcoming significant mental obstacles. Busy schedules, expensive gym memberships, and the simple fact that exercise is hard to commit to if you’re not used to it—you’ll have to do it forever, which is a daunting prospect—can all prevent you from quitting a sedentary habit.
So keep our advice in mind and visualize your goals. If you want to live a long, happy, and healthy life, regular exercise is essential. BY remembering the rewards you’ll reach once you reach that goal, you can tackle any obstacles you encounter. More importantly, though, manifest what you want. Once you’ve visualized your goals and focused on your desired end result, think of the things you want to do that will help you get there. That can be as simple as picking a workout you love, like dancing or rock climbing, or breaking up routines into short 10-minute sessions that you can easily accomplish.
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