Bad habits – we all have one, or several. Whether you’re a smoker, spend-thrift, or let a bad word or two slip out around the kids, we’re all guilty of not always being on our best behavior. Although some of these habits might not seem like a huge deal, they can come between you and your goals in life, which can affect your inner peace and overall prosperity.
If you want to nip problematic behavior in the bud, start by getting rid of those negative habits and leaving space for new, positive ones that will decrease your stress, increase your productivity, and improve your quality of life for the long-term. Here is how you can get started:
Pay a Fine for Every Bad Habit.
Once you’ve pinpointed a particular behavior you’d like to change, but high stakes on engaging in that behavior. As well all know, fines can add up over time and disrupt our weekly budget. If you tend to have an issue when it comes to being late to work, for example, find yourself ten-bucks for every shift you fail to show up in a timely manner. Since this amount will add up over time – and likely take away from your weekly coffee or lunch allocation – you’ll be more committed to eliminating the bad habit.
Change Your Environment.
We all have triggers – and, the most likely place tends to be within your environment. Therefore, if you find yourself in a comparable position with one of your bad habits, it’s best to remove yourself from the situation completely, if you are able to do so. For example, if you are staying with your parents for the holidays and their interactions are making you want to smoke more cigarettes, take a drive to the store to pick up any extra items they might need and just get out of the house for a bit.
Practice Mindfulness.
When you’re trying to reshape your bad habits, the most important step you can take is practicing mindfulness. Whether you realize it or not, your habits are formed in the prefrontal cortex of your brain. This small region determines when your bad habit is engaged at a particular point in time. When you practice mindfulness, you’ll activate the same prefrontal cortex that is responsible for decision-making, planning, and concentration, and it will go a long way in improving upon those bad habits.
It’s always fun to learn something new! At Oxford at Country Club Apartments in Baytown, Texas, we love to provide you with fun, thought-provoking tidbits that will make you reflect on different aspects of life.