How successful women replace BAD habits with GOOD Ones

Do you have habits that doesn't serve you anymore? What habits do you want to break?  

Maybe you snack while you watch TV? Do you drink too much? Go to bed late? Do you bite your nails? What are some bad habits that you want to break and do you know how do you break them?  

First, you need to know why are you doing the bad habit in the first place. Are you snacking while you're watching TV because you're bored and your “eating” your emotions?

Are you going to bed late because you're not getting up early enough? Or are you going to bed late because you just have too many things on your plate? Maybe the bad habit really is that you're saying “yes” too much that you're taking too much on. 

To get rid of your bad habits, first look at reason, motivation, or influence for that bad habit? And then ask yourself what's important about breaking this habit?  

If the habit is, for example, snacking too much while watching TV, think about what is so important to you about breaking that? Is it because you want to be healthier? Because you don't want to go to bed with a full stomach? Or because you just end up watching trash on TV anyway. Maybe you want to read more, go to bed earlier, exercise, or do a different habit that is going to actually going support you and help you.  

I had to ask myself that earlier this year when I wasn’t eating well and the reason was I was wanting to eat my emotions around my Dad’s cancer.  I couldn’t do anything to take his cancer away and the chips and donuts helped me to drown my emotions. But this bad habit didn’t support me.  

Find the core reason for your bad habit, a cue that is actually making you do the habit.  

As a mom and a coach, I've talked to my fellow moms and clients, many say that as soon as the kids are in bed, all they want to do is grab a glass of wine. Now I'm not gonna sit here and judge you because I feel it too and I don’t know your reasons for drinking wine. I’ll be honest that I feel the same way too. The back and forth “Just get to bed!” routine with the kids is stressful. Maybe that’s why you reach for a drink, or maybe you have another stress in your life that is your cue and the first thing you want to do is just get a beer or glass of wine just to calm down. Is that really the best habit in that situation, if I am using it to self-soothe?  

Probably there are better habits for self-soothing like meditation, going for a walk, or talking to a friend. 

How to replace bad habits 
Now, what do you do after identifying your trigger? 

Start by replacing that bad habit with a good habit? For example, if you don’t want to go to bed so late, come up with a going-to-bed ritual or routine and get to bed earlier.  

If you're snacking while watching TV instead think “I'm going to go drink a glass of water and grab some veggies.” Or “I'm going to do 10 push-ups.” Or “I’m going to journal.” Find a habit that will actually support you instead.  

Then your next task is to attach this new good habit to another good habit you already have.  

For example, if you’re someone who's feeling like they're constantly being negative, try bringing in the good habit of affirmations or gratitude. If you have already a habit in the morning of making yourself a coffee or tea, attach your new habit to that established habit. Then each time you brew your coffee, think of all things that you are grateful for.  

When you attach a new habit to good established habit that you already have, the good habit becomes your trigger or cue, and it’s a win-win all around.  

Next week, we’ll discuss how to use your newly anchored habits to achieve your goals. 

In the meantime, comment below on some goals you’re going to work on replacing over the next seven days.    

So, until next time, stay dynamic!