How to break from bad habits
Habits are hard to break. Still many people finally have free themselves from bad habits. There are many ways to break bad habits. Keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for other. In this post we are going to go over one of the way that you can do to break bad habits.
In general, people tend to seek pleasure and people tend to avoid pain.
Sometimes, we do things that separate pleasure from pain or pain from pleasure.
Example
A credit card allow people to separate pleasure from pain.
Pleasure
People can get immediate gratification from using a credit card. You swipe your plastic card and buy or get items. What at marvelous invention.
Pain
The pain come later when you have to pay back the credit card amount owe, but you don’t have the money to pay it back.
Since we tend to seek pleasure and avoid pain. In a subconscious level, some people avoid paying their credit card because it cause them pain.
Pain is the reason that some people don’t like to face their problem.
Conscious decisions and unconscious decisions
Have you ever consciously said that you want to stop a bad habit?
You are all pump up. You are super enthusiastic.
Yet later on you find out that you still continue to do the bad habit.
There is reason for this.
Every moment of our life we are making decisions. We make conscious decisions and unconscious decisions
Conscious decisions
We make conscious decisions which are base on will power. Will power is limited and it deplete quickly.
You consciously can make a decision by comparing the pros and cons of a decision. If the pros are greater than the cons then it’s good decision. If the cons are greater than the pros then it’s a bad decision.
Unconscious decisions
We make unconscious decision which are base on habits. Even if you are not aware. You unconsciously make decisions by comparing the pros and cons of a decision. If the pros are greater than the cons then it’s good decision. If the cons are greater than then pros then is a bad decision.
Pay attention!
If you are consciously trying to break a habit but you have not being able to do it. It’s because in a unconscious level you are still perceiving that habit to have more pros than cons. Even if it’s a bad habit.
Remember, we seek pleasure and avoid pain. Unconsciously, you are perceiving that bad habit to have more advantages than disadvantages. Otherwise, you most likely would not do it.
Solution
Ask yourself what are the benefits or advantages or pros of keeping the habit in question? make a list.
Also
Ask yourself what the the detriments or disadvantages or cons of keeping the habit in question? Make a list.
If it’s easier for you make a two columns list of pros and cons
Compare the list side by side. As a reminder look at the list as many time as possible. Put it in a place where you can see it.
- You can put it as a computer background
- Cell phone background
- Screensaver
- You can put it in the mirror
- Refrigerator door
- On the top of your computer
- Any place that you are force to see it.
There is a reason for this.
Remember we tend to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
On that list there will be things that you don’t want to see or be aware or be reminder for that matter. That’s you trying to avoid the pain.
People don’t want to face their problem because it cause them pain, because they know they are doing it.
Conclusion
People seek pleasure and avoid pain, consciously and unconsciously. Make a list of pros and con and put it in places where you can see it and there is no way not to see it.
There are other ways to change a habit like something is so traumatic that you immediately change the habit or you can change a habit by pure repetition. Doing something so many times for a period of time that it becomes a habit. But that’s for another topics.
I hope this post was helpful.
That’s it.
Take a calculated risk.
Now, start and adjust as you go.
