Everyone wants to break bad habits. However, there is one aspect about habits that is often overlooked by many people. It is vital that we know that our habits do meet one or more of our needs. It has a specific function. A habit came into existence in the first place to meet that function.
Lets look at an example of a function of a habit. Many people have the bad habit of biting their fingernails. By looking deeper, we can see that usually people bite fingernails when they are feeling anxious, nervous or uncomfortable. Doing that helps them release those emotions and makes them feel better. So that is that is the actual function of the habit of biting fingernails.
When you break a habit, but did not replace it with an alternative to perform the old habits function, you will eventually go back to doing the old habit. As in the above example, if you dont find an alternative way to handle nervousness, if you dont have a way to release your emotions of anxiousness and uneasiness, youll eventually go back to your fingernail biting days.
That is why you need to identify the function and purpose of a particular habit. What did that habit give you on a physical, psychological and emotional level? Which needs did it meet? How is it meeting those needs?
Understand that by kicking the habit, youre gonna lose all these things. When that happens and theres no alternative to replace it, our being will yearn to have it back on an unconscious level. It is at this time that the habit takes the chance to re-establish itself.
We can discover the function of a habit by recognizing its details and identifying recurring patterns of the habit. These patterns can help identify the possible purpose and function of a particular habit.
In identifying the patterns of a habit, you can ask questions such as when do you usually do the habit; what other thing were you doing at the time; where were you; who were you with; what happened before you did the habit; what time of the day was it etc.
With a replacement in place, we can continue to meet that need even after we have kicked the habit. For example, if you smoke or drink to relieve stress, you can look for other outlets to relieve stress such as exercising, meditating or taking up a hobby.
To effectively kick a bad habit that will last in the long term, we need to we have an adequate and effective replacement that will ensure that we do not go back to doing the old habit.
Lets look at an example of a function of a habit. Many people have the bad habit of biting their fingernails. By looking deeper, we can see that usually people bite fingernails when they are feeling anxious, nervous or uncomfortable. Doing that helps them release those emotions and makes them feel better. So that is that is the actual function of the habit of biting fingernails.
When you break a habit, but did not replace it with an alternative to perform the old habits function, you will eventually go back to doing the old habit. As in the above example, if you dont find an alternative way to handle nervousness, if you dont have a way to release your emotions of anxiousness and uneasiness, youll eventually go back to your fingernail biting days.
That is why you need to identify the function and purpose of a particular habit. What did that habit give you on a physical, psychological and emotional level? Which needs did it meet? How is it meeting those needs?
Understand that by kicking the habit, youre gonna lose all these things. When that happens and theres no alternative to replace it, our being will yearn to have it back on an unconscious level. It is at this time that the habit takes the chance to re-establish itself.
We can discover the function of a habit by recognizing its details and identifying recurring patterns of the habit. These patterns can help identify the possible purpose and function of a particular habit.
In identifying the patterns of a habit, you can ask questions such as when do you usually do the habit; what other thing were you doing at the time; where were you; who were you with; what happened before you did the habit; what time of the day was it etc.
With a replacement in place, we can continue to meet that need even after we have kicked the habit. For example, if you smoke or drink to relieve stress, you can look for other outlets to relieve stress such as exercising, meditating or taking up a hobby.
To effectively kick a bad habit that will last in the long term, we need to we have an adequate and effective replacement that will ensure that we do not go back to doing the old habit.
About the Author:
Want to improve your life? Author and personal development enthusiast Ethan Beh has spent many years seeking, learning and practicing the best personal development techniques available. Visit his website for his collection of personal development ideas which includes habit formation.
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