“The secret of change is to focus all your energy NOT on fighting the old but on BUILDING the new.”

–Socrates

A healthy body is a priceless gift given to you by God. The body allows you to experience the happiness that God has planned for all His children. It is not less than a temple. Therefore, you should always try to keep any bad habit away from it. They disrupt the healthy growth of the body and mind and prevent you from accomplishing your life goals. You must endeavor to keep your body pure and healthy always.

Moreover, poor eating and lifestyle habits put your mental as well as physical wellbeing at risk. Bad habits may also lead you to unnecessary spending. So why to keep bad habits? Remove them from your life now and stick to the good ones.

Identify the Habit

Know exactly what habit you would like to change or remove from your life. Think in terms of specific behaviors, their bad outcomes and drill down on the concrete action. Go in knowing precisely what it is you are going to do to break that habit and then your efforts will bring positive results.

Go Slow

Developing good habits takes time and effort but getting rid of bad old habits may turn out to be even more challenging. Nonetheless, be patient with yourself and do not expect dramatic changes. Focus on one habit and start taking small steps. With unhealthy food habits, for example, small changes like reducing one spoon of sugar or switching oil in your food with healthy alternatives can make a big difference in the long run.

Find a Strong Reason

You know that you should not smoke or consume alcohol, but that consciousness itself may not be enough for you to eliminate the habit. You may find it difficult to move away from it. Try to find a good reason to quit that.

In addition to thinking you should stop drinking and smoking because it will bring positive health benefits, you can better motivate yourself to do it because it may help you become a good parent/human being or you will save a lot of money in a way you weren’t able to before. Once you will broaden your horizon and think selflessly, your bad habits will leave you automatically.

Be Kind to Yourself

Changing any bad habit does not happen in a day, so try not to get hard or angry with yourself. It takes a while for your mind to get used to new habits. Don’t feel bad about it and, don’t indulge in self-criticism if you fail to stay focused. Just be kind to yourself and keep trying. Say to yourself that it is alright to fall off the bandwagon sometimes. If this happens, pause, talk to yourself and start again. In the course of time your efforts will bring fruitful results.

Visualize Your Better Version

Even with the finest intentions, people may fall into the trap of bad habits because of a weak willpower. You might promise yourself to stay away from unhealthy food and drinks when going out with relatives and friends, for example, but forget that pledge as soon as you step into a restaurant.

So, set reminders in your heart with affirmations and think about 6 months or 1 year down the line. See yourself as healthier, happier, and richer. Take some pain today and your future healthy self will thank you for your small sacrifices of today.

Remember, irrespective of what you might believe, bad habits are not impossible to stop. Try working on changing habits one at a time and swapping it with a healthy alternative. It is never too late to break a bad habit!