2936: How to Quickly Quit a Bad Habit for Good by Julianna Poplin of The Simplicity Habit on Having Better Daily Habits

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[00:01:02] This is optimal living daily episode

[00:01:04] 2936 how to quickly quit a bad habit for good by juliana poplin of the simplicity habit dot com

[00:01:12] And i'm just a malik your very own personal narrator

[00:01:15] I read to you every single day of the year so that you don't have to go find blogs and articles yourself

[00:01:20] I find the best authors online in my opinion and simply read them to you for free

[00:01:25] So that let's get right to it and continue optimizing your life

[00:01:33] How to quickly quit a bad habit for good by juliana poplin of the simplicity habit dot com

[00:01:41] Got a bad habit that's bringing you down

[00:01:44] You aren't alone

[00:01:45] Most of us can point to at least one bad habit we've developed over the years if not more

[00:01:51] Maybe you've made a habit of skipping the gym or spending too much time scrolling through your social media feed

[00:01:57] Or maybe you apologize way too often for things that aren't even your fault

[00:02:02] Maybe you bite your nails or drink too much caffeine or soda

[00:02:07] Regardless of what your bad habit actually looks like one thing is true

[00:02:11] You aren't going to make a change and break that habit unless you really want to make it happen

[00:02:18] If you do and keep listening to learn how to quickly quit a bad habit for good

[00:02:24] Why do we develop bad habits?

[00:02:26] Scientifically speaking, we develop bad habits for the same reason we develop good habits

[00:02:32] Habits can happen due to repetition doing the same thing the same way again and again

[00:02:39] Habits are also developed due to your brain's reward system

[00:02:42] A classic example of this is smoking cigarettes

[00:02:45] The nicotine in cigarettes triggers the release of dopamine a feel good chemical in your brain that can cause you to crave and repeat

[00:02:54] These not so great behaviors

[00:02:56] In some cases our moods can also contribute to the development of bad habits

[00:03:01] Snacking out of boredom not hunger is a bad habit that many fight to quit

[00:03:07] Biting our nails or fidgeting are bad habits often born from nervousness

[00:03:12] And procrastination is a bad habit we often develop when we're truly dreading the work ahead of us

[00:03:18] Not because we're lazy

[00:03:20] Regardless of the cause you can take steps to move away from those bad habits

[00:03:25] And if you're determined to make it happen, you can quit those bad habits quickly

[00:03:30] The habit loop

[00:03:32] Ready to kick that bad habit to the curb

[00:03:34] If you've got a bad habit you're stuck in what many people call the habit loop

[00:03:39] It has three components a cue a routine and a reward

[00:03:44] It starts with a cue something that triggers your bad habit

[00:03:47] Then there's the routine the action you take reflexively as a result of that cue

[00:03:53] And at the end of the habit loop, you'll find the reward the thing that keeps us coming back for more

[00:03:59] From there you circle back to the cue and the cycle continues

[00:04:04] The habit loop can be a helpful concept when it comes to quitting your bad habit

[00:04:08] But we'll get to that later

[00:04:10] How can I quickly quit a bad habit?

[00:04:13] Ready to kick that bad habit to the curb might not be easy

[00:04:17] But it's well worth the effort with a little intention effort and focus

[00:04:22] You can make your bad habit history man live a healthier happier life

[00:04:27] number one

[00:04:29] Understand why this bad habit happened in the first place

[00:04:33] It's really important to get to the root cause of your bad habit

[00:04:37] Before you can truly begin to change take a step back and reflect

[00:04:42] What are your cues?

[00:04:43] What could have triggered your bad habit?

[00:04:45] Was it a coping mechanism?

[00:04:47] A reaction to stress anxiety boredom?

[00:04:51] Pay attention as you move through your day

[00:04:53] How often does your bad habit rear its head?

[00:04:56] Does it happen at certain times after certain experiences?

[00:05:00] If you can recognize what triggers your bad habit

[00:05:03] You can make a plan to address the root cause and eliminate that bad habit once and for all

[00:05:09] number two

[00:05:10] Replace your bad habit with a good one

[00:05:13] In the habit loop your bad habit is the routine you follow as a result of a cue

[00:05:19] The best way to break the habit

[00:05:21] Replace it with the new one a positive routine

[00:05:23] And while you're at it tie that to a reward that's motivating enough to truly make a difference

[00:05:30] A few examples

[00:05:32] Your bad habit is that you always skip your morning run because you hate running

[00:05:37] Well switch up your routine and try a spin class or get a membership at a climbing gym

[00:05:42] Reward yourself with that pair of workout shoes that you needed anyway after you make it through your first week

[00:05:48] Pretty soon. You won't need additional things to keep you going

[00:05:52] The endorphins from your workout will be enough of a reward

[00:05:56] Or your bad habit is that you never go to bed on time

[00:06:00] Despite your best efforts, you're up until midnight or later and can never get enough rest as a result

[00:06:07] Change your routine by setting an alarm to go to bed at your desired time

[00:06:11] Reward yourself by making your bedroom and inviting and relaxing space that you actually look forward to winding down in

[00:06:19] Or your bad habit is online shopping. You're spending way too much and need to stop

[00:06:25] Change your routine by blocking those websites in your browser and treat yourself to a relaxing bath

[00:06:32] Or to a drink at your favorite local coffee shop as your reward

[00:06:36] number three

[00:06:37] Focus on one bad habit at a time

[00:06:41] Eliminating a bad habit doesn't come easily for most instead. It requires a level of effort and intention

[00:06:48] That's why it's smart to focus on getting rid of only one bad habit at a time

[00:06:53] Give it your full focus and attention and you'll make fast progress which will let you move on to the next bad habit sooner

[00:07:01] number four

[00:07:02] Keep your intention in mind

[00:07:05] Bad habits are often such a part of our behavior that we do them without realizing it

[00:07:10] That's one of the reasons quitting a bad habit can be so difficult

[00:07:14] To make it easier to change that bad habit into a good one

[00:07:17] Try to raise your awareness of that bad habit

[00:07:20] Put a reminder on your cell phone background

[00:07:23] So you think about it every time you check your phone when I feel like doing x I'll do y instead

[00:07:29] Repeat it as a mantra in the morning as you get ready

[00:07:32] Find an accountability buddy to check in daily and keep you focused

[00:07:37] And number five read a book

[00:07:39] Swing by the library download an ebook or put on an audiobook or podcast the next time you're in the car

[00:07:46] There's been a lot of research on habits in recent years and there are quite a few great books on the topic of quitting bad habits

[00:07:53] While you certainly don't need to take in all of that information to change your bad habit into a good one

[00:07:58] Deep diving into the science of habits can be fascinating and really helpful

[00:08:03] By empowering yourself with information

[00:08:06] You'll thoroughly understand why your habits happened in the first place

[00:08:09] And find yourself in a better position to change them

[00:08:17] You just listened to the post titled how to quickly quit a bad habit for good by juliana poplin of the simplicity habit dot com

[00:08:26] Thank you to juliana

[00:08:27] There are a couple of more things I would add to this just from reading so much content about habits over the years

[00:08:34] This was sort of touched on but worth digging deeper into

[00:08:37] And that's our environment

[00:08:40] Set yourself up for success as they say

[00:08:43] This was kind of hinted at when she talked about blocking websites to prevent online shopping or setting an alarm to go to bed

[00:08:51] They're very tiny things that we can do. They'll help us make the better choice

[00:08:56] If we set up our environment in the best possible way

[00:08:59] We'll remember better or we'll take the easier path which will be breaking that bad habit

[00:09:06] So as an example to borrow one that my brother loves to talk about on the optimal health daily podcast

[00:09:12] If you're trying to cut down on junk food first move that junk food out of your site

[00:09:17] Even better put it somewhere

[00:09:20] Inconvenient if you really don't want to throw it away. So like a top cupboard for instance

[00:09:26] Next have healthy options ready

[00:09:29] And not only that leave it out or if it belongs in the fridge put it front and center

[00:09:34] Right in front of your face

[00:09:36] Small things that can make a big difference

[00:09:39] And then the other thing I would add is social support

[00:09:42] Find groups or friends that don't do that habit that you're trying to quit and try to spend more time there

[00:09:48] If you're always hanging around people that don't smoke for instance, it'll likely be a bit more of a pain to smoke

[00:09:54] So it takes away that social factor

[00:09:56] So just a couple of things I would add to this but in either case hopefully these tips helped

[00:10:01] And with that have a great weekend if you're listening in real time and I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits