Old Habits are there to test you again! Do you have enough will power to fight back?

I know that you are doing your best to change yourself. You’re reading books daily, doing your chores on time, and loving every moment that accomplishment brings. It’s been a month, and you feel like you’re slowly sliding back into old habits. Being awake all night and later regretting why you didn’t wake up earlier? 

Regarding health and fitness, it’s important to maintain good habits. You put a lot of effort into improving your eating and exercise habits. And for a few weeks or maybe a few months, you stuck to your plan. But now, you’ve fallen back into your old ways. You’re skipping the gym and eating unhealthy foods. What can you do to reorient yourself? It’s not easy to let go off the old habits and toxic patterns but it isn’t impossible.

What Inspired Me to Discuss Old Habits

The idea came to me when I noticed I was committed to writing a weekly blog. But I’ve noticed I didn’t complete my goal this week. Sometimes it’s hard, and sometimes it’s fine, but it kept happening with not only writing but exercising and then eating junk more than 4 times a month. While I remember, it’s been happening quite often now, and I need to change it. Habits take a lot of time to develop, and it’s not worth letting go of your work. 

So while I was in the moment of slacking, I was writing this blog. I pushed myself to decide on a topic. Little did I know, you don’t find the topic; the topic finds you. 

If you feel the same, then here are a few tips to help you get back on track: 

Ensure You’re Getting Enough Sleep

It’s easy to let your sleep habits slide during the summer months. With longer days and warmer weather, you may stay up and sleep later. You shouldn’t stay up late just because you can, though. When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re more likely to make unhealthy choices – like eating junk food or skipping workouts. So ensure you’re getting enough shut-eye before you start working. 

Establish a regular bedtime and try your best to stick to it. Even if you’re staying up later than usual, aim to go to bed simultaneously each night. It will assist your body in establishing a regular sleep cycle. Create a soothing bedtime routine to signal your body that it is time to wind down for the evening. 

Don’t be Too Hard on Yourself

When you don’t feel like you’re making progress, it’s simple to become depressed. But don’t be too hard on yourself! Everyone has setbacks from time to time, and it’s important to remember that it’s not permanent. Just because you had a bad day doesn’t mean you’re not progressing in the right direction. So cut yourself some slack, and try to get back on track tomorrow. Don’t forget to take good care of your health in every single aspect.

Find a Support System 

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. The same could be said of breaking old habits. Having a supportive network of friends and family is essential when trying to make positive changes in your life. However, there are times when the people closest to us present the biggest challenge. In these cases, it may be necessary to seek out professional help. 

The most important thing is to find people who will understand and support you on your journey. If your loved ones are not able or willing to do that, plenty of other people out there can help you. There is no shame in admitting that you need help, and reaching out for assistance is the first step toward a better life.

One Day at a Time

When making positive changes in your life, taking things one day at a time is important. Trying to change everything at once can be overwhelming and discouraging. Concentrate on one minor adjustment at a time. These adjustments will have a big impact over time.

If you’re trying to break a bad habit, start by changing one thing about your routine. For example, if you always have a cigarette with your morning coffee, try having your coffee first and then waiting 20 minutes before having a cigarette. Or, if you always eat dessert after dinner, try eating fruit or yogurt instead. Making even small changes like this can help you break the cycle of old habits.

Remember that changing your behavior is a process that takes time and effort. But if you take things one day at a time, you’ll eventually reach your goals. 

Identify Your Triggers to Avoid Falling Back into Old Habits 

It is important to identify your triggers to avoid falling into old habits. What are the things that make you more likely to slip up? For some people, it might be being around certain people or in certain environments. Maybe there is a certain time of day when you are more likely to snack on unhealthy foods. Once you know your triggers, you can start to put together a plan for how to avoid them.

If you find that being around certain people triggers you, try to limit your time with those people or make sure that you have someone else with you when you see them. Knowing that you are more likely to make bad choices at a particular time of day, try to keep yourself busy during that time or have healthy snacks readily available. 

If social media is what lets you waste time, then log out every time you finish using it. So you find it difficult to scroll through memes and waste time. 

Practice Mindfulness

When it comes to old habits, we often know what we need to do to break them. But we continue to fall back into the same old patterns for some reason. Mindfulness may be key if you’re struggling to break a bad habit. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment and aware of your thoughts and feelings without judgment. When you’re mindful, you’re not focused on the past or future but the here and now. 

Practising mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, which can help break old habits. When you’re aware of your thoughts and feelings, you’re more likely to catch yourself before falling into a bad habit. 

Leave Yourself Reminders to Prevent Old Habits

Put sticky notes in your house or office, or set a daily alarm on your phone. Whatever method you choose, make sure it’s something that will work for you.

Writing out what you want to achieve in the reminder can be helpful. For example, if you’re trying to eat healthier, your reminder could say, “eat breakfast every day.” Your reminder could state, “Go for a 30-minute walk three times a week” if you’re trying to exercise more. Writing down your objectives can keep you motivated.

Leaving reminders for yourself is a simple way to help avoid slipping back into unhealthy, old habits. Choose a method that will work for you, and include your goals in the reminders. 

Prepare for slip-ups to Old Habits

One of the most difficult things about breaking a bad habit is that slip-ups are bound to happen. No matter how strong your resolve is, there will be times when you falter and give in to temptation. The key is not to let these slipups derail your entire effort. Just because you had a moment of weakness doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely.

The best way to deal with a slipup is to get back on track immediately. Don’t beat yourself up over it or dwell on it too much. Just acknowledge what happened and move on. Chances are you’ll be able to stick with your new habit for the long haul if you can quickly get back into the groove of things.

Let Go of the All-or-Nothing Mindset

When it comes to staying on track with our goals, it’s easy to fall into the all-or-nothing mindset. We either feel like we’re on top of the world and crushing our goals or like complete failures. However, this dichotomous thinking is not helpful and can lead us to give up on our goals altogether.

It’s important to remember that progress is not a linear process. There will be ups and downs, but as long as we keep moving forward, we are making progress. Instead of beating ourselves up for not being perfect, we should celebrate our accomplishments, no matter how small they may be.

When we slip up and have a bad day, it’s okay! We are human, after all. 

Final Thoughts on Old Habits

When it comes to breaking bad habits, it’s important to understand what’s motivating the behavior. Virtually all bad habits come back for the same reason: we have an underlying need that isn’t being met.

For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking, it’s not enough to just avoid cigarettes. You also need to find a way to deal with the stress or other emotions that led you to smoke in the first place. Otherwise, you’ll likely reach for a cigarette the next time you feel anxious or overwhelmed.

The same is true for other old habits like overeating, procrastinating, or spending too much time on your phone. If you can’t figure out what need is being unmet, you’ll be much more likely to fall back into old patterns of behavior. 

Comment if you’ve felt like slipping back to old habits but noticed your patterns and changed them immediately.