It’s Easier to Prevent Bad Habits than to Break them

Have you ever had a bad habit you just could not shake? I know when I was a cigarette smoker I could not prevent myself from lighting up whenever I felt the urge. The habit had a grip of me and I could not say no. I knew I should stop, but the need of the nicotine was too strong to deny. Eventually, I decided it was time to quit.

Quitting was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, as is the case with most bad habits. Bad habits are easy to start, but very difficult to kick. A bad habit starts off small, but it quickly becomes ingrained in your day to day life. You barely even notice it happening until one day you realize you need to stop. Then it becomes unmistakable because it takes three times as much effort to stop the bad habit as it did to start it in the first place. Here is where you begin the long arduous trek up the steep hill of recovery. In some cases it can take years to get to the point where you are back to normal, free of the bad habit.

Unfortunately, bad habits have always been around and are frequently addictive or perceived as needs that most often are unnecessary. Take a long look at yourself and those around you. Think about what bad habits you may have. Do you need the habit? Is it something that would make your life better if you stopped doing it? In doing research, the most popular bad habits were: overeating, poor eating habits including fast food and skipping meals, smoking, drinking alcohol, overspending and behaviors that increase stress on your body and mind. Preventing these bad habits from the start is much easier than trying to quit them. Try to identify harmful habits and those you can live without, so you can gradually try to change them. Odds are you can, but it may take some time. Do not get discouraged because in the end you will be much better for it. It was true in the 1700’s and it still holds true today.