Lagi ka bang umaga na kung matulog kakaselpon?
Mahilig mag binge-eat ng “comfort foods” like ice cream, milk tea, at donuts?
Madalas ka bang uminom o mag-yosi?
Ubos-ubos ba ang sweldo kaka-add-to-cart?
Ehem!
Breaker, lahat naman ng tao ay may certain bad habits na na-form over time. Pero, kung pababayaan mo lang sila, these habits can impede your growth in life.
Pero dahil nandito ka ngayon at binabasa mo ‘to, it’s a good sign na meron kang gustong gawin to improve your habits.
Ang tanong, ano nga ba ang causes ng bad habits at bakit natin ‘to nafo-form?
“Most of the time, bad habits are simply a way of dealing with stress and boredom. Everything from biting your nails to overspending on a shopping spree to drinking every weekend to wasting time on the internet can be a simple response to stress and boredom.” Sabi yan ni James Clear, author of the New York Times bestseller book, Atomic Habit.
Ayun na nga, Breaker.
Come to think of it, tuwing kailan ka ba nagi-indulge sa oily and processed foods?
Eh how about sa alcohol and cigarettes? Tuwing kailan ka nagso-smoke?
Eh ‘yung excessive browsing mo sa social media, kailan ‘yan usually nangyayari?
Marami pa mang ibang factors, pero ang bottom line, we unconsciously form bad habits because we try to deal with stress and boredom in an unhealthy manner.
Kaya to breakthrough in this area, mabuti pa basahin mo na ‘tong 5 BreakThrough tips on how to break bad habits.
BreakThrough Tip #1: Decide to really change your bad habit.
Syempre ‘no?
Hindi naman puwedeng trip-trip lang kaya mo naisipan baguhin ‘yung bad habits mo. Maganda naman ‘yun na may desire ka to change. Pero kailangan i-make sure mo rin sa sarili mo na desidido ka talagang mag-improve. Hindi ‘yung bigla ka na lang aayaw dahil lang sa nahihirapan ka na.
‘Wag ganoon Breaker!
Faithful dapat until the end.
Dapat committed, ‘di tulad ng Ex mo.
Opx!
BreakThrough Tip #2: Choose a substitute for your bad habit.
Dahil nga bad habits usually start as a response to stress and boredom, it is good to know kung paano ba talaga ito nagsimula. Kailan din ito naging habit na. It requires several instances bago maging habit ang isang action. At the same time, it requires several instances to replace a habit with another.
Halimbawa, kung tendency mo ang mag bite ng nails kapag nase-stress, why not substitute it with using a fidget spinner? That way, nailalabas mo pa rin ‘yung stress mo but in a healthier way. At the same time, gandara pa rin ‘yang nails mo.
Ganern!
Kung nakakaramdam ka naman ng boredom habang nag wo-work and you’re tempted to mindlessly scroll through Shopee o Lazada – nako! Why not aim to read an article about your passions or interests instead?
Who knows, baka magkaron ka pa ng “Aha!” moment na makakatulong sa work mo.
Bonus: Hindi pa mababawasan ang bonus mo!
Chour!
Breaker, gusto lang din namin sabihin, na there are certain habits that has deeper roots – hindi lang stress at boredom. If that’s the case, better kung mag-seek ka din ng additional professional help to really breakthrough in this area.
BreakThrough Tip #3: Set reasonable goals.
Some of your bad habits may have taken years to form. So don’t expect na you’ll be able to break them within the next week or so na kaagad.
Start small, Breaker.
Kung 5 cigarettes ang na-smoke mo today dahil sa stress, why not try to smoke for 3 cigarettes muna tomorrow, and then, chew gums or drink tea na lang kapag nakakaramdam ka ng stress. Continue to do this, hangang sa mawala na ang cravings mo sa cigarettes.
Don’t worry too much if you still feel the desire to go back to your old ways. Consistency is key in forming new habits. Just keep showing up for yourself every single day, Breaker. Sooner or later, you’ll see, you’re reaping na pala the benefits of your new and healthier habits.
Breakthrough Tip #4: Get support.
Sabi nga sa isang African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
The same is true in getting rid of unhealthy habits and forming new ones, Breaker.
Ilang beses mo na bang sinubukan mag-diet at umiwas sa unhealthy foods in private?
Ano ‘ng naging resulta?
O, aminin!
Breaker, look for people whom you can trust and ask them na samahan ka sa journey mong ito.
By doing that, you can hold each other accountable for your progress. At kapag feeling mo gusto mo na mag give-up, the other person can encourage you to keep going and remind you of your goals.
Tandaan: No man is an island.
It’s okay to ask for help.
BreakThrough Tip #5: Celebrate small victories.
Kung lumipas ang one month without you relapsing to your old habit, i-celebrate mo yun, Breaker! It’s not easy to get rid of old habits especially the bad ones. Pero, you were able to do it kahit paunti-unti at good job ka dun!
Kung hindi naman, it’s okay pa rin. Kasi at least, you have tried to improve yourself and tomorrow, you can try again.
Good job ka pa rin dun!
So, don’t beat yourself up, kung may mga slip-ups sa ginagawa mo. Always remember that you are aiming for improvement, not perfection.
In the end, the choice is yours, Breaker.
No amount of article can make the changes for you unless you do.
Are you going to allow your bad habits to impede your personal development o willing ka na tiisin lahat ng discomfort and difficulties that breaking a habit can bring just to improve?
What are you willing to give up in order to grow up?
“If we’re growing, we’re always going to be outside of our comfort zone.” Sabi nga ni Lolo John Maxwell.
‘Wag ka magalala about the possible resistance ahead, Breaker, dahil for sure, magtatagumpay ka. Paano kami nakakasigurado? Because someone has already made a way to ensure your victory.
Ang galing ‘di ba? Want to know how he did it?
Breaker, if after reading this article you realize you need someone to talk to about your habits and the changes you want to make in your life, ‘wag ka mahihiyang i-text kami sa 0999-227-1927 or tawagan kami sa 8-737-0-777
Puwede mo rin kaming i-message sa iCanBreakThrough Facebook page or Instagram account or email us.
Willing kami na samahan ka sa ‘yong #BreakThrough!