Do you have a bad addiction that you want to get rid of, but you do not know how?
You probably didn’t initially expect to become addicted, but now you finally recognised that you have a problem as it is affecting other aspects of your life.
Below are a few tips to help you overcome your addiction.
– Take a pen and a piece of paper and write down the harmful and negative effects you’ve experienced since becoming an addict. It might not feel good to acknowledge all the ways in which your addiction is harming you, but seeing the list on paper will help you resolve to stop as soon as possible.
– Simplify your goals. If you try to change your entire life in a day, you’re going to fail. Pick one goal and be willing to let others fall by the wayside for a bit. Firstly, focus on what is most important and build on your goals as you gather more strength and resilience.
– Make a list of the positive changes you want in your life. Now that you’ve detailed all the negative effects of your addiction, think about how much your life will improve once you’ve kicked the habit. Create a picture of your life post-addiction. What do you want it to look like?
– Write down your quitting commitment. Having a list of solid reasons to quit will help you stick to your plan in the long run. Your reasons for quitting must be more important to you than continuing your addictive behaviour. This mental hurdle is tough, but it’s a necessary first step to quitting any addiction. No one can make you quit but yourself. Write down the true, solid reasons you’re stopping this habit. Only you know what they are.
– Set a date to quit. Don’t set it for tomorrow, unless you’re pretty sure quitting cold turkey will work for you. Don’t set it for more than a month from now, because you might lose your resolve by then. Aim for a date in the next few weeks. This will give you enough time to become mentally and physically prepared.
– Make a daily change. Your goal for a healthy new habit has to be a change you make on a daily basis. This way it’s constantly occurring. If your goal is a weekly or monthly activity, then you’re likely to forget about it.
– Set reminders. Create reminders of your goal everywhere necessary. Put notes on your fridge and your bathroom mirror, create an alert on your phone and tell a friend. Even the best goal setters sometimes forget which goals they’re trying to focus on and WHY they were so motivated to do so in the first place.
– Create a trigger. This is some sort of ritual you perform right before you act out the new habit you’re trying to perform. If you’re trying to quit smoking, this could be something as simple as doing push-ups or drinking a glass of water every time you fight the urge to smoke a cigarette.
– Get rid of temptation. Rid your life of anything that will tempt you to give up on your goal. Remove drugs or alcohol from the home if you’re trying to quit using these substances. Do not go to places where you know they will be used. If friends who use substances you’re trying to get away from do not support your goals, avoid them.
Sources: https://addictionblog.org/, www.wikihow.com and www.verywellmind.com
