By Jane Smith

Not medically reviewed by Dr. Erin Stair 

We are creatures of habit, but if you have a number of negative or bad habits in your life, then they really can hold you back in a range of ways. You can hinder your health with some bad habits, both mental health and physical health, as well as hold yourself back from being able to achieve your goals. You can spend a lot of money and time on them too, and waste a lot of your thoughts and energy. But we need to understand why we still do these things, even when we know that they are no good for us. Then you can help yourself and work out what needs to be done.

What is the cause of bad habits?

There are two main causes of us having bad habits in our life. The first is stress. If we find that we are feeling quite overwhelmed and stressed, then we look for something quick and immediate to help us to deal with it, as it helps to make us feel much better. The second common reason that we have bad habits is that we can feel quite bored. If you are bored and don’t know what to do, you will choose something that is easy and comforting. Then when you are bored again in the same way, you will naturally go to do that same habit, and then, the habit is formed.

Replacing with positive habits

The habits that you have in your life at the moment whether they be habits that are good for you or habits that are bad for you, are there for a reason. You have made them part of your life. So it can be very difficult to just stop doing one of them. That is why it can be a good idea to embrace replacing your bad habits with some healthier habits. For example, if you are a smoker, then quitting cold-turkey without anything to replace it can be hard. So you could look into something like CBD oil vape pens instead, as it is something similar, but perhaps less harmful to you. The same kind of thing goes for overeating or eating badly. Instead of reaching for the processed snacks when watching a movie on an evening, choose fruit or veggie sticks instead. Then you aren’t just getting empty calories, but you still have the snacking habit.

Cut out the triggers

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have triggers for the habits that we have in our life, both good habits and bad habits. Boredom is one example, so if you have that feeling start to creep in, then you need to learn to have something else to do, as a way to cut out that trigger. That may involve starting a new hobby, or just taking yourself out for a walk whenever you start to feel bored. If you find that stress is a trigger for you, or a certain relationship is too, then by eliminating those triggers, it can help you to cope in a healthier way.