10 Tips for Breaking Bad Habits

You know what they are. Every time you do them you think, "I really shouldn't be..." Fill in the blanks! Drinking this, eating this, smoking this - the list goes on and on. We all have habits we would be healthier without. So what do we do about them? How do we kick the habits for good? Here are ten tips for breaking bad habits and living a better life.

1. Acknowledge and own the habits. There's no sense denying them; they exist, your friends and family know they exist, so own them. Say aloud, "I need to stop!" Once you've acknowledged it, it begins to lose its power. It's certainly much better than ignoring your unhealthy habits or hiding them.

2. Let go of shame. Don't be ashamed of your unhealthy habits. No one is perfect and we're all striving to improve ourselves. Everyone has something they need to work on. Once you stop feeling ashamed of it, you can move forward and take control of your habits.

3. Understand where the habits came from. One of the great tools to kicking a habit is to first understand where it came from. For example, if you have a tendency to eat a lot in the evenings it could stem from your breakfast habits. Once you know the reason behind your habits, they're easier to change. In the example of the late night eating, a simple solution may be to develop a resolution to have a good breakfast every morning, rather than trying to stop eating at night.

4. Understand why you want to get rid of your unhealthy habit. Do you want to feel better? Have more energy? Look better? Extend your life? When you understand why you want to get rid of your unhealthy habits, it is easier to find the right motivation to help you achieve your goals. For example, if you're motivated to look better, maybe an old picture of yourself when you liked how you looked would work as appropriate motivation.

5. Set reasonable goals. Lofty goals don't serve anyone. If you want to get rid of unhealthy habits, establish goals you are fairly certain you can attain. That doesn't mean they have to be easy goals, but it is important that they are attainable.