Declaring Independence from Unhealthy Habits

Every time a family got together on the 4th of July, they’d make Grandma’s special brisket exactly the same way she had always done it.  First they’d cut off one end of the brisket, put it in the pan, then season it and pop it in the oven.  After several decades of get-togethers, someone finally asked why they always cut off the end of the roast.  At that point it was just habit – and no one really knew. After some digging, they solved the puzzle.  It turns out Grandma’s roasting pan was too small to hold the whole brisket.

Some less than optimal habits we have are like that – we don’t even know anymore why we started doing them.  Others, like nail biting, being “too busy” to meditate or eating junk food, are daily choices that don’t serve us well on a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual level.

Habitual behaviors become imprinted not just in our conscious mind, but also our muscle memory.  That means if you’ve been a smoker for years, the physical act of taking a cigarette out of the pack, reaching for your lighter and then holding the cigarette in your hand becomes automatic.  You’ve built neural pathways in your brain, which means the neurons can communicate directly with your muscles, bypassing conscious thought.

The good news is, psychologists say unhealthy habits definitely can be broken.  Here are some tips to help you declare your independence from bad habits:

1)    Breathe! – When you catch yourself falling into an old unwanted habit, just stop and take three deep, mindful breaths.  Dr. Andrew Weil, author and founder, professor, and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, suggests inhaling to the count of four, holding that breath to the count of seven, then vigorously exhaling to a count of eight.  Do that three times to clear your mind and break the old pattern.

2)    Be gentle with yourself – NO trash-talking is allowed.  That means silently yelling at yourself, or labeling yourself as stupid, weak or a loser is definitely counter-productive.  Choosing more positive behaviors is all about nurturing, respecting and loving yourself.

3)    Watch your words – Things your conscious mind says are immediately taken literally by your subconscious mind.  If you say, “I’ll NEVER kick this habit and get healthy,” you’ve just set yourself up to fail.  Here are some powerful word substitutions that can move you in the right direction: Instead of “I’ll try,” say “I will.”  Instead of “I always smoke,” say, “In the past, I smoked.”  Instead of “I’ll never kick this,” say, “I am kicking this.”

4)    Rewire your brain – When you catch yourself falling back into a mindless bad habit, after you’ve stopped and taken those three deep breaths, quickly move your eyes straight up and to the left, then down and to the right, then up again and to the left – then roll them three times clockwise, then three times counterclockwise.  You just scrambled the neurological message your brain was sending to your muscles, interrupting that habitual pattern and starting a healthier new one.

5)    Break state physically – Besides retraining your brain not to access old muscle memory with the exercise above, give your muscles a different command.  Take a deep breath and raise your arms high over your head on the inhale, then bring your arms back to your sides on the exhale.  Any kind of stretch will bring you back into conscious awareness of what your body is doing, and help you regain control over those old mindless actions required to sustain a bad habit.

6)    Substitute a desirable behavior – Instead of reaching for a sugary treat or biting a nail, stop, breathe and think of something for which you are grateful.  Close friends, loving family, this beautiful day – your list of wonderful things to choose from is truly endless.  Shifting your consciousness into a positive state by counting your blessings diverts your attention away from the old harmful behavior.

7)    Celebrate your victories – After you’ve declared your independence from unhealthy habits, every night, before you fall asleep, take a moment to review your three most positive changes that day.  Savor them, congratulate yourself, and realize you’re making real progress, one day at a time.  You didn’t develop bad habits overnight, and you won’t change them overnight, either.  But you’re definitely on your way!

For more motivation in taking healthy control of your life, come experience the healing power of transformation for your body, mind and spirit at OHI.  We can help you learn positive new habits and achieve your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual goals for optimal health. Call us today at (800) 993-4325 to make your reservation.