{"id":37344,"date":"2018-11-20T10:22:56","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T10:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?p=37344"},"modified":"2025-02-12T11:34:44","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T11:34:44","slug":"5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Proven Ways to Change Bad Habits Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve tried changing any of your habits that make you less productive, healthy or happy, you know that the task can be difficult. A habit is a shortcut that the mind uses to simplify a task. Straying from that routine requires a conscious effort on your behalf when doing things the old way would be a lot simpler.<\/p>\n

Change, however, doesn\u2019t have to be radical. A few simple steps can be followed to begin the journey towards a better you without experiencing massive stress along the way.<\/p>\n

Pinpoint What You\u2019d Like to Change<\/h2>\n

To make the task easier, you need to have a clear idea about exactly what you\u2019d like to change.<\/p>\n

Recognize the things holding you back. Do you oversleep and often find yourself running late? If so, your day is filled with stress just because you can\u2019t optimize your morning routine. After all, sleeping in is a lot easier than pushing yourself to get up at exactly the same time every morning.<\/p>\n

Once you know what it is that you\u2019d like to change, you will also know exactly what you need to do in order to eradicate the bad habit.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a simple example \u2013 you\u2019re easily distracted and you spend a lot of time on your Facebook when you should be studying or working. What you\u2019d like to change is the amount of time you dedicate to distractive activities.<\/p>\n

\"Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Now that you have a goal, how can you make it happen? Getting rid of the distractions is the simplest way to start. If you can\u2019t accomplish the goal on your own, you can enlist tools for the purpose. A solution like FocusMe<\/a> can help you control your environment so that you\u2019re not tempted to stray from the path. Using this solution will make it easier for you to stick to a new routine and to eventually form more productive habits.<\/p>\n

Reward Yourself Along the Way<\/h2>\n

You need a stimulus to keep going, even when you\u2019re facing difficulties with following your new routine. Rewarding yourself for accomplishments will give you something to look forward to, even if the new journey is making you feel uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to wait for someone to pat you on your back when you could be your own biggest supporter.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019d like to start exercising more regularly. Sticking to a workout schedule at first isn\u2019t going to be too pleasant. You\u2019ll have to dedicate time to it, you\u2019ll feel tired and sore until your physical shape improves. Give yourself a delicious meal after you exercise or when you accomplish a specific fitness goal. If the schedule is too rigorous, chances are that you wouldn\u2019t stick to it in the long run.<\/p>\n

\"Swimming<\/a><\/p>\n

Know What You\u2019ll Replace a Bad Habit with<\/h2>\n

A good plan from the start will make success more likely.<\/p>\n

How will you replace a bad habit<\/a>? The action plan should be viable, practical and easy to follow. The more detail you have right from the start, the freer you\u2019ll be from having to ponder during the process.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go for the example above \u2013 you want to start working out more. The problem is that you don\u2019t have the time, you hate going to the gym and you even feel a bit anxious about joining a class due to the response you\u2019ll get from others.<\/p>\n

Now that you know what you don\u2019t want to do, find an alternative. You don\u2019t have to go to the gym or to a class in order to exercise. There are dozens of exercise routines you can do at home and without having to buy equipment. Biking, walking and swimming are also wonderful activities that will get your body pumping. Just choose the one that you\u2019ll enjoy the most. If you don\u2019t know which one it\u2019s going to be, give a few activities a try to see how you\u2019re going to feel about each.<\/p>\n

Get Rid of the Triggers<\/h2>\n

Bad habits start with a trigger. If you get rid of the trigger, you will make it easier to introduce change.<\/p>\n

You want to start eating healthier meals? Get rid of the chips, the chocolate bars and the biscuits in your pantry. Having to go to the store in order to buy what you crave will help you stick to the fruits, nuts and yogurt you have in your fridge.<\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean you should never ever have a chocolate bar again in your life. Just remove the triggers until you feel comfortable enough in your new habit.<\/p>\n

Baby Steps Will Give You Bigger Progress<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s ok to step back during the process if you feel overwhelmed. Psychologists recommend baby steps<\/a> as the best way towards steady and sustainable progress.<\/p>\n

Make a small change today. Know that it\u2019s enough, even if you haven\u2019t achieved the big milestone you were hoping for. You made progress and tomorrow, you will accomplish something even bigger on the journey to personal change and growth.<\/p>\n

If you have to go back, slow down or pause the process \u2013 do it. Setting big milestones and failing miserably at them will discourage you much more than having a big goal in mind and failing miserably.<\/p>\n

Some people quit smoking cold turkey. This doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re going to be capable of quitting completely from scratch or refraining to utilize aides like nicotine patches. Even if you reduce the number of cigarettes that you smoke, you are still registering progress. This progress matters because it\u2019s getting you closer to changing a bad habit or getting rid of it altogether.<\/p>\n

What matters is that you keep on going. Even if you relapse, even if you\u2019re on a hiatus, the goal should still be there in your mind. Once you feel more capable of change, you will accomplish exactly what you desire.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too late to break bad habits or start from scratch. Life gives us many opportunities that we should be making use of. Know when the time is right and draft your action plan. These are the two most challenging steps and accomplishing them means you\u2019ve been capable of making huge progress.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve tried changing any of your habits that make you less productive, healthy or happy, you know that the task can be difficult. A habit is a shortcut that the mind uses to simplify a task. Straying from that routine requires a conscious effort on your behalf when doing things the old way would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2100,"featured_media":37345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-habits"],"yoast_head":"\nBreak Bad Habits & Build Better Ones | Simple Steps<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Struggling to break bad habits? Learn simple, stress-free steps to replace them with better ones and achieve personal growth with ease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones | Simple Steps\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Struggling to break bad habits? Learn simple, stress-free steps to replace them with better ones and achieve personal growth with ease.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@FocusMe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@FocusMe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"FocusMe Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"FocusMe Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b38a236dda2d3837104aa2f0da2cd09\"},\"headline\":\"5 Proven Ways to Change Bad Habits Today\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-20T10:22:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-12T11:34:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/\"},\"wordCount\":1066,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Habits\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/\",\"name\":\"Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones | Simple Steps\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-11-20T10:22:56+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-12T11:34:44+00:00\",\"description\":\"Struggling to break bad habits? Learn simple, stress-free steps to replace them with better ones and achieve personal growth with ease.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":667,\"caption\":\"Bad habits, good habits\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Habits\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/category\/habits\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"5 Proven Ways to Change Bad Habits Today\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/\",\"name\":\"FocusMe\",\"description\":\"The Productivity App That FORCES You to Focus!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"FocusMe\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/white_logo_circle_200.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/white_logo_circle_200.png\",\"width\":200,\"height\":200,\"caption\":\"FocusMe\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FocusMeBlocker\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/FocusMe\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b38a236dda2d3837104aa2f0da2cd09\",\"name\":\"FocusMe Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7c36161b41fd301fea1d4f02c11e0634?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7c36161b41fd301fea1d4f02c11e0634?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"FocusMe Team\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones | Simple Steps","description":"Struggling to break bad habits? Learn simple, stress-free steps to replace them with better ones and achieve personal growth with ease.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones | Simple Steps","twitter_description":"Struggling to break bad habits? Learn simple, stress-free steps to replace them with better ones and achieve personal growth with ease.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg","twitter_creator":"@FocusMe","twitter_site":"@FocusMe","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"FocusMe Team","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/"},"author":{"name":"FocusMe Team","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b38a236dda2d3837104aa2f0da2cd09"},"headline":"5 Proven Ways to Change Bad Habits Today","datePublished":"2018-11-20T10:22:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-12T11:34:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/"},"wordCount":1066,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg","articleSection":["Habits"],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/","url":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/","name":"Break Bad Habits & Build Better Ones | Simple Steps","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg","datePublished":"2018-11-20T10:22:56+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-12T11:34:44+00:00","description":"Struggling to break bad habits? Learn simple, stress-free steps to replace them with better ones and achieve personal growth with ease.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/word-image-13.jpeg","width":1000,"height":667,"caption":"Bad habits, good habits"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/5-proven-ways-to-change-bad-habits-today\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Habits","item":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/blog\/category\/habits\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"5 Proven Ways to Change Bad Habits Today"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/","name":"FocusMe","description":"The Productivity App That FORCES You to Focus!","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#organization","name":"FocusMe","url":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/white_logo_circle_200.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/white_logo_circle_200.png","width":200,"height":200,"caption":"FocusMe"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FocusMeBlocker\/","https:\/\/x.com\/FocusMe"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3b38a236dda2d3837104aa2f0da2cd09","name":"FocusMe Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en","@id":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7c36161b41fd301fea1d4f02c11e0634?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7c36161b41fd301fea1d4f02c11e0634?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"FocusMe Team"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37344"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37344\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515660,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37344\/revisions\/515660"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}