They say that “Old habits are hard to break.” Fortunately, they don’t have to be! This blog focuses on identifying and letting go of unhealthy habits, the importance of setting boundaries in our new season, using manifestation tips to create healthier habits, and some other helpful stuff all without beating yourself up in the process.
What Are Habits and Where Do They Come From
A habit is anything that you do that is automatic. It is something that has become second nature to us, even if it didn’t start that way, and eventually developed over time. Repeated behaviors that stuck with us as we do them more often. Sometimes we are already accustomed to doing these patterned behaviors, and don’t even notice that it’s already a habit.
Humans are creatures of habit. We typically love and crave what is familiar, preferring to know what’s going to happen next rather than being thrown into an abyss of the unknown. It allows us to handle situations more easily when we know what we are getting ourselves into or what we are avoiding. Doing what’s familiar is how we can get locked into creating habits as coping mechanisms, both good and bad.
Change is Not Only Good but Inevitable
Then one day we wake up and realize that some things have to change. Sometimes what once worked for us just isn’t cutting it now. So, what is next at that point?
- As cliche as it sounds, the first step is admitting that there’s a habit. What is that habit? Acknowledge how it affects you, your situation, and your surroundings.
- Determine the source. Figuring out where an unhealthy habit came from and why it developed can not only be helpful in learning why you have it, but it can assist you with letting it go. Just understanding why we do some of the things that we do can offer us some comfort as we work to get passed them. Just don’t use it as an excuse to keep doing it with “That’s just how I am.”
- What triggers it? Recognizing what (or who) caused you to do that habit in that moment can help you to nip it in the bud.
- Assess. Not all habits are bad! Determine what needs to be let go of, and what simply needs to be modified or improved upon (i.e. drinking more water, getting enough sleep, getting 10k steps in a day, or eating healthier.)
- Do these changes reflect your values at your current stage in life or where you envision yourself in the future? Do you see yourself manifesting things, but your habits don’t seem to align with attracting them into your reality?
Once you decide that change is what you seek, look at how you are going to turn that ship around. Make sure to subscribe to receive updates to your inbox for tips, guides, and blogs from us that support you along your journey.
Goals Are Simply Dreams That We Put Action Behind
Some of us can quit certain unhealthy habits “cold turkey” just by making up our minds to do so. That was me when I decided in 2015 that I would stop drinking sodas. It was the Fourth of July weekend, and I had 2 Mt. Dew and a Cheerwine before it was lunch time. My ex noticed the empty bottles in the back seat of my little 2009 charcoal gray Mercedes C300 after I picked him up from the airport. He simply said, “That’s a lot of sodas.”
I never drank another soda after that. I also decided to keep the cabin of my car clean, but that positive change only lasted a few business days tops.
Sometimes it’s not that simple. Goals can be broken down into three types: immediate, short term, and long term. What can you do now? How will this get you to a middle ground, and what’s your end goal? Some of us require smaller, more actionable steps that are easier to accomplish. We do what works for us, okay?
Being Selfish is Self-Care
Speaking of which, doing what’s best for us isn’t selfish. Especially when breaking habits involve dealing with other humans in our lives. Set boundaries and be consistent in them. We aren’t responsible for how others respond to the boundaries that we impose, but we are responsible for staying consistent with enforcing them.
Maintaining control of our boundaries is empowering. Inconsistency is how we open ourselves up to falling back into negative patterns that we’ve worked to move past. Be aware of what can cause you to return to unhealthy habits when setting boundaries, such as letting people know that you don’t want to be around alcohol or cigarette smoke if you are focusing on cutting those habits out of your life.
You also don’t want to send mixed signals to people like that toxic ex or family member that pops back up simply because we allow it. Nobody can take us seriously if we don’t stick to our guns over the boundaries that we put into place. Never base setting them on how we think people will react to them, or if they will even accept them. Create them for your own needs. We teach people how to treat us with what we allow, and the goal is to do better with maintaining healthy habits in this new season.
Affirm the Change You Wish to Create
Positive affirmations are a good way to create the change that you want to see in yourself. The more you read and recite them, the more you rewire your subconscious to accept your goals as so. They are great for boosting esteem and confidence to help you be in the right mindset of where you want to be as a person.
Make a list of 1-5 affirmations that are centered around the goals you wish to reach. If you need some help, I’ve included some below. Reciting them (or saying them under my breath at least) when you feel the urge to go back to what you are focusing on letting go has helped me a ton. Affirm that these negative habits have no place in your life, and that releasing them creates room for positive ones. You can’t have what’s better by holding on to what serves you no good.
General Habit Shift Affirmations
- “I am safe to grow beyond old patterns.”
- “I release what no longer serves me and welcome what empowers me.”
- “Each small choice is reshaping my future.”
- “I am becoming the version of me I’ve always needed.”
- “Progress, not perfection, is the path I honor.”
Mindset & Mental Habits
- “I choose peace over chaos in my mind.”
- “My thoughts do not control me—I create new ones with intention.”
- “I am learning to trust stillness and clarity.”
- “I am not my past reactions. I respond differently now.”
Health & Wellness Habits
- “I nourish my body because I deserve to feel good.”
- “Movement is my medicine; rest is my right.”
- “I respect my body’s needs and honor its wisdom.”
- “I release guilt around self-care. I am worth the effort.”
Productivity & Discipline
- “I do what needs to be done, even when I don’t feel like it.”
- “Discipline is a form of self-love.”
- “My focus is stronger than my distractions.”
- “Every small step I take builds unstoppable momentum.”
Breaking Addictive/Compulsive Patterns
- “I have the strength to choose differently today.”
- “I forgive myself and begin again as many times as I need to.”
- “I pause, breathe, and listen to what I really need.”
- “My urges are not stronger than my intention to heal.”
Feel good about these changes. Know that you are going to be in a much better place once they manifest. View these healthier habits as already existing in your life to attract a positive outcome, and make sure to view the blog on how to use positive affirmations to manifest your dream life. Just in case you haven’t already.
Express Gratitude
Show gratitude for each step of the process. Acknowledge how far you have come in your journey of creating and maintaining healthy habits for yourself. Just expressing appreciation for how you’ve improved releases dopamine in your brain. The feel good “happy chemical” that is over your rewards system, which gives a boost to your mood when you’ve accomplished a goal. Be gentle with yourself. Even deciding that you want to make positive changes in your life is huge!
Building Healthy Habits Takes Time
Forming habits can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days, but that depends on the complexity of the habit. So, what can we do to help build them? The habit that you wish to create needs a trigger.
Do you want to take vitamins to contribute to having a healthier lifestyle? Leaving the bottle on the countertop can offer a reminder for you to take them when you see them sitting there. Are you looking to be more physically active? Pick out your workout clothes and lay them out before bed. Not only does it free up more time during your morning routine, but you are more apt to put them on and get your exercise on when you see them laying there.
Another way to create triggers is to use Post-It Notes and place them where you will be reminded at such as a bathroom mirror, desk or near your keys. Set reminders in your phone. You will begin to remember on your own to do the things that you desire to turn into habits the more that you are reminded of them. Eventually these patterns will become behaviors, and your behaviors will become a way of life.
Be well. I’m proud of you for even checking out this blog with the interest of making new positive habits. If you have made it this far, please subscribe to the site by entering your email below! You’ll get updates sent straight to your inbox when there’s new posts like this available! Follow me on my socials @furycutitout and I will see ya in future posts!
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