Breaking the Cycle: How to Change a Bad Habit for Good

I got this plan from The Power of Positive Thinking, and I added some ideas from some of the calls I have been on to help me sleep. I seriously can’t fall asleep easily. While my husband Tony can put his head down and start snoring… It take me anywhere from an hour to two hours (that’s even with sleeping pills) and I have tried over the counter meds and prescribed ones as well and all they do is make me feel dizzy and groggy!

One thing I learned during therapy was that my rituals were a symptom of my OCD, they helped me to overcome the anxiety it caused. So for as long as I can remember I’ve had the same thought ritual to go to sleep (sort of like a long thread of negative bedtime stories). If I don’t do it, I stay anxious and get no sleep. If I do it I can sleep in about 45 minutes but I wake up anxious… It’s a vicious cycle.

So what I’ve learned now is that instead of trying to fight the urge to think negative thoughts, I can allow myself to think them but instead of taking them back into my mind, I give them away to God. He’s the only one that can really do anything with them.

Last week I learned that in order to change my bad habits, I need to replace them with an equally gratifying good habit.

This applies to all sorts of bad habits we are looking to let go of. So when you’re looking to do this, think of the real reason, the feeling you get when you engage in an activity and then look for a substitute that will still give you that feeling (hopefully a healthier alternative). The worst thing you can do is fight or avoid the urge, the feelings, or the thoughts that come with your habits (rituals) because it creates more anxiety and frustration.

Do you have any habits you are trying to change? If so, let me know in the comments, let’s figure out a way to overcome the problem!