F*ck Your Bad Habits and 9 Ways That Can Help You Change Them

Happy Tuesday, fwens! I can’t believe it’s already the second week of 2021! I’m gonna let you in on a little secret---(I unofficially announce that) we’re dedicating this whole month’s posts for a New Year, New You series! A new year means a fresh start and what better way to start the year than to focus on improving yourself!

Let’s talk bad habits. We all have them! It’s our own unhealthy way of coping with stress and negative feelings. You might have all these exciting goals for the new year, but there’s always one b*tch that keeps us from reaching those goals---bad habits. As optimistic as we are to try to reach our goals, it’s human nature to give excuses to stay in our comfort zones. Yes, it might feel safe, but in all honesty, it’s not always the best solution. I’m gonna be completely transparent with you. I’ve had a breakdown-breakthrough moment on the very first day of the year. 2020 allowed me to stay in my comfort zone (and I might have overstayed). I had an excuse---my mental health was declining, and there was a pandemic! I kept running away from things and avoiding them, just so I can feel safe and take care of my mental health. However, there’s a fine line between knowing your boundaries and simply ignoring them to step out of your comfort zone. It’s honestly so hard to tell. I thought I was keeping my boundaries, but in reality, I was hiding in whatever felt safe and familiar. So, on the 1st day of 2021 at 3 am, I had a breakdown. I realized that I fucked everything up and I was asking myself how I managed to get it this bad. I wasn’t taking control of my life for months and when I finally had the courage to stand up and look at my life, it was actually falling apart! Coincidentally, I was listening to The Mindset Mentor podcast that night (Girl, I wish this were sponsored lmao). Suddenly, I had a breakthrough moment! I realized that I can take control of my life. I am my own boss!

Now, I’m not telling you that I turned my life downside-up overnight, but God knows that I’m willing to go through sh*t to get my life back in order. So, join me in this journey, and here’s 9 ways on how you can take your life back and say f*ck you to your bad habits:

1. Recognize which habits you want to change and write them down

The start is always the hardest. So, don’t quit just yet! The first step---acknowledge that you have bad habits. Acknowledge them and accept your humanness. We aren’t perfect and it’s okay. Identify those bad habits and write them down. For me, it’s avoiding taking showers.

2. Identify the cause or triggers

Next, try to think about what triggers your bad habits. What kind of negative feelings are you trying to avoid by doing such habits? What kind of comfort do your bad habits bring you? I avoid taking showers because it gives me so much anxiety. The process of taking a shower and after-shower care sounds so tedious to me and I already feel so tired just merely thinking about it. To add to that, I prefer to take cold showers and I absolutely dread the feeling of cold water touching my body (especially in the winter).

3. Set goals and write down what changes you need to do (aka your action plan)

Now that you’ve identified the trigger, write down ways on how you can overcome the negative talk. How would an ideal scenario go and what goals are you trying to achieve by changing your habits? What changes can you do to replace a habit? Ideally, my goal is to take at least 3 showers a week, but how can I achieve that? My plan is to do it right when I wake up, so I can avoid making excuses not to shower. I often find myself overthinking it in bed, so I want to break it down into smaller tasks. For example, I can start these smaller tasks by first---getting out of bed. The list goes on until I find my way into the shower.

4. Be consistent

Look, breaking habits is hard, and I, of all people, know it too well! I’m known to start something and never finish it (Sagittarius vibes). I honestly struggle with it. However, you just need to be consistent for it to stick and turn into a habit. They say habits take 21 days to form, but in all honesty, it takes more time than that. You have to take into account the times you fail, and sometimes, forming a new habit can take a couple of months. So, be consistent and don’t get discouraged. It’s part of the process. If ever you do fail once or twice (let’s be honest, maybe even more), get back up and try again.

5. Say “F*ck you!” to that voice inside your head

I’m pretty sure we all have that small voice inside our heads that tell us not to do something. The voice that makes excuses. The voice that tells you, “Oh, we can do it tomorrow”. We are all familiar with this voice. We often listen to that voice, and that, my friends, is not the voice of reason. Don’t listen to it. It’s time for you to stand up for yourself and tell that voice to shut the F up. Don’t let it control your life. YOU decide what is best for you.

6. Do it anyways

Tying into the previous tip, do it anyway! Tell that voice to F off and proceed to do that thing anyway! It might not be the best feeling, but trust me, once you overcome that and start the momentum going, you’ll be taking off. Overcome that initial anxiety, doubt, and negative talk and just do it. You just really need to push yourself a little bit sometimes. Get out of your comfort zone. You can do it!

7. Willpower and discipline > comfort zone

This power tip is one of the biggest lessons I've learned from The Mindest Mentor (link to specific podcast down below) that I want to share with you. As I’ve mentioned, bad habits are formed to keep us in our comfort zones. But spending too much time in your comfort zone is a disaster waiting to happen. You need to expand your bubble and test the waters for you to grow. Breaking bad habits is a matter of willpower and discipline. Think of it as mental training. The more willpower and discipline you have, the more you can recognize healthy boundaries. You have more courage in standing up for yourself and taking control of your life when you have stronger willpower.

8. Incorporate something fun

At this point, you’re probably thinking this is a lot of work. Well, it is, but that doesn’t stop you from having fun! Add in something fun into your routine. It can be in a form of a reward when you’ve gone a week without going back to your bad habit. Whatever it is, add some kind of positive reinforcement to keep you motivated.

9. Never stop trying

Last but not the least---don’t stop trying. You can do it and we believe in you. It’s a struggle everyone else faces and sadly, not a lot of people can overcome it. Just by looking up ways on how you can break such habits is enough progress to be proud of. The next time you think about giving up, think about how far you’ve come. You may not realize it, but you’re closer to reaching your goal than you actually think. So, don’t give up. Keep trying.

I hope these tips have given you a little bit of insight into how you can change your bad habits. Everyone is different, so find what works best for you. We are on this journey together. So, share with us what bad habits you want to break and what goals you want to achieve this 2021. This year is gonna be a year of self-empowerment, and you are your life’s own boss. So, fuck your bad habits and make the change you need to be a newer, better you!

You're a badass.

xx,

Thoughts inspired by The Mindset Mentor podcast.

My #1 Tip for 2021 episode by The Mindset Mentor