3 Ways To Kick an Unhealthy Habit for Good

Almost all of us have some sort of unhealthy habit, whether it’s watching porn, eating junk food, poor posture, or spending too much time on social media. These are all unhealthy habits that not only waste time but also impact our physical and mental wellbeing.

Many people know that these habits are unhealthy, but continue doing them. When some people do try to get rid of these unwanted habits, they often can’t get ahead, instead of ending back where they started.

That doesn’t have to be the case, though. In many instances, those who want to get rid of a habit are just using an ineffective approach and making certain changes can have a huge impact. Whether you’re trying to kick the porn habit or some other behavior you want to move away from, these tips can help.

1. Believe That You Can Do It

The first step is to have the right attitude. You need to focus on what you can do instead of what you cannot do. This means you need to replace a negative mindset with a positive one. For example, instead of saying, “I’m not going to watch porn,” you can say, “I will not watch porn, and instead I will get to…” Replace your unhealthy habit with a positive action, such as exercising or seeing a friend. This leads to the next tip: replacement.

2. Find Replacement Habits

Replacement is necessary because the habits you have, whether healthy or unhealthy, provide you with at least some sort of perceived benefit. That’s why it can be difficult to stop. You’ll need to swap out your unhealthy habit with a positive one that offers a similar perceived benefit.

For example, in the case of porn, people tend to use it to help deal with boredom, stress, or loneliness and develop a connection, which makes it a difficult habit to break. That’s why spending time with friends (which provides all these benefits) instead of viewing porn can make a huge difference.

3. Try These Ideas

The final tip is to understand what to do to quit your unwanted habit and replace it with one that truly benefits you.

Author James Clear offers eight ideas to break a bad habit and think about it differently.

1. Choose a substitution. Create a plan to help you cope when you experience stress or boredom. What will you replace your unhealthy habit with?
2. Eliminate triggers. Avoid the things that cause you to engage in unwanted habits. For example, if you often view porn after work or school, find a replacement activity, like going to a friend’s house.
3. Get help from a friend. Have a friend help you fight your habit. This will give you more motivation since somebody will be holding you accountable and even cheering you on.
4. Surround yourself with positive influences. Surrounding yourself with people who are engaging in the same unhealthy habits as you can bring you down. It can be helpful to spend time with people who are living a good life and accomplishing their goals. Find some friends who can motivate you.
5. Imagine yourself succeeding. The power of your mind can help you accomplish goals. Keep visualizing yourself fighting your unhealthy habit, and it will eventually become a reality.
6. Go back to the person you used to be. You don’t need to change everything about yourself to defeat an unhealthy habit; just return to the life you lived without the habit. You’ve done it before, and can do it again.
7. Use “but” instead of punishing yourself. When you slip up, use the word “but…” An example is: “I messed up and watched porn today, but that was the first time I’d done so in a month.”
8. Plan for failure. We’re all human and make mistakes. You will likely not meet every goal you set, but that’s okay. Avoid an “all or nothing” attitude. When you make a mistake, bounce back! This article may be helpful for that process and mindset shift.

Get Help Today

Not every person who watches porn is or will become addicted or compulsively hooked. If you are dealing with a porn addiction, remember that you’re not the only one. Our affiliate partners at Fortify have a science-based platform that can help you recover from pornography addiction or compulsion. Plus, Fortify is free for teens and adults. Sign up today.