Why do we want to be free of bad habits?

Because they bother us, and we feel trapped and discouraged by them. You blame yourself and feel that you have not made any progress.

Don't let your bad habits get the best of you.

Here's 7 secrets to break free:
 

7. Get to bed early

Often, I find the last hour of my day is wasted.

I'm trying to work late, but tired and ineffective. Or I'm bored or lonely, and end up swiping on Facebook looking for connection.

It seems that when we're tired, our bad habits have more power over us.

Instead, if we go to bed early and wake up early, we’ve got more time and energy for a healthy habit like jogging, yoga or meditation.

 

6. Feel the pinch of the mistake

Sometimes when we make a mistake, we don’t let ourselves feel the pinch or pain of the mistake, and allow ourselves to keep repeating it.

Instead, if you want to be free of something, let yourself pause to feel the pain, and really take stock of how it will hurt you in the long run if you keep it up.
 

5. Choose an inspiring goal

Another way to get out of a bad habit is to redirect your energy into a positive and inspiring direction.

Pick a big goal to work towards - like running a half marathon or raising $5,000 for a charity you’re passionate.

Habits will clog you when there is no liveliness or juice in life. When there is a direction for life force, you can rise above habits through the power of vows.
 

4. Find an alternative that feels even better

If you have a small habit you're trying to break, sometimes you can get out of it by simply replacing it with something more fun. Let's say you have the habit of checking Facebook first thing in the morning, but it leaves you feeling a bit scattered, stressed or depressed.

Ask yourself - what would make my morning feel really great today? Maybe it's going on a walk or jog to get some fresh air and blood flow, or dancinng around the room to your favorite song.

When you get more love and joy without habits, then the habits fall off.

 

3. Release the root

Often, our bad habits are avoidance mechanisms. When we release the stored stresses and heal the pains that we are trying to avoid, then the habits drop off on their own.

That’s what happens when people do Sudarshan Kriya and meditation. The urge of smoking, drinking, overeating, or any other bad habit often drops off.
 

2. Promise to a loved one

If you made a promise to a loved one then also you won’t do it. The love for them will will stop you from smoking.
 

1. Make a time bound vow

There is a power in making a vows or a commitment to yourself. The trick to a vow is it should be time bound.

Suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, "I will quit smoking," but cannot do it. They can take a vow to not smoke for one week. Don't try to do it for a lifetime; you will break it immediately.

If you happen to break before your goal, don't worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature.

 

Without this skill, life will not be happy and healthy and you’ll remain out of balance.
 

For all those habits which bother you, use these methods to break free.

With each one, you'll feel the strength and freedom that comes with truly choosing the direction of your own life.

 

Written by Daniel Moss

Based on the wisdom talks of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar