PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT|Get Out Bad Habit

I think it’s safe for me to say we all have a bad habit we are trying to get rid of. I haven’t met someone that doesn’t have one. If you don’t have one, are you even human? It can be a person, food, alcohol, behaviour and so on. We try our best to stay away but we just can’t seem to.

The secret to permanently breaking any bad habit is to love something greater than the habit – Bryant Mcgill

Once you learn to love yourself first more than anything else in this world, then you can learn to stop a bad habit for yourself.

I’ve been listening to Alessia Cara’s music for some time now. It’s soul searching, insightful and self checking music that goes really deep. I can relate to most of her songs and there’s one realted to a bad habit.

Alessia Cara – Overdose

I’m trying not to take too much
I’m in over my head
Over love, oh I over trust
Give me the chance to pick up the pieces you left me in
Why did I let you in?
Overzealous, I’m over this
Oh, I’m over us

Over and  over
I let you under my skin and its over
I promise never again
You come over
Something takes over me
I can’t control this hallucinogen

Oh, and I overdose
Boy, I want off of this roller coaster
You take me high just to bring me down
Oh, when you bring me down

We fight, we laugh
Detox, rehab
Letting go of what we had
Oh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Over trying
Over lies
Over crying
Over-traumatized
Over-worked and moreover I’m done

Over and over
I’m falling under your spell
Call me over
I’m runnin’ back to this hell
Are we over?
And didn’t you say we were through?
Why can’t I get over you?

Oh, and I overdose
Boy, I want off of this roller coaster
You take me high just to bring me down
Oh, when you bring me down

The reference in her context is a boy and I’m sure a lot of people that have been in a similar situation can relate to the lyrics of this song.

How do you stay away from something you know is bad for you?

Well, the first step is accepting that this thing is bad for you and you will need to do everything in your power to get it out of your life. After you have done this then you can do the following;

Try Doing Something Else 
Whenever you feel the urge, try doing something else instead. If you’re trying to quit smoking for instance, try to keep away from anywhere you will find a cigarette, stay indoors and watch TV.

Don’t Give Up
Yes, it’s hard to quit a bad habit but you gotta try, try and try again. Don’t feel because you’ve not been successful at quitting 100 times then you should just give up. Try again the 101th time. Never ever ever give up!!!

Remind Yourself Why You Want To Stop
Sometimes, you need a self talk to remind you why you are quitting in the first place. For instance, if your bad habit is biting your nails, remind yourself it’s not adult(ish) for you to bite your nails or that you don’t have any nails left on your fingers.

Avoid Temptation
If you’re an alcoholic, don’t work in a liquor store. If you are trying to quit smoking, don’t go out with your friends that smoke. If you are trying to get over an ex, don’t stalk their social media accounts. If you’re trying to stop biting your nails, paint them or fix artificial nails. This is because if everything around you incites your bad habit, you will most likely succumb to it.

Seek Assistance from Friends/Family
They say a problem shared is half solved right? You can inform your friends and or family about this bad habit so they will always be on the lookout for you and stop you when it’s evident you are sinking back in.

How do you guys stay away from something you know is bad for you??? This is something I can admit I struggle with.

Thanks for reading.

Mariam Shittu
xo