Change A Habit In 6 Steps

Changing a habit is challenging, especially if it is deeply ingrained. On the other hand, looking in the mirror, we are all able to identify a custom that we would like to change. The end of the year is coming and we make up our minds to do or not to do. The truth is that many times we start well, but soon we return to the same thing.

The good news is that there are effective ways to change a habit. Sometimes what fails is not the will, but the strategy. Of course it takes effort and perseverance, but without a proper method it is much more difficult to achieve the goal of change.

To change a habit, cognitive, emotional and volitional aspects need to be brought into play. The decision is only a necessary precedent, but not sufficient. From the analysis of human behavior, it has been established that the purpose of altering a custom goes through six stages. They are as follows.

1. Precontemplation, the first step to change a habit

The process of changing a habit begins with those cues that begin to whisper in your ear. A voice, almost always soft, says that there is an unhealthy or positive habit in our lives. Sometimes it is others, sometimes oneself who detects the fact. The truth is that the idea appears that perhaps there is some behavior that it would be good to eradicate.

At the same time there is a denial of the facts. The resistance is sometimes very strong. We look for reasons to maintain the habit, or we dismiss the arguments that invite us to change it. People tend to keep everything the same and the idea of ​​a big change does not excite us at first.

2. Contemplation

It is the longest stage in the process of changing a habit. It lasts for months, years, or a lifetime. It includes the moment in which each person becomes aware that they actually have a negative habit, that this affects them and that it would be appropriate to introduce a transformation.

This is also the phase where the decision to change is sometimes made and eventually the first attempts to achieve it are made. There is no denial anymore. What there may be is a lack of motivation or difficulties in finding the path of change.

3. Preparation

Preparation is the phase in which efforts to change begin to be made. It is the time of exploration. Failed attempts, not very constant, which are carried out anyway, although they are not finally consolidated.

At this stage the person discovers the degree of difficulty it has to change a habit. The awareness that it is necessary to do it persists and the main obstacles to achieving it effectively begin to be identified. It is a necessary stage that, in any case, represents progress.

4. Specification

In this phase there are conscious, directed and continuous efforts to achieve change. A strategy is proposed to achieve the objective, often motivated by the advice of others, or by information that is collected in this regard. There are visible achievements, although not necessarily a radical change.

Consolidation often fails because the previous stages have not been carried out. There are those who want to start the process by concretizing an achievement, which is extremely difficult and, almost always, unsuccessful. In any case, at this stage there are already perfectly observable and clear advances.

5. Maintenance

As the name implies, this is the phase where the new behavior is maintained. A new habit has been left or acquired and now the task is to make it persist and integrate into our natural way of living. There is greater security and confidence.

However, for the new behavior to be maintained, the ideal is that new reinforcement habits are acquired. For example, if the goal is to stop smoking and it has been achieved, it is not bad that this is accompanied by a new habit associated with physical activity. It is also very important to stay motivated and reward yourself frequently for accomplishments.

6. Relapse

Relapses are a normal part of a change process. The human mind is not linear, but works through ascending or descending curves. However, a relapse does not bring a person back to the zero point of the process, even if it is very strong. All the road traveled serves to start over, at a faster pace.

It is advisable to resume the process from the preparation phase. It is also essential not to whip yourself and, instead, encourage yourself, motivate yourself and not allow doubt or mistrust to take over your state of mind. It is always good to examine what led to the relapse and to identify risk factors going forward.

Changing a habit is not easy, but the truth is that when you do it, you also increase your feelings of self-esteem, optimism and confidence in what you are capable of doing. Also, of course, you increase your quality of life and eliminate factors of potential harm to you.