Breaking unhealthy habits

Change is a process, not an event that lends itself to sudden, dramatic conversions. People who make long-lasting changes pass through a well-defined series of stages-pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

What does this mean if you want to kick an unhealthy habit this year?

This requires you to take an honest look at yourself and your problem, and encourages you to regard past failures as learning opportunities.

Stage 1: Pre-contemplation. About 40 percent of people who need to make a change are at this stage. They may be unaware that a habit is hazardous. Or, they may know that it's unhealthy, but not admit a personal need to change. Or, they may be discouraged by previous failures and believe that such problems are beyond their control.
People in this stage often start to pay attention when they understand the real dangers of their problem behavior.

Stage 2: Contemplation. During contemplation, people commonly say, "I should change, but..." If you're in this stage, you may be stalled because you fear the costs of change. Yes, you want to get more exercise, but you're too busy. The gym is too far away. Your knees hurt.
To move forward, you must be convinced that the trip is worth it, that the benefits of making a change exceed the sacrifices. Try weighing the pros and cons. Write a list of gains you can expect, especially immediate benefits, not just long-term ones. List personal, specific reasons to change.
Another way to prod yourself is to consider the negatives of continuing your current habit. Imagine yourself in 20 years, still smoking or overeating or drinking heavily. Think hard about the future--and about how a healthier you fits into it--and you may move closer to action.

Stage 3: Preparation.
During the preparation stage, a person may crawl to the edge of action, and then refuse to take the leap. This is when a friendly nudge from supporters can help propel a person forward.
Set a date for change. Go public with your vows. Or try a halfway measure.

Stage 4: Action. If you've done your homework, you're ready for action. Some people go it alone, while others join established programs. Whatever you choose, it's likely you'll use cognitive methods, which are positive thoughts and beliefs to aid change, and behavioral techniques to restructure the environment so that new habits are easier to establish.
The action stage of change may take longer than you expect. Most people need to keep their focus on the problem behavior for at least six months.

Stage 5: Maintenance
Don't let slip-ups get you down. Most people who make a change slip up. Researchers suspect the way people explain these lapses to themselves helps determine whether their mistake turns out to be inconsequential or leads them to return to their old habit.
If you heap blame on yourself and treat a mistake as if it's a catastrophe, you're likely to lose confidence.
If you keep perspective and treat a mistake as an aberration, then you're more likely to pick up where you left off.

As you reach your goal, you will look around and see that you could do anything.

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