Change Due to Habitual Repetition

Twenty-one days may be all it takes. According to the Florida International University's Employee Assistance Office, 21 days are needed to change a negative habit into a positive, healthy one. So by repeating a new behavior or activity for 21 days in a row, you may be able to successfully stop a bad habit or addiction and maintain a healthy one such as exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep or becoming a non-smoker.

Instructions

• 1

  Begin some kind of regular physical activity whether it is going to the gym three times a week, walking up stairs instead of taking the elevator or dancing to music videos in the privacy of your own home. Ask a friend to go for daily walks or to jog with you. Go at the same time on the same days to make it a habit. Alternatively, join a sports team or club. Avoid missing your work-out so that it is a behavior pattern.

• 2

  Eat healthy. Read labels of food items at the grocery store to see how many calories and grams of fat there are in what you purchase. Obtain a low-fat cookbook and try out recipes on regular basis. The key is to choose to eat right habitually. Every time you go to a fast-food restaurant, choose a salad instead of a burger. When you are tempted to eat a snack, choose a piece of watermelon or fruits and vegetables.

• 3

  Quit smoking by developing new associations. If you always smoke while driving, chew gum instead and don't have cigarettes in your car. If you are accustomed to a cigarette in the morning, eat a healthy breakfast as a substitute behavior. Instead of smoking during lunch at work, walk up a few flights of stairs to start a healthy habit. Break emotional associations with smoking by developing new behaviors. If you smoke when stressed, try relaxation exercises instead.

• 4

  Get a good night's sleep on a regular basis so that you feel well and refreshed. When you don't get enough sleep, it can affect your learning capacity, your memory and problem-solving capabilities. Make your bedroom darker and use white noise, if necessary, such as a fan. If you are shift worker and sleep during the day, ask friends and family not to call you during the day. Go to bed at the same time, and carry out the same pre-bedtime routine every evening. Don't work in your bedroom so that you associate the room with sleeping only.

• 5

  Create positive change in your life by monitoring your thinking patterns. Work at catching yourself thinking negatively or pessimistically and counteract those thoughts immediately with positive ones. If you do this consistently, eventually you will develop the habit of positive thinking and do it automatically. You will feel better about yourself, your life and your future.