Dont ever slide back into your old habits

Those who have ever truly struggled with self-destructive habits, whether it’s smoking, drinking, drug abuse, self-harm, or something else, should know that it’s an ongoing battle. Just as every day clean of that habit is another success, there is ever the possibility relapse around the corner. Here, we’re going to look at how we mentally resilient and fight that risk to build ourselves a healthier future.

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Identify your triggers

Whether it’s anger, self-destruction, or other harmful habits, most of us have psychological triggers that we can start to identify and learn to avoid. For instance, for many people, smoking is a social thing and smokers can be compelled to have a cigarette by going to the outdoors smoking areas of bars with their friends. That’s a trigger that can be clearly avoided. If you have trouble spotting yours, try to think of the last time you indulged in your habit. What led up to it? How did it make you feel? By understanding the different situations and emotions that can lead to a relapse, you can avoid them or at least be mindful enough to better fight their effects.

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Keep yourself busy

Cravings have a habit of sneaking up on you when you are distracted, bored or lacking direction. In the short-term and long-term, you need to find something to focus your energy on. In the short-term, it can be something as simple as taking up exercise or a hobby. In the long-term, try to think about the kind of person you want to develop yourself into becoming. Focusing on health and fitness, your career, or finding more meaning in life gives you something to occupy yourself with. That focus and ambition are important even if you’re not fighting a bad habit.

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Know when you need help

If you have been in therapy for addiction or behavioral issues before, then you know how helpful it can be and you should know that you can turn to it again. Looking for help like extended care rehab isn’t a failure nor is it a backstep. It’s addressing a real concern with the kind professionals and services who can help you take a long-term look at your fight. Trying to ignore it will only make your chances of a relapse worse.

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Build those emotional muscles

Some people think that they don’t “have” discipline or willpower. But that’s not how it works. We all have the capacity for them, but they are like muscles. Quite literally, by expressing and using willpower, you can strengthen it by building the neurons related to impulse control and mindfulness. Meditation, working on your posture, keeping a diary, learning a new discipline, these can all help you build willpower that can build a more resilient you for the future.

As a last tip, if you do end up falling into a bad habit, know you need to change but don’t be too hard on yourself once you get out. We can all make mistakes and we can all recover from them.