Have You Tried Replacing Your Habits?

Photo by Ihsan Adityawarman: https://www.pexels.com/photo/multicolored-bontainer-2045600/

Many times, whenever I’ve tried to change a bad habit of mine, I would go ahead and make the change, but with no real success. To be honest, the word “change” scares me. It implies stepping out of my comfort zone, physically altering a habit that has been my partner in crime for years, suffering the consequences, and facing the world alone.

So, I decided to swap the word “change” with “replace”, which now makes a lot more sense to me. Replace feels like a lower-pressure, more manageable action — one that seems to have a higher chance of success.

Here’s what I did:

Replace sweet tea with unsweetened tea.
I still get the satisfaction of quenching my thirst, along with all the little perks that come with it — smoking and tea, relaxing with tea, phone calls and tea, etc.

Replace cigarettes with a handful of mints.
This might sound extreme, but it actually worked for me. I smoke menthol cigarettes, which give a tingling sensation when I inhale. One day, I tried to replicate that feeling by popping a bunch of mints and inhaling through my throat — just like I would when smoking.

Was it a success?
Yes and no.

No? I still smoke.
Yes? I’ve drastically cut down the number of sticks I smoke per day.

I wouldn’t say I’ve fully succeeded in replacing my bad habits, but it has given me an advantage — I feel more in control this time around. By going out of my way to find replacements, I gained a new sense of pride. More importantly, it gave me confidence and hope that there is a way out of the habits I once thought I could never change.

Action always speaks louder than words.
And when things start moving — that’s when you begin to meet success.


Thanks for reading!