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Presented by Work-Life Assist

www.work-lifeassist.com

Turning the Table on Bad

Habits

Objectives

•Learn how to identify habits

•How to recognize and bring awareness to bad

habits

•How to be successful in forming new habits

•Mindful habits and happiness

Identifying Habits

How do we know when

we’re behaving in a

habitual way?

Habits and Awareness

Habits do not require our full attention.

Habits and their Context

Habits are strongly rooted in the

situations in which they occur.

Habits and Emotion

Habitual behaviors provoke little

emotional response by themselves

How Do We Know That a Habit is Bad?

Why are Bad Habits so Hard to Break?

• Habits are often unconsciously cued

• Before we even realize what we’re doing we’ve done it.

How Can We Be Successful at

Breaking Bad Habits?

• Awareness is the first step to

change.

• Mindfulness can be used to

bring awareness to habits.

How Does Mindfulness

Help Us Identify Bad Habits?

Mindfulness can be practiced outside of formal

meditation.

•Throughout the day, mindfulness may help you to

notice habits of thought and behavior

•Once you become aware of your habits, you may

decide to change them

Mindfulness Meditation…A way to practice entering a self-observant state.

Suppressing Bad Habits

A natural response to becoming aware of bad habits is

trying to suppress them

•Breaking habits by suppressing them may lead to the

opposite of the desired result.

•Inhibition can lead to habit binges.

Form New Habits…

Instead of trying to suppress

a habit, combine the breaking

of a habit with the making of

a new habit.

Implementation Intention

Implementation intentions are used to make a plan. Simple

“if, then…” statements help you implement a change in your

behavior.

If I go into the kitchen to grab a snack…

Then I will ask myself if I’m hungry

Implementation Intentions, Cont’d.

If I’m not hungry, then…

I will have a glass of water instead.

If I am hungry, then

I will eat a healthy meal or snack.

How Long Does It Take to

Establish a New Habit?

On average, it takes 66 days to form a new habit.

Visualization and Mental Contrasting

•Visualization can be used to see what kinds of

habit change are possible.

•Mental contrasting is the reality check

Self-Affirmation

• I Believe In Myself…

I’ll listen to music in the car instead of smoking

• I Am Capable Of Achieving My Goal…

I’m going back to the gym today

• It’s My Life, It’s Now Or Never…

I’m going to call some friends

• I’m Worth It…

I’ll eat healthy food today

Changing the Environment or Context

Changes to our environment don’t need to be drastic in

order to be effective in helping us break bad habits

• Move the alarm clock across the room • Automatically shut down the internet

• Stop buying junk foods

Monitor Progress

•Monitor yourself throughout the day – this

brings awareness to how your habit is

developing

•Make adjustments in your habit if you notice

problems with how it’s going.

Mindful Habits

Is it possible for habits, which often are automatic

and cued by the unconscious to be mindful?

A habit is mindful when an automatically initiated

behavior is combined with a mindful, continuously

varying way of carrying it out.

Habits That Lead to Happiness

• Practicing Gratitude

• Visualizing Your Best Possible Self

• Savor the Moment

• Committing acts of kindness

Final Thought…

©UFS

Work-Life ASSIST

Always available. Always confidential.

1-877-286-0269

www.work-lifeassist.com