How To Break Bad Habits Once and For All

Bad habits are destructive for your mind, body, and soul. Whether it’s chain-smoking, channel-surfing, nail-biting or emotional eating, there’s no denying the fact that our bad habits are harmful to our health. Bad habits aren’t something you’re born with. They are the result of months or years of consistent repetition. The good news? The inverse is also true; just like bad habits are created by consistent repetition,  you can break bad habits with consistent repetition. Challenge accepted? Keep on reading.

Your bad habits didn’t magically develop all by themselves. They have been built up by years of repetition and thus, they won’t be easy to eliminate. This is why most people who attempt to lose weight by going on a super restrictive crash diet fail. Attempting to remodel your behavior overnight is a doomed strategy that will cause you to get overwhelmed and quit. Before you do anything else, do some soul-searching to discover the root cause of your bad habit. For example:

Do you eat fried foods or sweets because they offer you comfort on a stressful day?Are you smoking cigarettes because they calm your nerves at work?Does television offer a distraction from the problems you’re afraid to confront in the real world?

The first step to breaking a bad habit is to understand why it exists.

If you want to break your bad habit for good, I encourage you to begin a diary today. Write down any circumstances, thoughts, or feelings that you experience before lighting up a cigarette or eating a candy bar. For example, I once had a personal training client who experienced fierce cravings for ice cream. I asked her to start a diary and write down anything that transpired right before her cravings. We discovered something very interesting: she didn’t want ice cream at all. Her true desire? More attention from her boyfriend. She felt neglected and unappreciated because her partner didn’t spend much time with her, and any time she experienced stress due to this issue, her craving followed. Being aware of your triggers will help you find the true sources of stress that need attention. You will also be much more likely to avoid temptation when you are able to look out for the triggers behind the wheel of your decisions.

Breaking bad habits requires consistent practice and repetition. To re-wire your brain, choose a positive behavior to replace your bad habit. Recall my past client who reached for a bowl of ice cream any time she felt neglected by her boyfriend. She had a cute puppy who she just adopted, so I asked her to start taking her pup outside for a brief walk every time she experienced her trigger. At first, she sometimes came back inside to eat a bowl of ice cream (at least she walked off a few of the calories) but as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” After several weeks of repetition, she successfully replaced her bad habit with the positive alternative. Don’t become discouraged if it takes you a few days or weeks to make any progress. Bad habits built up over months and years are not easy to break. Keep your head high and maintain a Big Picture mindset. This is NOT a 30-day program–it’s a life-long journey.

Feeling brave? Proclaim your intention to break your bad habit to the world. Post a status on Facebook to inform your entire network of your goal. Sound scary? It is. But making your friends aware of your goal will motivate you unlike anything else. Added bonus: you will instantly create a cheerleading squad who will encourage you that you can do it.

Anyone can break bad habits by following the steps outlined here. You are capable of accomplishing anything you set your mind to. If you’re feeling brave, go ahead and comment below with a bad habit you intend to eliminate. Have a question? Ask away. I’m here to support you in any way I can.

Do you find yourself unconsciously biting your nails, fidgeting, procrastinating, or reaching for a cigarette? 4 Tips for Breaking Bad Habits

Featured photo credit: face beautiful girl smoking a cigarettevia Shutterstock

Daniel Wallen is a certified personal trainer, life coach, and author of "The Busy Woman's Guide to Getting Fit, Fierce, and Fabulous." Click here to get your copy now. You're welcome to visit Daniel's blog or say hi on Facebook.

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Ask Yourself These Seven Empowering Questions to Help You Break Through Resentment and Get On with Your Life

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21 Counter-Intuitive Break Ideas to Boost Your Productivity at Work

Every self-help program talks about the importance of taking a 10-15 minute break to boost your productivity.

Breaks give us much needed time to rest our eyes, move around, stretch our stiff muscles, get more blood and oxygen flowing to our brain, to unwind and obtain a fresh outlook on complex work problems.

There is just one problem – we often forget to take them. (Note: Going to the bathroom, grabbing a cup of coffee or checking Facebook updates does not count, as these activities hardly give us enough time to energize our body and restore our concentration and productivity.)

As strange as it may sound, taking regular breaks throughout the work day requires discipline and a little bit of planning. Actually, the reason why so many people push themselves to the limit of exhaustion is simple – they just can not think of any interesting activities they can do, during their break time. So they end up working for 4-5 hours straight until their body offers them a painful reminder.

If this sounds like you, here are 21 Counter-Intuitive Break ideas that help to restore your energy, sharpen your focus, boost productivity and avoid burnout at work.

1. Listen to a guided meditation. There are plenty of 10-15 minute meditations that allow you to trigger your creativity, let go of muscles tension and take your mind of the work at hand.

All you have to do is put on a headset, close your eyes and enjoy peace and relaxation even in the midst of work chaos.

2. Share your break with a co-worker. Alone, you might not always have the strength to pull yourself away from the computer, but if you have a friend taking breaks with you, it is much easier to stick with your break routine. In addition, it offers a great opportunity to bond with your colleagues and get to know them better.

3. Step outside for a fresh perspective. Leaving a stuffy office and letting yourself enjoy the warmth of the sunlight, the coolness of a breeze and the freshness of the spring air can do miracles to your mind and body. You will come back feeling rejuvenated and ready to approach your work with new energy and a fresh perspective.

4. Close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths. Stand up and walk away from your desk. Find a quiet place, where you can sit down, close your eyes, smile to yourself and take a few deep breaths. Imagine tension, stress and anxiety leaving your body as you breathe out, and peacefulness, positivity and relaxation filling your mind with every breath that you take.

5. Say NO to tension headaches. Slowly roll your neck to the right noticing a slight tension in your neck muscles. Hold this position for a count of 120 (2 minutes), then turn your head to the opposite side and repeat. Enjoy the feeling of warmth and flexibility return to your neck and shoulders.

6. Try people-gazing. Watching people walking down the street, chatting in a nearby café, and driving by, is meditation in itself. In addition looking outside the window helps to take the strain off the eyes.

7. Rock out to some great music. Music is a great mood changer, especially if you allow yourself to get up and move with it. Just a few minutes of humming and dancing can put a smile on your face and get your blood moving.

8. Take a Thumb and Pinkie Brain Break. This is a great break idea if you need a quick distraction from the problem at hand to get your creative juices flowing:

Take your left hand and have your fingers in and your thumb up.Then take your right hand and put all the fingers in except the pinkie. So in other words, your left thumb up and right pinkie out.Now switch the roles of your hands. And now try doing it faster.

Not as simple as it looked, right?

9. Delete some tasks from your to-do list. What can be more satisfying than taking a long hard look at your do-to list and crossing off a few unimportant tasks?

10. Eat an apple. S-L-O-W-L-Y. In the middle of a busy day, when you feel rushed, take a 2-3 minute break to eat an apple (or another fruit that you like). Just do it very slowly. Notice the flavor, the texture, the freshness. Doing something at a slow pace might feel weird, even annoying at first. But after a few minutes you feel much calmer and less stressed.

11. Say Thank you. Grab a notecard and your favorite pen and write a quick thank you to someone you appreciate. Then attach a stamp and go downstairs to put it in a mailbox. This simple act of gratitude will take your focus away from any pressing work problems and will put you in a good mood.

12. Take a “No Cell-phone Walk”. Leave your cell-phone in the office and head outside for a brisk walk. Shake off apathy and fatigue. Walk even faster, raising your heartbeat and letting the excitement and the sense of freedom re-charge your mind and body.

13. Read a magazine or a book. Pick a read that has nothing to do with your area of work or the latest news. Give your brain the pleasure of not to thinking, being stressed or making decisions.

14. Re-waterize yourself. First drink a full glass of water. Second splash some water on your face: warm to relax, cold – to wake up and energize yourself.

15. Make animals of the clouds. This is a great exercise to entertain your children, but it is also a great game you can play alone as it helps to tap into your creative potential and distract your mind from upcoming deadlines or customer complaints.

16. Pick up the pace. If you feel yourself tired and sleepy, deliberately pick up the pace, and try to move a little faster than usual. Type faster. Speak faster. Read faster. Make decisions faster. And, of course, go home sooner.

17. Laugh off the tension. You can start by simply saying, “Ha, ha, ha.” and keep repeating it, until you are really laughing. A few minutes of a good belly laugh help to get rid of tension, relax a lot of involuntary muscles and increase blood circulation.

18. Stretch out stiffness. Getting up from your desk to do a set of sun salutations or this might not be an option if you work in a room full of people. But it does not mean that you should deprive yourself of the pleasure of stretching your body and getting some exercise. Try a simple stretching exercise.

Plant your feet firmly on the ground, lift your arms and look at your palms.Stretch your spine for about 30-60 seconds, gradually increasing pressure, as if you were trying to touch the ceiling with your fingers.Relax, lower your arms and feel the energy moving up your spine.

19. Do something artistic. Write a short, funny poem and dedicate it to your co-worker. Draw a picture for your kids. Take a few photos of your surroundings. Let your creative side shine!

20. Unclutter your desk. A great way to take a much needed break, while looking “busy” is to unclutter your desk. Not only is it relaxing, it also helps to activate productive energy flow.

21. Juggle. Learning to juggle isn’t particularly difficult and it could be a great exercise to take during a break (maybe not in the office itself, but in a place, where balls flying left and right will not bother anyone). Juggling requires fine muscle control, timing and concentration. But most importantly, it is fun!

(Photo credit: Office Worker Holding Clock in Front of Face via Shutterstock)

Arina is a goal setting expert and an author of Real Goal Getting book. She blogs at http://www.arinanikitina.com/.

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Why It’s Necessary to Learn the Rules Before You Break Them

Breaking the Rules by Before the Coffee

Productivity is often seen as a rigid fun-free word that many people shy away from. Some say it’s the antithesis of creativity; maybe it’s because of this that so many creative types have chaotic tendencies.

For others, productivity is necessary in order for creativity to thrive.

I’m part of the latter group, productivity has been my savior. It has been the gap between stress and calm, the link between dreams and action and the catalyst that helped convert mediocre to successful.

Learning to be more productive can be a chore — it can be daunting to try and adopt a new way of working. Stepping outside your comfort zone is never fun. But why do productivity systems have to be so restrictive and have so many rules attached to them?

Many people ask me, “Can I not just pick and choose parts of different systems to suit my own life and way of thinking?” The answer is, “Yes, you can.” But to be able to choose the bits to use and the parts to leave behind, it is necessary to first learn the rules before you go breaking them.

Most people interested in productivity or reading this blog will be familiar with GTD (David Allen’s Getting Things Done system). GTD is a productivity system with a lot of detail and many rules. It is a system that works; it has been tried and tested by millions of worldwide users. When I started teaching GTD, I had no intention of using it myself. The detail was not for me; I thought I knew how to get things done! I believed the system would be great for people who liked detail and organization — I didn’t.

As I learned more and more, it started to rein me in. I saw the advantages first hand and for every block or barrier I came up against, GTD appeared to have the answer. For about two years I used the system religiously. I did my weekly reviews and my life got better by the day. After a while I started to try out different productivity apps and systems, and finally I adjusted my life and my work around a couple of systems and apps which work for me. I created habits and routines that work.

I now have my own system, but GTD helped me to get to a different level of success in my life. I believe that without it, I would never have achieved all the things I have achieved over the last couple of years.

Some time ago, Leo Baubauta of Zen Habits wrote an article entitled “Toss Productivity Out”, advocating that there was no longer a need for rules, for setting goals, or for productivity systems. His approach can work — but I believe it depends on where you are in your life, what you have achieved and what you want to achieve.

If your life is chaotic, it is going to need some control, new habits and routines.

I agree with Leo that we should all try and live more in the flow and not be totally dependent on structures, routines and systems. But there are stages one must go through for life to work effortlessly.

Productivity is the stepping stone, a facilitator of achievement, a creator of space and time. Just like diets and eating programs such as Weight Watchers and Unislim (or training programs in the gym), you don’t necessarily have to follow them for life but they enable you to create positive habits which will the driving force for your success.

So go on and create the positive habit of productivity. And then toss it out, break the rules, have some fun, and live in the flow.

Ciara Conlon is a Personal Productivity Coach and author. Her mission is to help people achieve their best through working efficiently and being positive and present. “Through Productivity and Positivity I believe there is little we can’t achieve” go to Productivity & Positivity and get Free eBook called Clear the Clutter; Find Your Life

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18 Ways to Find Direction Over Your Holiday Break

Photo credit: *clarity* (CC BY 2.0)

Many times a month, week, or day you feel directionless.

I can totally relate, so you don’t have to worry; you aren’t a freak or loser that doesn’t know what they want to do with their life. You just may be stuck.

But, good news, “directionless one”. The holidays are a great time to step back from your work-life and rethink what and how you are trying to get things done.

Rather than give you some of the reasons that you feel directionless in the first place, let’s just dive into the 18 ways that you can find your direction so you can be on the path again to get things done faster and better over this holiday break.

We have talked about mind mapping in the past at Lifehack. If you sit down and spend a little bit of time connecting thoughts and ideas to each other either paper or digitally through mind mapping you may start to see how all the pieces fit together and feel some sort of direction.

If you don’t know what you’re supposed to do, sometimes it’s a good idea to find the things that you aren’t supposed to do. This can clear up your vision of your project or business model and help you move forward.

Over the past few months since I’ve graduated from college, I haven’t daydreamed and doodle as much. But, I know that this is one of the best ways for me to find new ideas on topics that I was stalling on. We sometimes need to just let our minds wander and not put so much pressure on ourselves. Day dreaming and doodling allows us to have some “no-pressure” creative time.

Sometimes we lose our direction on projects because we are buried in our work. And with most of us being knowledge workers, being buried in our work means being buried in our computers and technology devices. It’s a good idea to step away on a daily basis from these devices and work on some of your own personal creative time. Over the holiday break is a great time to do this.

Reading is a great way to find inspiration. But, you have to make sure that you aren’t just reading to avoid what you’re supposed to be working on.

If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for your new project, a good way to get some is to talk to other people that are like-minded as well as friends and family. Sometimes these people can be a little bit strong in their criticisms, but it may just be what you need to find your direction.

This goes back to my favorite thing to do every single day; write 750 words. Writing every single day helps free thoughts from your mind, making them more concrete. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had something in my mind but haven’t been able to express it until I wrote for that day.

I’m sometimes a little weary of the whole minimalist movement, but, simplifying and going “minimal” can be a really great way to concentrate on what you’re trying to work on.Cut out everything that you don’t need and concentrate on only the things that you do to find some direction.

I’m a staunch proponent of keeping with your tools and productivity processes for the long haul, but every once in a while you may just need to switch things up, especially if there is something about your process that is holding you back.

I’ve gotten some great ideas on projects that were “stuck” when I was out walking, biking, or running. Make a habit of exercising and you will get ideas on a regular basis to keep you unstuck and moving in the right direction.

Being mindful is an important thing to do whether or not you need to find your direction. Sitting in silence can help you clear your mind and be in the moment, opening you up to new ideas and helping create motivation for something that is stagnating in your life.

Block out times during your day where you work on the the things that are important to you. If you don’t schedule your time diligently, it will possibly be lost to something that isn’t as important to you.

Also, having lists of things to do every day is a great way for you to keep “treading water”, allowing you to concentrate on the bigger picture.

Sometimes you just have to force yourself to come up with new ideas to get a project back on track. Make ideas happen is part of being a knowledge worker.

Sometimes we already know what we want and have to do to get something moving forward. Instead of actually doing it though, we think that we need more information to get it done. You probably don’t.

If you think you know enough to start or keep a project moving then put down the tutorial or the book and get to work.

If you feel no direction on a project try running through something like David Allen’s 5 Phases of Productivity. Maybe you just need to know what “wild success” looks like to make it over the hump.

Some people that are consumed with projects and getting the next thing done forget to have a life. Instead of stressing and struggling, how about spend some quality time with your family and friends and try to remember why you do what you do?

Stepping away from the problem can sometimes give you instant direction on what to do to solve the problem. Once you stop thinking so hard about something, new ideas and direction can come easier.

While meditation and free writing and all the other “nu-nu-na-na” stuff can help you find your direction, most times you just need to sit down, white knuckle it, and work hard. There is no replacement for hard work.

Feeling directionless can be a horrible way to go through your workday and life. But, the holidays are a great time to rethink your work strategy and to make sure that you have everything that you need in your productivity framework to move forward on projects. Finding your direction on a stalled project may only be one free-writing or mind mapping session away, so give these above recommendations a try if you are feeling directionless.

Chris is a developer, writer, tech enthusiast, and husband. He holds a degree in MIS and CMPSC from Penn State Behrend. Chris is also interested in personal productivity, creativity and how to use technology to get things done. Check out his writing at devburner.net or follow him on Twitter.

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Break Free From Your Past Subliminal CD

Leave behind your bad memories behind and start a new future today with our LIFE CHANGING "break free from your past" subliminal CD!

No matter what traumatic events have happened to you in the past they do not have to limit your future. If these events are deeply scarred onto your mind and you can not physically let them go then THEY WILL HOLD YOU BACK!

Letting go of painful memories and experiences is often easier said than done, that is why our CD is here - to help make this process easier and natural: Our subliminal messages penetrate into your sunconscious mind to eliminate these painful past memories, and to instill positive thoughts instead which will help you to break free from the past and enjoy a better future:

* Emotionally release your negative past memories, rejections, and painful experiences and truly move on with your life.

* Let go of self resentments, and gain a new level of self respect, and work towards making a better future for yourself.

* Eliminate your negative thoughts and limiting beliefs and replace them with positive thoughts to help you too overcome your stress, worries, and negativity towards yourself and your life.

* Start thinking positively about the future - learn to appreciate all the good things and people in your life.

Over time this album will reprogram you to be able to to view your past differently: from looking at your past and feeling hurt, and resentful, to instead being able to accept your past with a calm and clear mind, without holding any resentment to what has happened, only in this way will you be able to move on with your life and build a new future.

Start fixing your MIND and your LIFE now. You need to take action now before your mental and physical states worsen and become harder to fix. Don't let things go on like this any more. Learn to finally accept your past and make a fresh start help from our subliminal messages.

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Experts and IBM insiders break down Watson’s Jeopardy! win

Yesterday, TED.com hosted a live webstream of IBM experts and insiders discussing supercomputer Watson’s victory against Jeopardy!‘s top human contestants. For anyone who missed it, we’re providing an archived video of this fascinating conversation between host Stephen Baker, author of “Final Jeopardy, Man vs Machine” and Watson’s principal investigator Dr. David Ferrucci, IBM Fellow Kerrie Holley and Columbia professor Herbert Chase.

Watch above or visit the official archive page here >>

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Break Free From Your Past Subliminal CD

Leave behind your bad memories behind and start a new future today with our LIFE CHANGING "break free from your past" subliminal CD!

No matter what traumatic events have happened to you in the past they do not have to limit your future. If these events are deeply scarred onto your mind and you can not physically let them go then THEY WILL HOLD YOU BACK!

Letting go of painful memories and experiences is often easier said than done, that is why our CD is here - to help make this process easier and natural: Our subliminal messages penetrate into your sunconscious mind to eliminate these painful past memories, and to instill positive thoughts instead which will help you to break free from the past and enjoy a better future:

* Emotionally release your negative past memories, rejections, and painful experiences and truly move on with your life.

* Let go of self resentments, and gain a new level of self respect, and work towards making a better future for yourself.

* Eliminate your negative thoughts and limiting beliefs and replace them with positive thoughts to help you too overcome your stress, worries, and negativity towards yourself and your life.

* Start thinking positively about the future - learn to appreciate all the good things and people in your life.

Over time this album will reprogram you to be able to to view your past differently: from looking at your past and feeling hurt, and resentful, to instead being able to accept your past with a calm and clear mind, without holding any resentment to what has happened, only in this way will you be able to move on with your life and build a new future.

Start fixing your MIND and your LIFE now. You need to take action now before your mental and physical states worsen and become harder to fix. Don't let things go on like this any more. Learn to finally accept your past and make a fresh start help from our subliminal messages.

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon