Habits Challenge: Week Four
Week Four is all about getting rid of a habit that you feel is negative. This is something that, for you, gets in the way of how you want to live your life, and is something that you’d like to change for the better.
Choosing to NOT do something – i.e. deciding to stop doing it – is different from actively choosing to do something. It needs a different approach, and some new techniques.
Again, we’re all unique, and what works brilliantly for one person may not work well for someone else. That’s why there are so many different ways to tackle our less-than-helpful habits.
This week, decide on a habit that you feel is negative to you in some way, and choose one or two of the options for effecting a change in behaviour. If in doubt, keep it simple.
Habits Challenge week four options
Once you’ve decided upon what you’d like to change, you have a number of options that you can try. These are some of the more straightforward ones, so have a look through and see which one appeals the most.
For the next seven days, stick to one of the following:
- The daily tick list
- Do something else instead
- Public or peer accountability
- A reward for a job well done
- Elastic band approach
- The jeopardy option
- Join an organised scheme
Let’s quickly run through those in a bit more detail.
The daily tick list
At the end of every day, record your success if you’ve managed to avoid the habit you want to get rid of. Use a habit tracker app, a notes app, a sticker in your diary, a wall chart where you colour a new area in each day, or whatever else you feel might work for you.
Do something else instead
It can be very helpful to plan an alternative activity, ideally something you feel is more positive or at least neutral. For example, you could try going to the cinema or for a swim if you’re trying to stay out of the shops or the pub.
Public or peer accountabilty
Get a reliable friend, partner, relative or coworker to be your buddy. Ideally they need to check in with you daily to see how you’re doing this week. If you hate letting people down or making them disappointed, this could be a strong motivator.
[Definitely don’t choose someone flaky or forgetful here, and ideally pick someone who will help you celebrate your success as well.]
A reward for a job well done
Many of us respond best to ‘the carrot and not the stick’ so you might like to tap into this by promising yourself a small reward on day eight if your week goes according to plan.
The elastic band approach
Keep an elastic band or hairband on your wrist for seven days, as a physical reminder of your decision. If you find yourself starting to do the thing you’d decided NOT to do, you can decide to ping or snap the band against your skin as an unpleasant distraction.
The jeopardy option
Yes, there’s an extreme negativity option, in case that’s what fuels your furnace. Make a promise to a friend or group of people that if you don’t hit your target, you’re going to donate a sum of money to an organisation or political group that you really, really dislike.
The thought of having to give horrible people a chunk of your hard-earned cash can motivate you very strongly to make sure it doesn’t happen. And of course if you succeed, you could give it to a good cause that does reflect your values.
Join an organised scheme
Sometimes it’s best to get help from the experts, especially if you want to give up something that’s having a huge negative impact on your health, relationships or life in general. You don’t have to go it alone, even if you need to put some hard work in.
For example, if you want to give up smoking, there’s a lot of support available such as local NHS Stop Smoking Services. The same is true for a number of other addictions and compulsive behaviours, including gambling, and lots of free help is available.
Pause & reflect after 7 days
Once the week is over, have a good think about your progress. What went well? What didn’t? What made it easier or more difficult to stick to your decision?
It usually takes more than seven days to completely change a habit, but you can still give yourself a pat on the back if you’ve achieved what you set out to do. Then it’s time to carry on the good work in whichever way you decide is best.
If it didn’t go so well this week, pick yourself up and dust yourself off. Start over again, or try one of the different methods. Sometimes it takes more than one attempt to find the right approach.
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Which habit do you want to break? What would you rather be doing instead?
