Day 5

Week 0 – Day 5

Welcome to Day 5!!!

You are doing such an amazing job! As we discussed yesterday, creating lasting habits requires showing up consistently. Yesterday, we outlined how to implement positive habits into your daily routine. This is critical as we move forward. However, there’s another side to this: bad habits.

How do we address and eliminate the bad habits we currently have? That’s today’s topic.

What Are Bad Habits?

We all have those vices that pull our attention toward something unproductive or even harmful. While some habits might be minor, others can be potentially life-threatening. To move forward, we must evaluate our daily routines and identify these bad habits. But what exactly is a bad habit?

A bad habit is defined as:
"Something we do regularly, almost without thinking, which has negative consequences."

Most of our day is spent on autopilot, which can be beneficial when those automated actions steer us in the right direction. But the opposite is also true when it comes to negative behaviors.

Let’s start by taking an inventory of your day. Critically think about your daily actions and consider what might negatively impact your health.

• Do you eat a sugary snack after dinner every night?

• Are you a nighttime snacker?

• Do you load your morning coffee with sugar?

The Roots of Bad Habits

James Clear highlights that most bad habits stem from stress or boredom. While this doesn’t apply to every bad habit, it’s likely the root cause for at least one.

Bad habits usually fulfill some kind of need in your life. Therefore, rather than completely eliminating them, it’s often more effective to replace them with healthier alternatives. This is my philosophy when it comes to nutrition: I don’t want to tell you not to eat something—I want to help you find healthier options that empower you to make better decisions.

Breaking Bad Habits

1. Choose a Substitute

To break bad habits, we need to recognize them and then create a plan of attack. After identifying a habit to change, find a substitute for it.

For example:
Let’s say you drink coffee loaded with sugar every morning. To break this habit, ask yourself:

• Are you drinking sugary coffee out of habit or preference?

• Are you craving only the caffeine and not the sweetness?

• Do you dislike the taste of black coffee?

• Or are you craving something sweet, and the caffeine doesn’t matter?

Depending on your answers, you can experiment with healthier alternatives:

• Craving caffeine only: Start by gradually reducing the sugar until you can drink black coffee (the way it was meant to be enjoyed, in my opinion!).

• Craving something sweet: Replace sugary coffee with a fruit smoothie packed with natural sweetness, antioxidants, and micronutrients.

• Need both caffeine and sweetness: Try natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit to sweeten your coffee without the negative side effects of refined sugar.

Whatever the vice, the key is to plan ahead and execute that plan. This ties directly into the next strategy.

2. Eliminate the Triggers

Make it difficult to indulge in bad habits by eliminating the triggers.

For example:

• Don’t keep sugary snacks in your home. If you want them, you’ll need to go out and buy them—a step that adds effort and time.

By removing temptations, you make it easier to stay on track and harder to fall back into old habits.

3. Accountability

Breaking habits can be tough, and some days will be harder than others. That’s where accountability comes in.

On challenging days when you’re tempted to revert to old behaviors, lean on your support system. This is why we talked earlier this week about finding an accountability partner and forming a social contract. Groups are incredibly effective because they provide encouragement, motivation, and shared responsibility.

4. Mindset and Visualization

This is where we lean heavily on the third pillar: mindset.

• Visualize success. See yourself overcoming challenges and succeeding.

• Adopt a positive attitude. The person who believes they can and the person who believes they can’t are both usually correct. Be the person who thinks they can.

• Eliminate negative self-talk. Speak positively to yourself and identify as the victor. For example: “I am strong. I am capable. I am in control.”

You are your biggest advocate. Encourage yourself to win every day.

5. Understanding and Planning for Slip-Ups

Remember the “Never Two Rule” from Day 2? It’s worth revisiting here.

Nobody is perfect, and slip-ups are inevitable. You might make a mistake or have a bad day. That’s okay! The path to success is rarely a straight line.

Mentally prepare for these moments in advance. When they happen, don’t beat yourself up. Simply acknowledge the mistake, learn from it, and get back on track immediately.

Final Thoughts

Breaking bad habits takes time, effort, and perseverance. But you’ve got this!

Homework: Over the next few days, continue taking inventory of your day and your habits. Pay close attention to the negative ones and brainstorm ways to improve or replace them. If you come across a bad habit, try to use what we have learned today to replace it with something positive.

You are doing amazing! Tomorrow, we’ll discuss carving out time in your day and tracking your progress.

Dr. Brock Brady, PhD