By Leo Babauta
This is a crucial topic, so I urge you not to skip this video and the accompanying article!
Today we’re going to talk about replacement habits — when your trigger happens, instead of doing your old bad habit, you’re going to do a new replacement habit.
Watch the video to learn all about choosing replacement habits and implementing them … then read below for more info. (Watch below or download here.)
OK, let’s talk about some ideas for replacement habits!
A Handful of Examples
I can’t possibly give examples for every need (discuss it on the forum!), but here are a few examples …
Needs & possible replacement habits:
- Stress: meditate, go for a walk, exercise, have tea, take a bath, talk to someone.
- Boredom: Practice a skill, read, learn something new, help someone, work on a side project, collaborate with someone, train for a race.
- Loneliness: Go to a meetup, join a running club, make plans to hang out with friends, call a loved one, journal.
- Need personal space: Go for a walk, read in the park, meditate in your room or outdoors.
- Need to unwind: all the ones under stress (above) are good ideas.
These are just some examples, but you get the idea. The need is what your old bad habit is fulfilling when your trigger comes up, so your new replacement habit should meet the same need if possible.
ACTION STEP: Open your Quit Plan, and add your replacement habit(s) for each trigger. If you’re not sure what to do, ask on the forum, and be willing to experiment until you figure out what works for you. Don’t be in a rush to figure it out on day one.