How Long to Overcome a Bad Habit?

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the challenges and experiences of overcoming bad habits, with participants sharing personal anecdotes about quitting smoking, alcohol, and unhealthy eating. Many contributors highlight the importance of willpower and the gradual nature of change, noting that habits like smoking and excessive drinking can take years to fully overcome. The DASH diet is mentioned as a positive lifestyle change, emphasizing its health benefits. Participants also discuss the psychological aspects of habits, including the difficulty of breaking patterns and the role of social interactions in habit formation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of behavioral psychology and habit formation
  • Familiarity with the DASH diet and its health implications
  • Knowledge of addiction and recovery processes
  • Awareness of personal willpower and self-discipline techniques
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the psychological theories behind habit formation and change
  • Explore the health benefits and guidelines of the DASH diet
  • Learn about addiction recovery strategies and support systems
  • Investigate techniques for enhancing willpower and self-control
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for individuals seeking to overcome personal habits, health enthusiasts interested in dietary changes, and those studying behavioral psychology or addiction recovery.

theoristo
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Just quit a bad behavior ,that ate a lot of my time.Did anyone quit anything?how long did it take you?
 
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I've quit smoking loads of times.
 
I quit smoking about four years ago. Staying quit pretty much takes most of my bad habit quitting willpower. I have also quit regular gaming but I go on a binge on the very rare occasion that an actual good game appears The only thing I would quit is my two beers a day routine but it's never going to happen.
 
I quit smoking over two years ago. Haven't had a tough time with it at all. I still have willpower problems in other departments though, like staying fit.
 
I struggle to keep my speed down when I drive. I had it under control for several years but now that I have a hellish commute, I often catch myself doing 80+ mph in 60mph zones.
 
theoristo said:
Just quit a bad behavior ,that ate a lot of my time.Did anyone quit anything?how long did it take you?

Don't tell me it was mangas, please don't.
 
I recently stopped drinking alcohol completely, I had previously cut down, so it was a non-issue.

I also have given up my frozen tv dinners and started the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), the DASH diet reduces the risk of many diseases, including some kinds of cancer, stroke, heart disease, heart failure, kidney stones, and diabetes. It's basically how I used to eat, except I am not planning to limit my salt intake as I don't use much salt anyway.
 
A bad behaviour sounds more like an addiction to something. It's tough to stay away from whatever it is but I promise it gets better over time. Depends though, if your "bad behaviour" was consistent, might be tougher.
 
I quit something recently, and I'm really glad I did.
 
  • #10
I quite smoking years ago now. The only bad habit I have was recently acquired; changed from talking to inanimate objects to cursing them.
 
  • #11
dlgoff said:
I quite smoking years ago now. The only bad habit I have was recently acquired; changed from talking to inanimate objects to cursing them.
My eldest sister tends to attack(verbally) people she dislikes and yet there is no reason as to why she dislikes them. If people around ask why, she speaks up nonsensical non-related things. I don't know what to do to help her quit it! Is that a habit ?

She can memorize things very well, especially numbers. I observe and find her ideas shared with people are pretty *discrete* during most of the conversations we have but I suppose that can be considered as her good *contribution* although most of her ideas are not updated information we need (repeated old things). She does have a psychological issue.
 
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  • #12
I stopped eating refined carbs and sugars about two weeks ago and I feel great! Pretty much just eat turkey, chicken, pork, fish, fruit, veggies. I completely lost my taste for red meat.

I am also trying to stop meeting a women at bars so much, as they are usually not smart enough for me (though one time I met this incredibly sexy and intelligent woman who wanted to be a librarian - she was afraid to go on a date with me though because she was 26 and I was 20 :( ).
 
  • #13
inotyce said:
My eldest sister tends to attack(verbally) people she dislikes and yet there is no reason as to why she dislikes them. If people around ask why, she speaks up nonsensical non-related things. I don't know what to do to help her quit it! Is that a habit ?
In my case it's not an attack, it's a habit from my linear engineering thinking. The change to cursing is an "old age" thing.
 
  • #14
Quite the opposite.
 
  • #15
dlgoff said:
In my case it's not an attack, it's a habit from my linear engineering thinking. The change to cursing is an "old age" thing.
I think it is not quite true. It mostly depends on who people daily interact with.
The transition occurs to all ages in general.
 
  • #16
inotyce said:
I think it is not quite true. It mostly depends on who people daily interact with.
The transition occurs to all ages in general.

I'm totally with your sister on this one, inotyce. People make me curse all the time, too, but although it's an admittedly bad habit I have no plans to quit.

Well, OK, I'll quit when people stop being so damn stupid.
 
  • #17
dlgoff said:
changed from talking to inanimate objects to cursing them.

dlgoff said:
In my case it's not an attack, it's a habit from my linear engineering thinking.

inotyce said:
I think it is not quite true. It mostly depends on who people daily interact with.
The transition occurs to all ages in general.
What am I missing?!?
 
  • #18
inotyce said:
I think it is not quite true. It mostly depends on who people daily interact with.
The transition occurs to all ages in general.

lisab said:
I'm totally with your sister on this one, inotyce. People make me curse all the time, too, but although it's an admittedly bad habit I have no plans to quit.

Well, OK, I'll quit when people stop being so damn stupid.
Okay. You're right. I do curse at people who make stupid mistakes that should be obvious, albeit under my breath.
 
  • #19
Enigman said:
Don't tell me it was mangas, please don't.

No...kind of.:-p
 
  • #20
dlgoff said:
I quite smoking years ago now. The only bad habit I have was recently acquired; changed from talking to inanimate objects to cursing them.
Been there, cursed that. I've had that habit for a long time.

My last episode was a garage door button that fell off of my rear view mirror. I was attempting to see how it went back in place when it fell out of my hand. It went straight under the seat, under the computer for the nav system and then under a flap of carpet under that. Most of my statements were like "WTF are you doing under there?", "Damn you, get out of there", etc.
 
  • #21
Borg said:
Been there, cursed that. I've had that habit for a long time.

My last episode was a garage door button that fell off of my rear view mirror. I was attempting to see how it went back in place when it fell out of my hand. It went straight under the seat, under the computer for the nav system and then under a flap of carpet under that. Most of my statements were like "WTF are you doing under there?", "Damn you, get out of there", etc.

You don't know how much I appreciate hearing this. Now I know these damn things have this ability of jumping out of your hands and know how to hide just to ... with you. They deserve being cursed out IMO. It's been going on a while with me; I just didn't want to say anything. But now it seems the objects are getting better at it. Hence more WTFs here.
 
  • #22
I used to play with my hair but I quit that years ago.

No other bad habits. :)

Edit: Actually, one other bad habit, but personal.
 
  • #23
I have recently stopped hanging around in PF Lounge. Boy did that take up a lot of my time. Reading all those whimsical threads, sometimes posting a silly comment...

...awww. Crap.
 
  • #24
dlgoff said:
You don't know how much I appreciate hearing this. Now I know these damn things have this ability of jumping out of your hands and know how to hide just to ... with you. They deserve being cursed out IMO. It's been going on a while with me; I just didn't want to say anything. But now it seems the objects are getting better at it. Hence more WTFs here.
My wife thinks it's weird but I think that she would be a lot more concerned if I was talking nice to them... Who's a good car part? Yes you are, yes you are.

Yeah, she would have me locked up. :-p
 
  • #25
Borg said:
My wife thinks it's weird but I think that she would be a lot more concerned if I was talking nice to them... Who's a good car part? Yes you are, yes you are.

Yeah, she would have me locked up. :-p
:smile:
 
  • #26
Borg said:
My wife thinks it's weird but I think that she would be a lot more concerned if I was talking nice to them... Who's a good car part? Yes you are, yes you are.

Yeah, she would have me locked up. :-p
:smile: How true.
 
  • #27
theoristo said:
Just quit a bad behavior ,that ate a lot of my time.Did anyone quit anything?how long did it take you?

I quit beer a couple decades ago for same reason - time in a bottle...

Took a few years to come to understand that it was an escape, and from what.

Some of us have to tee-total because of certain body chemistry in combination with escapist leanings... if you're one of them you are far from alone..

dlgoff - I cuss things too, especially computers. I figure it let's me vent frustration without hurting any feelings. But I remember as little teeny kid I wouldn't throw rocks for fear it would cause them pain.
 
  • #28
I too, curse like a sailor...at everything and everyone. Cant help it seeing as how I was raised in a house were people had no problems expressing themselves :). Also, I talk to myself, compulsively. Some people think its weird, but I use an excessive amount of verbal reasoning to solve problems.

I might kick the cursing habit if I had a kid or met the woman of my dreams who asked me to tone it down.
 
  • #29
Borg said:
My last episode was a garage door button that fell off of my rear view mirror. I was attempting to see how it went back in place when it fell out of my hand. It went straight under the seat, under the computer for the nav system and then under a flap of carpet under that.

If Newton had been surrounded by high tech devices instead of just falling applies, he would never have figured out that gravity always acts downwards :smile:
 
  • #30
AlephZero said:
If Newton had been surrounded by high tech devices instead of just falling applies, he would never have figured out that gravity always acts downwards :smile:

Well, that depends on what your definition of "down" is. :)
 

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