Lent is a great time to give up old habits, rituals we have been doing for years and wish to abandon. The most common ones range from smoking to overindulging in eating/drinking, procrastinating, not spending enough time with friends/family members and watching too much TV. These habits are hard to change because they are engrained in our minds and make up our daily routine. We tend to think that if we give them up, our life will not be as fulfilled or devoid of little daily pleasures. Here are some tips to combat this assumption and get rid of the old, persistent habits.
Be sure you truly want to get rid of your old habit. Do not do this solely for your partner or parents but for yourself. This will strengthen your resolve, especially when the people who care about you are not around.
Do not find too many excuses to indulge in your old habit. If there is an emergency and you feel you need a cigarette, that's ok. But if you need another cigarette because you have a drink in the pub, you meet someone who smokes or you're just having a bad day, you may decrease your chances of successfully ditching the habit. Unlike emergencies, we can find ourselves in the other circumstances all too often.
Replace an old habit with a new, healthier or better one. Do not simply stop watching TV and stare into space because you will soon find it boring and turn the TV back on again. Instead, listen to the music, go for a walk, spend time with friends, or read a book.
Do not brood over your old habit. When you're about to turn on the TV or pour yourself a glass of wine, recall your resolve to give these habits up for Lent. You may acknowledge to yourself how great it once felt to indulge in these pleasures, but also admit that you've been there, done that, and that it is time to move on.
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