How to break a bad habit using the principles of the Law of Attraction

​We've all been there. We try to break a bad habit but it's like the harder we try, the stronger it becomes. This is because our subconscious mind is actually in charge of our habits - not our conscious mind. In fact, our conscious mind is the part of us that keeps telling us that we need to change our habits. The good news is that the principles of the Law of Attraction can help us break bad habits and replace them with new ones. In this blog post, we will discuss how to identify why you want to change a habit, what need the habit is fulfilling, and how to establish a new habit that will serve you better.

Habits are a normal aspect of life. We achieve the outcomes we desire in life by developing good habits, such as showering, brushing our teeth, and paying our bills on time. Any activity taken too far can prove to be harmful. Imagine if you spent the whole day brushing your teeth? In the same way, things like smoking or drinking are not harmful until they are taken to the extreme, this can prevent us from achieving our goals.
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The thing to understand is that these so called "bad habits" are formed because they help us to deal with some sort of an emotional need. Once the need is fulfilled and we no longer need the action, we still continue to do the action which then has a negative impact. Let me give you an example. Let's say you had a really bad day at work and you thought "Bob smokes to deal with stress, maybe I should try it. Taking a break and going outside for a smoke will help me clear my mind." You follow the thought and have a cigarette, which calms you down. Now you have linked de-stressing and relaxation with smoking. And so the cycle begins. Years later, even though you are no longer stressed because of work, you still smoke - the need is long gone, but the habit remains.

The thing is, you looked for something outside of yourself to deal with an emotional need. The Law of Attraction teaches us that anytime we use something outside of our thinking to deal with a situation, we create a dependency. A better way to deal with the stress might have been deep breathing, and a change of focus.

While a habit is new and does not have "momentum" it is easy to give up, but once it has been established for awhile, it can be very difficult to break. This is because the subconscious mind will keep trying to take us back to what is familiar, even if it isn't good for us. So how do we break a bad habit using the Law of Attraction?

The law of attraction works on the principle that like attracts like. So if you are trying to break a bad habit, it's important to focus on what you want (a new habit) rather than what you don't want (the old habit).

To change a bad habit using the law of attraction, you must first identify why you want to change the habit. What is the pot of gold that you will receive when you succeed in your mission? The answer to this question will help motivate you to stick with your new habit. Habits are easy to break when the reward from breaking them satisfies a new emotional need. See, one emotional need helped to create the habit and another emotional need can result in the breaking of it.

Next, you must understand what need the habit is currently fulfilling. Do you still have this need or was the habit formed at a time when the need existed but you have overgrown it? If the need is still there, find another way to fulfill it, and if the need no longer exists ask yourself why are you still hanging on to it? Asking this question makes it easier to give up the habit
Finally, establish a new habit that will serve you better. New habits are formed quickly when you link them to an existing habit. For example, if you want to start going to the gym but find it difficult to get motivated, link your new habit to something that you already do on a regular basis, such as watching TV after work. Tell yourself that you will watch TV while you exercise.
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You see, what you might have done is to tell yourself all sorts of things about exercise and going to the gym that make it seem inconvenient or a lot of work or tiring. I know in the past I have said things to myself such as , “I’m too tired to go to the gym,” or “I don’t have time to exercise,” or "I don't have the right clothes or shoes." But when I changed my perspective and started thinking that these things were not true, that I could find the time, that I was not too tired to just take 15 minutes for exercise, and that I could go buy the clothes I needed or simply not care about what I was wearing, then it became much easier for me to make exercise a part of my life. And then, I linked exercise to audio books. I am always reading/listening to inspiring books - so I linked my favourite pastime to a healthy habit, because I was making all sorts of excuses for getting out of going to the gym.

The same is true for any habit you want to change. If you can find a way to link your new habit to something that you already do on a regular basis, it will be much easier to make the change. So, if you want to break a bad habit using the law of attraction, remember to identify why you want to change the habit, what need the habit is fulfilling, and establish a new habit that will serve you better, and find a way to link it to an existing habit. With these steps, you will be well on your way to achieving your goals.

What habit do you want to change using the law of attraction? Share your thoughts in the comments below!