Repetition Leads to Transformation 

 Just as old habits are perpetuated and reinforced by repetition, the same holds true for developing new habits. The more you do them, the more they become part of your daily system and how you operate.

Let’s take a look at some strategies that can help you terminate old habits.

●      Managing stress (as best as you can)

When you experience stress, your habit may be to light a cigarette, pour a glass of wine or indulge in a dessert. When you do this, you are rewarding yourself with something that stimulates dopamine release. This is the “feel-good chemical” that the brain naturally produces and creates a feedback loop with a stressful situation. This is a big reason why we develop poor habits in the first place. Instead of rewarding yourself with a habit you are trying to change, work to adjust the feedback system itself. For example instead of “having a drink” because you had a stressful day look at what other strategy you can implement. Some ways to mitigate stress instead might be to simply get more sleep, make time for daily exercise, and practice breath-work or meditation.

●      Substituting a bad habit

You may have an old habit that you think you should change, but you can also still find ways to justify why you are still doing it. Say for example that the first thing you do in the morning is wake up and check your social media accounts. You may justify this and seek this out as making you feel more connected, but this habit can also be hindering your productivity, consuming your attention and can invoke stress. By replacing old habits with new ones that provide more of a benefit mentally and physically, you can address your needs and deal with stress without having to jeopardize your well-being. 

●      Cultivate a plan, plot your progress

As soon as you have identified the problem - say, your inactivity is taking a toll on your energy levels, happiness, and motivation - it’s time to find a solution. When you can envision what success looks and feels like to you, you must put the wheels in motion to get there. Gradual, actionable, and attainable steps will lead to larger achievements and is a safe and measurable approach to attain your goals. If you're eager to break bad habits and tired of making excuses, setting a date for when you’d like to accomplish where you want to be can help you work toward that goal.

Don’t Force Transformation, Provide Solutions

 In the face of change, many people will give up or quit because transformation is difficult and takes hard work and commitment. When an individual thinks of ‘change’ many of them automatically will resist this idea or concept without giving it much thought. They may have already determined in their mind that they cannot do it, they can’t reach that goal, so they don’t even bother trying. Providing proof, knowledge and insight, and demonstrating the direct benefits of leading a more positive, healthy, and intentional life may be the very thing that persuades change.

 EPOCH wants to help you break old, toxic habits and replace them with new constructive ones. Whether you want to change daily habits or are looking for a total life transformation, let us guide you. Through our ‘Make a Change’ initiative, we can help you find awareness, create actionable steps, and live accountability so that you can “change your life”! Fifty percent of transformation is mindset - when you are ready for change and have a positive outlook, determination, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve your goal, you are already halfway there.