Break Bad Habits by Substituting Good Ones

John Wesley from PickTheBrain.com wrote an interesting article for ZenHabits based on a simple idea.

If you have a bad habit you want to break, instead of just taking that part of your life away, leaving an ‘empty’ space, you could substitute it with a good habit.

It’s a two step process that first requires you to realize a bad habit and want to stop it, and then find a suitable replacement so you don’t feel you’re missing something.

Suppose you want to stop drinking. It’s tough because you miss the excitement of going out and interacting with other people. Fortunately, there are other ways to fulfill these desires that aren’t as destructive or expensive.

Instead of going out at night, try getting out during the day. Get up early and do something you enjoy. Take a walk around the neighborhood or hang out in a coffee shop for a couple hours. When Friday and Saturday night come around, you won’t feel as restless and the urge to go out drinking will be easier to resist.

How to Turn Bad Habits into Good Habits – [ZenHabits]