Hello everyone and happy Friday! Or TGIF if you will. About a week ago, I had been stuck in a rut for what seemed like forever. It was to the point where I had felt like I did prior to my treatment/recovery. This was probably one of the hardest times for me physically, emotionally, and mentally. It was as though I had fell back into where I was – the thoughts and habits I had created to help cope with everything going on within me. And this was completely out of the ordinary for me. Not in the sense that I knew I would never not be working on myself and my health each and everyday, but rather that I thought that I had essentially worked through my past issues and broke all of those old habits of mine.
I believe I’ve mentioned this before, but if not I’ll mention it again .. There were times back during my recovery where I had felt the urge to want to self-harm (with the use of razors) and I would sit on my hands (usually crying) while waiting for this urge to pass. Now during the time I was stuck in a rut, I had felt the exact same way.
So with this in mind, I thought now would be a great time to share some of my tips to break old habits.
- Cut out as many triggers as possible. The environment and mindset you have will determine the success of breaking the habit. By surrounding yourself with things that don’t cause temptation, you’re more likely to discontinue. Kinda like, out of sight, out of mind? Maybe? No? Moving onnnnnnnn.
- Surround yourself with people who live the way you want to live. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be within your general vicinity, but carrying around a picture of someone who inspires you or who you consider your role model is just as good. (I think I mentioned this before, but I always admired – and I still do – Demi Lovato. So I always had her as my phone screen with a quote.)
- Visualize your success. Close your eyes and envision yourself with whatever changes you want to make. And if it helps, write it down.
- Know that failure is a possibility. As much as I don’t like to write this one down, I have to. Only because this is the utmost truth. As I previously mentioned, a few weeks ago I had been struggling with some past habits – some of which I haven’t experienced in almost 2 and a half years. Now I’m not saying that I went back to my old habits, but what I’m saying is that once you make the decision to change, it will be difficult. But once you get to a point where it won’t even cross your mind, you know that you’ve broken it. I know for me, I won’t go back to my old ways no matter what because I know how to fight my urges and what I need to do. But I’m also a completely different person now than I was back then. So it is very much so possible, the first step is to make a plan and go from there.
Alex Newton is a nursing student and mental health advocate. She grew up in a small town and plans on moving to London, England one day and open up her own health practice. She has a cat named Maya who she adopted whilst going through some difficulties. She’s a daughter, sister, and warrior who enjoys a nice cuppa tea.
Defying Shadows 
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