3 Ways to Break Bad Habits and Establish Good Ones

To take control of your life, recognize that habits are response patterns to situations. If you are a smoker, you reach for a cigarette when the coffee is served, but not during the soup.

You don't smoke or even want to in church, in the theater, in a courtroom, or in other places where no one usually smokes. Given the right circumstances or if you are experiencing stress, you will seek satisfaction by lighting up.

In order to break a habit, then, you must recognize that you must deal with the source of satisfaction - that is, you must want to change your ways and give up the real or imagined benefits; you must be aware of what you are doing, and, you must take in account the situation that had become associated with the habit.

A number of methods for habit breaking have been proposed by therapists working from different points of views. Here are 3 of them and those that I believe are the most effective:

1. One method for habit breaking is through negative practice. This is deliberately repeating a habit over and over again until you are totally bored with it. This method can be used when you seem to be unaware of when or why you are doing something. This procedure calls attention to the situation involved, which makes them recognizable so that preventive action can be taken. 

2. Another method that can be used is the tapering off method. This is a long-term process and works only if you are seriously interested in breaking the habit. If the habit is related to a life-threatening disease such as cancer or heart disease your motivation to break the habit can be significantly strong enough so that nothing else may be needed.

3. Still another method is to quit cold turkey.  You may experience significant stress with this approach or you may perhaps experience some joy out of being able to make such a complete break.

This is not a method, but a decision that you make and are willing to stick with despite the potential discomfort that you will experience.

Finally, in my judgment the best way to break any habit is to follow the 5 main components of the habit reversal method:
1. Recognize that the habit is a strong or persistent urge that is not rooted in deeper psychological problems.
2. Keep precise record of urges and count the number of times that you actually succumb to them.
3. Develop an awareness of the chain of events that leads to or results in the unwanted behavior.
4. Learn relaxation method as a means of combating the urges.
5. And, substitute a response that incompatible with the unwanted behaviors.

If you really desire to quit any habit and take control of your life, this 5 easy step process really works.


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For Single Parent Families - Three Steps for Dealing With the Holiday Blues

Holiday blues can easily become a factor in bad economic times for single parent families and for single parents specifically with no spouse to talk to and no one with whom to share enjoyable activities.

Guilt feelings can also arise if you see others buying gifts for their children and you are unable to do so.

Or maybe you're just not be able to buy what you would like your children to have. However, these feelings, especially the blues, need to be identified for what they are - a negative way of thinking about your current situation instead of reframing the situation to your and your children's advantage.

Instead of allowing your children to complain about what other parents are buying their children, as a single parent, take the children aside and make sure they understand the true values of the Holiday Season which includes Christmas and the embarking on a New Year.

1. A first step is to help the children understand that the Christmas Season is not just for giving, but also for receiving. Giving can be demonstrated by getting in contact with elderly family members and neighbors and making their holidays pleasurable by creating simple Christmas cards and sending it to them, offering to go to the store for them or with them, or asking them if they need help in setting up their Christmas tree or decorating their home.
2. A second step is to activate your social support network. If you haven't talked with your friends, relatives, or neighbors in the last two weeks, do so now. Find out what they are doing for the Holidays. Maybe they're going to some parties that you can get invited to.
3. And, the third step is to take some time and identify several low-cost or no-cost fun activities that both you and your children can engage in. In every major city there are several museums and almost every one of them have several free days during the year. Chances are there will be some free days during the Christmas Season. Also consider the local park districts. They are already supported by your taxes and many have activities for both adults and children such as volleyball, basketball, roller skating, and ice skating.

In summary, reframe your thinking about the Holiday Season. View it as a time for both giving and receiving.

Give the little things, a card, a helping hand, a phone call, and receive the thanks and appreciation from those you have given to.

Look for the simple activities that you can enjoy both at home and away with your children. And plan for the coming year. Decide how different you want it to be and begin to make it so.



Share your simple activities that you enjoy at home with your children during the Holidays,
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Do You Have High Blood Pressure? Here Are 15 Natural Ways to Prevent or Reduce It

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As the wise saying goes, the best doctors in the world are Doctor Diet, Doctor Quiet, and Doctor Merryman. Doctor Diet is the focus of this article -- specifically, Doctor Diet in reference to preventing or reducing high blood pressure.

Being a vegetarian for forty-six years and realizing the health benefits from such a life style has helped to make me keenly aware of this serious problem many Americans are experiencing.

In fact, in this country approximately 50 million Americans are currently afflicted with it. Also, it is important to note that one out of every three Americans have a condition that leads to high blood pressure or hypertension and is not aware of it.

You need to get your blood pressure checked regularly and take specific action to prevent hypertension from becoming a factor in your life.

Here are 15 Natural Ways to Prevent or Reduce High Blood Pressure:
1. Eliminate refined, sugary, fried, and fatty foods.
2. Eat foods that are rich in fiber such as vegetables and whole grains.
3. Compute your Body Mass Index by multiplying the weight in pounds by 703; and then divide by your height in inches; then again by your height in inches. You want to stay between 18.5 and 24.9.
4. Take a daily multiple multivitamin to make sure that you're getting the basics.
5. Potassium is crucial. It is found in many fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, and supplements.
6. Emphasize foods with Vitamin C. The less vitamin C in the blood, the higher the blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
7. Boost your bioflavonoids by consuming more fruits, vegetables, and supplement. Bioflavonoids enhance the effect of vitamin C.
8. Hypertensive patients are usually low in calcium. Drink milk and take calcium supplements. Eat more broccoli, spinach, and tofu.
9. When choosing supplements, make sure you include vitamin E. It magnifies Vitamin Cs' blood pressure lowering effect.
10. Include whole oats in your diet more often. Oats lower hypertension.
11. In choosing your spices, go for basil, black pepper, cinnamon, chili powder, cloves, curry, fennel, horseradish, Marjoram, nutmeg, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme. Some of these antioxidants may directly lower blood pressure and all can substitute for salt.
12. Go to your health food store and get grape seed extract.
13. Get a restful sleep every night. It doesn't matter whether it's four hours, six hours, or eight hours. Just make sure that you are relaxed and mentally at ease.
14. Keep your weight down. A 10% reduction in total body weight will sometimes lower blood pressure.
15. Flat out eliminate all forms of tobacco.

While owning a good health care plan is both important and necessary, choosing Doctor Diet and natural ways to prevent or reduce high blood pressure is equally as important. Choose a good health care plan and choose the natural ways.


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