How long does it take to break bad habits and form good ones?

Question

I try and it does not happen easily. How long do I have to push myself? I want to have a good routine in my life. I also am trying to quit smoking and have no idea what to do with myself when I quit. I am taking chantix now for it. I don't have a good daily routine. I sleep a lot--that is what I look most forward to. I hardly ever get my chores done and it is extremely hard to get through a work day. I am on medications for bipolar disorder.

Answer 1

Oh goodness it is hard right. I guess the best advice or help that I can give to you is to tell you to just do your very best and try to make it through life the best you can. Try to set goals for yourself like today I am going to do this at this time no matter how tired I am or no matter how bad I feel. Then push yourself. I know it's hard but you can do it. You just need to stop that smoking and thier is no easy way to do it. It's by sheer ll power alone that we have to go through this life with a lot of things we do. Some times we may be sick and no one understands at all. Only you know how you feel. But you still have to keep setting goals and you have got to make it happen. No one else can do it but you. Get rid of all the negative people in your life. You have no time for them. Don't even deal with people that can or could be bad for you. You have to change your attitude towards life and people in general. In order to form good habits get rid of all the bad and negative people and things in your life. Some people may even seem good at first but these are the very ones to watch out for. The less bad people that you have around you the more good people you can incorporate into your life so that they can make a great influence on you about many things in your life.Try to find a good church filled with good people to help you to feel some joy. When you get the spirit of the Lord inyou then you will be jumping to change so many things in your life. You'll see. And that smoking will be a stepping stone that you had no problem stepping over and many other things will to when you get God into ypour life. I hope I have helped you a little bit. I feel for you because I smoked one time and Ijust made up my mind to quit one day and I did it. It wasn't easy to do but I looked at the cigarettes as something that was going to kill me so I knew I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I could do something about that and I did to. You can to and you can do more over time. Don't overwelm yourself with to many things to change at first. Just ask God to show you the way and he will. Why do you trhink your having it so hard? Because satan knows that you could do some good for people. So satan keeps you feeling down and out. Old satan keeps you in bondage so that you can not help anyone. He knows that your a threat so he has to stop you and he will do it through depression, smoking, alcohol, bad people in your life etc. Just know that your in the middle of a spirtual war and you have to be stronge to help wake God's people up. You will always run into hardship when you are a child of God because satan and his demons know that they have but a short time left to kill, steal and destroy as many peoples life as they can. This is an invisible war and you may not be able to see it with your eyes. But if you stop and think very hard you know that it is going on right now so put on the armor of God. You will be protected during your hard times and you will make it through all this. It tells us this in god's word and when you stop and think during some of the hardest times in your life you made it through them times. Because God loves you and he will always be here for you. So follow God and life will be come more bearable. God Bless You and you can do this! Sorry spell check did not work, go figure.lol So if I spelled some stuff wrong forgive me for that. smile

Answer 2

You sound pretty depressed to me, you sure you're on the right meds? I think it takes more in the way of effort than time to change things, it's only going to work if deep down you can see a point in changing things and really want to, I don't think you can kid yourself, I know I tried for long enough. Facing up to what's wrong and truly admitting it to yourself is the first and I think most difficult step. I've dropped lucky of late as I have a new Psychiatrist who I'm beginning to trust (didn't like my first 3) and a Social Worker who actually understands me and doesn't look at me like I'm making it all up, these are the kind of people who can help you get things in context and let you realise the difference between what's important to change and what's not; what you're unjustly beating yourself up about and what's true insight. I know this may sound unkind but in reality, nothing is easy for anyone, some people are just better at not letting things get to them or at not showing what's bothering them. Don't try to stop smoking, get your life in order and develop some form of routine all at once, do it one thing at a time; maybe don't try to quit the fags just yet, wait until your life feels more settled and ordered, small steps and all that.

Answer 3

You sound quite depressed. Think about getting on an antidepressant. The medication Chantix has a website with ideas of what to do as you quit smoking or already have quit smoking. It is quite helpful, check it out. Don't tackle too many things at one time. That is a setup for failure.

Answer 4

well get your but up and do stuff keep your self occupies and just to let you know my dad is taking the same medication i think for the smoking and this is his like 5th try since I was born i think to quite it an take a long time but if you stick with it your going to save a lot more money and your life will be more managable because your not coping with legal drugs

Answer 5

It could be time to switch to a new medicine. After a while a particular medicine can stop working. Take small steps to change bad habits. Do not set your goals too high. Bad habits take time to change. Each time you get discouraged, it is time to start over again. Realize that getting discouraged is also part of the process. Hang on and keep trying.