Hardest Habits To Change - Opinion Matters

Hardest Habits To Change - Opinion Matters

The more complex the habit, the harder it is to change it. A prominent person once said that one must create a new behaviour to replace the old one. 

Let's start with the simplest forms of habits. For example, I used to say certain words when I tripped on a flat floor or hit my foot against the leg of the table. Saying certain words that are unwanted ended up being the easiest to change. Because saying certain unattractive words are frowned upon, I came up with a solution. Every time I had a blunder, fell or hit myself by accident, I uttered the word 'crumbs' or 'ouch.' After a few months, the use of certain words entirely vanished. You can still hear me say, crumbs and ouch, though. 

Habits that create unhealthy coping mechanisms are more complex and harder to change. For example, when I saw a large group of people, I experienced a fear of getting stepped on by people. The coping habit was to run away from the crowd. One day at the zoo, there were many people, and crowding happened. I ran out of the pavilion and waited outside, unable to enjoy observing all the animals - who would have thought? From that day, I managed my fear of getting stampede by experiencing crowds on different scales (first a few people, then ten people, the proximity also played a role in creating new and positive new habits). The coping habit of running away from fear was the hardest to alter. You may find me in the crowd these days, although not during the flu seasons, cool as a cucumber. Other times, the old habit sneaks in, and I run. 

The worst habit to change is when people don't know they have it. Being unaware of it is the most problematic, and it includes both the simple forms of habits and the coping ones that are more complex to replace. A person could be humming a repetitive and annoying tune without knowing it bothers anyone. Simply asking the person to stop humming or singing may enrage the person into chaos, or they may kindly stop for a while. The first outcome may encourage people to ignore the unwanted tune, and the person would continue singing it. With the latter response, the person who sings may evaluate the annoyance level of it and replace it with a better one or replace the habit altogether. There is no way of finding if a new pattern would be better than the previous one. 

I've experienced something similar in the past, but it was a coping mechanism, thus more complex. Throughout my school years, I shook and stuttered every time I talked with teachers, and at the same time, I had no clue about it. The shaking and stuttering continued from grade one and throughout high school. One day I talked with my counsellor about which classes I had to take, and a girl from my class mentioned my habit. Stuttering and shaking were coping mechanisms out of fearing adults. From time to time, you may see me stutter and shake but mostly not - just like the habit of coping with large crowds. Unwanted complex habits resurface sometimes, but it does not mean that the unwanted habits rule, this means that extra effort is required, but you are doing a good job overall. I had no idea of my problem, and it perpetuated for years. 

If you are unaware of your habit, it's the hardest to change. Next are the coping mechanism habits to prevent fear and dread (which are also habits). The easiest habits to change are coping mechanism free, in my opinion, like leaving books everywhere, humming fun/annoying songs, or even uttering those frown-upon words. 

Share your opinions and comment below. Which habits are the hardest to change, in your opinion or experience? 
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