Get Rid of Self-defeating Behavior– The Ultimate Bad Habit

Self-defeating behavior can be destructive and can actually hold you back from progressing in life.  Maartje Suijskens, Counselor at the Priory Wellbeing Centre in Dubai reveals the top 5 steps to take to get rid of self-defeating behavior for good.

Self-defeating behavior is any behavior that is self-sabotaging, and that takes you away from, or distracts you from your goals. People with self-defeating behaviors often feel that their accomplishments lie outside of their control; they have lost their internal focus, (the degree to which people believe that they have control over the outcome of events in their lives). This behavior is like the ultimate bad habit and it will cost you the opportunity to progress with your life.

What to do?

  1. Recognize: Knowing what triggers your self-defeating reactions is important. Once you recognize that you have an issue with yourself, you’ll realize that your thoughts and behavior are the source of your problems and you’ll have the ability to rectify them.
    – Journal: Keeping a journal can help you identify your behaviors and see the relationship between events.
  2. Realize: Find motivation to change by realizing what the negative behavior is costing you.
    -Imaginary exercises: Consider a time when you did not have this self-defeating behavior or what your life would look like without it. What was/is different or better? This will create a desire to change and will help you to stay focused and motivated.
  3. Re-engineering your life: Do the opposite of what you are automatically used to do in a similar situation. We change when we manage our triggers and build healthy experiences into our life.
  4. Replace self-defeating habits for healthy habits 
  5. Stay in the present: Falling back into old habits is easy and a common problem. Stay positive in the present and go back to step one. You will notice that you now have better insight into your behavior and the road to success is shorter and less difficult.  

If you find it challenging to take the steps mentioned above by yourself, or your self-defeating behaviors are too persistent to face alone, seek the support of a professional.

Contact: www.priorygroup.ae