How To Stop Playing With Hair

[Dominic]

This may be small but i keep twirling my hair fringe and it literally falls out. How do i stop this annoying habit?

[Argue]

You have to develop a new habit/behavior that's more influential than your current habit. 

Try chewing gum or something that doesn't involve your hair. I'm not sure what it is. I'd study how to develop positive habits though. 

It takes an estimated 66 days to form a new habit. However, not an easy task. The new habit needs to be the same for the next 66 days or so. What this does is it actually creates an automation so that you automatically act in the habit without even thinking. 

Thats what's happening to you right now with your hair lol. But yeah just some stuff I read up on. For more in depth info on habits, read the book, "The Power of Habit". 

[FindingPeace]

27 minutes ago, Dominic said:

How do i stop this annoying habit?

Another name for habit would be an obsessive-compulsion. Compulsions are hard to resist because as you try you are plagued with obsessive thoughts that induce further compulsions.

This is going to sound stupid, but if you actually want to stop a habit...then stop doing it. Resist the compulsive urges. The best way to do this is to move your attention on to something else. We tend to engage in habits because we have nothing better to do in the moment. Our minds are idle and are attention focusses on the compulsive urge. A good way to learn how to keep you attention away from compulsive urges is to meditate. But another way is to find some other thing, in the moment, to shift you attention on to. Once you do that the urge to engage in the habit should be, at least for a moment, forgotten.

Here's a way to start though: the next time you get the urge to twiddle your hair, tell yourself that this time you're not going to. And don't. Refrain from it for at least 1 minute. Prove to yourself that you can do this. If you're sucessful for 1 minute, then congratulations, you broke the habit for 1 minute. If you can do that, then you can do it for longer...and longer. Just practice stopping it. You can always start it again, but set yourself the challenge, from time to time, of stopping for a set amount of time.

Tell yourself that "today I'm not going to twiddle my hair at all but tomorrow I may start again." And do it. Then tomorrow do the same again.

Fundamentally it is only you that is doing this thing in the first place. It's like asking someone "How do I stop hitting myself?". Well, who's doing the hitting? Your arm attached to your body being controlled by your conscious mind. You're not possesed. It is you carrying out the habit so if you really really really want to stop it....then stop doing it.. and accept the frustration of the annoying urge that you can't 'scratch'. It will fade in time.

But most of all, stop focussing on the urge. Move your attention somewhere else. A habit is only a habit because you give it so much attention.

 

[JevinR]

 

 

 

 

[charlie2dogs]

On 4/14/2016 at 9:21 AM, Dominic said:

This may be small but i keep twirling my hair fringe and it literally falls out. How do i stop this annoying habit?

There is an underlying reason why you are doing this, something other than a habit, find that.

[Anicko]

When you feel the urge to twirl your hair, watch your thoughts. Ask yourself why you do it. Most of the things that come up you will discover are ridiculous! It may take some time to figure it out, but when you find the triggering thoughts, you'll be able to stop the habit. 

[A way to Actualize]

fun intention: may every time I play with my hair, may everyone be more relaxed. Why does it work? Watch Matt his video on intention completely, this is just a part.

This is far more effective than watching thoughts are setting that '30 day challenge'. This will break that habit FOREVER.

Good luck!

[Markus]

Shave your head, lol