If you know about the unhealthy habits of a friend, you might try to talk them out of them. That's usually a really bad idea. In this article, I'll explain why. Let me start with the most obvious reason why: Bad habits are hard to break, and that's a fact.
I'm often asked how long it takes for someone to quit a habit. The truth is, nobody knows. Some habits are easier to break than others.
The average time between starting a new habit and breaking it is about five years. This is why experts often recommend trying to change the environment instead of telling someone they need to stop doing something.
So what happens if you do tell someone they need to stop doing something?
The best answer is usually...
Nothing.
You're not going to make an addict stop doing something they love.
That's a very harsh conclusion, but it's true.
The fact is, you're not going to do much more than hurt their feelings.
Now, maybe you can shame them. Maybe you can make them feel ashamed of themselves.
Maybe you can give them a lecture on why they're doing something stupid. But in the end, nothing is going to make them change their mind.
But there are some things you can do to make things a bit easier for them.
STEP 1: Understand Why They Keep Doing It
The first thing to do is understand what the person does so you can explain why it's wrong for them.
Let's take smoking for example.
The thing is, there are lots of different types of smokers. Some people smoke for stress relief. Others smoke to relax and unwind. Some people smoke to socialize.
This helps explain why some people choose to stay away from cigarettes.
It also helps you understand why someone keeps smoking. It may be for the stress relief, or it may be because they want to enjoy the social aspect of smoking.
Understanding why the person is doing something makes it a lot easier to come up with a solution that actually works.
STEP 2: Make It Easy for Them to Quit
You can't force someone to quit something they love doing.
This is why I never recommend that people stop doing anything.
However, there are certain things you can do to make quitting a little easier.
You can make it as easy as possible to quit.
Maybe you can set up a support system where the person can get help to quit.
Perhaps you can offer incentives. Maybe a reward, or a voucher for a special event.
Whatever you do, the goal is to make the experience so unpleasant, it's just not worth it.
STEP 3: Use Social Pressure
Social pressure works wonders.
If you're hanging out with a group of people, there's a pretty good chance that someone will see you do something and tell you it's a bad idea. I've been using this to my advantage for years now.