Top tips to tame your inner groundhog

We’ve all had days when it seems that all we do is go round in circles. Of course, a few days is one thing, but what happens when days become weeks and months become years? Why is it that we seem to carry on struggling with certain things when all we want to do is break free?

Well, one of the big factors here is habits. Habits are behaviours in action, and the ones we’d like to shake off are fertile ground for our inner groundhog. Habits are everywhere, of course. We bring them to life through our beliefs and behaviours relating to work, relationships, finances, health and more.

Strange as it may seem, the processes through which habits form can reinforce both helpful and unhelpful behaviours. They can run on autopilot without us giving them much conscious thought. The good news is that, as creatures of habit, we all need some basic structure and routine to help survive and thrive.

On the flip side, less helpful habits may have been years in the making. The more we ignore or avoid addressing a habit, the longer it may continue to influence us. We can then find ourselves either moaning or suffering in silence as we scratch our heads and wonder what to do next.

Stay with me, though, because there is good news! Through a process called neuroplasticity, the brain can adapt and form new connections as we learn and practise different behaviours. However, we first need to acknowledge and accept the weird and wonderful things we do. This is an important life lesson because, if we can recognise something we do habitually without judging ourselves, we can develop a healthier relationship with it.

We may begin to see things in a new light, which means we can interrupt the process and adopt new habits. The tide starts to turn, and the cycle can be broken. Happy days!

This insight may enable us to experience a personal shift in the way we see things. With continued action and practice, the influence of our inner groundhog may begin to diminish, helping us feel more confident in our new ways of being.

I wonder, has this got you thinking? Do you yearn for a fresh start or daydream about turning over a new leaf? If you do, think about how you might tackle your inner groundhog and ring the changes in your life.

Take a look at these top groundhog-taming tips to get your habit makeover underway.

1. Get to grips with the ‘big picture’

Break your day into three chunks: morning, afternoon and evening routines. Then, for one week, notice what you do each day, from the time you get up until you climb into bed at night. Everything counts, including what you don’t do!

Noticing is your word of the week. Record your observations.

2. Explore what lies beneath

Alongside what we do are our ‘being’ habits. Once again, split your day as before, but this time identify the emotional triggers connected to what you do.

Notice your emotional highs and lows and what time of day they are present. These may include feelings of fear, anxiety, excitement, joy, disappointment, confusion, stress, tiredness, frustration, worry, sadness or anger.

3. Call them out

Yes, there’s nothing for it. Naming your unhelpful or unwanted habits can be liberating because you can then begin making choices about what to do next.

Call on your helpful habits and personal strengths to identify how you can begin to address even deeply established behaviours.

4. Try shuffle mode

Breaking habits often means doing things in a different order, at another time of day or not at all. Start small. It is better to change things in your routine bit by bit than to make grand gestures that fall away to nothing, leaving you frustrated.

Doing things out of character or outside your usual routine may feel odd; it can be counterintuitive. Like riding a bike for the first time, you may need stabilisers before you cast them aside and whizz along with the wind in your hair.

5. Ask for help

If you’re still struggling, don’t suffer in silence. Confide in someone you trust or consider speaking to a coach, who can help you create time and space for change while providing external accountability.

If a habit is causing considerable distress, affecting your health or feels beyond the scope of coaching, consider seeking support from a suitably qualified healthcare or mental health professional.

Good luck!