Swearing is an easy habit to take and hard to lose. But if you really want to clean up your vocabulary, it can be done. Read below to find out how to stop swearing.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Get Self Awareness and Start Planning
Step 1. Recognize why you want to quit
Swearing can have a negative impact on you. In many circles, people who swear are seen as uneducated, rude, rude, or even worse. If you swear on the internet you can be banned from all social networks. Also, if you use swear words aimed at other people, you can look like a bully, unreasonable or offensive. Swearing at work can also get you fired. So there are many reasons to keep your language in check. Just take a few moments to consider why you want to quit and how this could improve your relationships and public image.
Step 2. Make a note of when you swear
Find out what are the triggers and your bad habits. Grab a notebook and a pen and spend a week noting down when you swear. In what situations do you swear the most? When are you with certain people or in certain places? Find out what are the environmental triggers. When are you stuck in traffic? When do you have an angry customer online? When are you stressed, frustrated or angry? Write down the words you say and the situations for a week. This will help you become aware of your behavior and awareness is the first step in changing it.
Step 3. Get help (optional)
Tell a few trusted friends or family members that you want to stop swearing and ask for their help. Ask them to point you out every time you say a bad word.
If you choose to take this step, realize that you will be criticized. Decide first if you can handle this type of feedback. If you can't, skip this step. But if you decide to get help, make sure you don't get mad at your helpers for criticizing you when you swear - after all, they're just doing what you asked them to do
Step 4. Collect ideas to find other ways to express yourself
At the end of the observation week, spend an hour rereading your notebook. Look for alternatives to bad words. Find other, healthier ways to express your feelings.
- Instead of saying “# @ $% the boss!” Say “I'm really frustrated with the boss right now” or something similar. Notice how your thoughts and feelings are much more powerful and are better received when you don't swear.
- You can also replace swear words with more neutral words like oh mom, man, damn, etc.
Method 2 of 3: Start By Making Small Changes
Step 1. Start small
Start changing your habits, but small. Assigning yourself a small, manageable task is the best way to form a new habit. Decide to improve a situation. For example, you can choose to stop swearing while driving or in front of your grandson. Spend the first week just avoiding swearing in your chosen situation.
When you catch yourself (or your helpers catch you) cursing in this situation, apologize and rephrase the sentence without swearing. It may seem awkward, but the only way to improve is to practice
Step 2. Punish yourself
Consider using a jar of profanity. Every time you say a bad word you put 1 euro in it. Now, in order for the jar of profanity to work, you really have to hate the idea of losing that money. And losing a euro here or there isn't emotionally painful enough to be a real deterrent. Especially if you're going to give that money to a friend or to charity. Instead, set aside the jar money for something you really hate, like a rival political party. If you are right-wing, make a commitment to donate all the proceeds from the jar to a left-wing party. This will really clean up your vocabulary.
Step 3. Reward yourself
When you reach the goal of the week - for example, don't swear in front of your grandson - reward yourself with something: a night out, a movie, a good book, a massage.
Method 3 of 3: Keep Adding Challenges and Practice
Step 1. Add other challenges
Once you've managed to clean up your vocabulary in one situation, add new situations week by week.
- For example, if you managed not to swear in front of your grandson all week, next week in addition to doing that, don't swear near the children's play areas either.
- If you weren't successful with your first goal, the challenge was too big. Make it more manageable. Instead of never swearing in front of your grandson, make the goal more achievable. Like "I won't swear before 8 am", or "I won't swear by the window while I'm driving." Pick a time frame and a situation you know you can handle, then extend the challenge from there, week by week.
Step 2. Be patient
The key to success is choosing manageable time frames and situations to start improving. It will take some time but slowly you will leave the habit of cursing. It may take years before swearing becomes your new habit. Improving yourself is always difficult but it is worth the effort. Stick to that and you can do anything.
