It's the end of January and if you are like most of us, you may be struggling with your new year's resolutions or intentions. If you decided to stop an unhealthy or bad habit, and are not succeeding, you may need a "work around."

I started smoking cigarettes when I was in high school. Ten years later, research was clear that this was a very unhealthy habit. I really wanted to quit but had been unsuccessful with each attempt. Finally, someone told me that my "cigarette break" was offering me more than nicotine. It was giving me the opportunity to stop what I was doing for the time it took to smoke. If each time I wanted to smoke, I took a break and did something healthier instead (I brushed my teeth or chewed a piece of gum), then I wouldn't be denying myself two things.

I tried it and it worked! It was the era before nicotine patches, Chantix, and the like. I quit cold turkey, took my breaks as usual, and more than 30 years later, I'm still not smoking!

This bad habit buster can work for you too!

• Pick the habit you would like to lose.
• Identify what the habit is really giving you. An example might be that you  use chocolate to soothe yourself during stressful times but you don't seem to be able to control the amount you eat. Calculate how much time you take to eat the chocolate. 
• Decide on an alternate soother (it could even be a pre-measured, smaller piece of chocolate) and a reasonable amount of time to take a break.
• Do it for a week. Use the alternative, healthier soother at break time. And be sure not to skip any breaks. Take it one week at a time. You may have to adjust the alternative and the length of the break if you aren't getting the results you desire.   

Self care is being kind to yourself when you are struggling and being open to alternative "work arounds" until you find the right solution for you.