How to Stop Swearing

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Enlist the help of a friend.

   Sharing a difficult experience or task with a friend or partner will make the whole experience more tolerable, even enjoyable.
   
   Enlisting a friend to help you in your endeavor to stop swearing can work in one of two ways:
   You can either rope in a friend who also has a swearing problem and work towards cutting out the bad language together, or you can ask a clean-mouthed comrade to monitor your language and give you a gentle reminder whenever you slip up.
   
   Either way, having someone to hold you accountable for your swearing slip-ups will force you to stick to your guns and kick this bad habit once and for all.
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   Step 2: Identify your triggers and learn to avoid them.

   Everyone has their own individual triggers which set them off, leading to the intense desire to swear.
   
   For some people it's traffic, for others it's the queue at the grocery store and for others still, it's when yet another character dies on "Game of Thrones".
   
   If you can pinpoint what your exact triggers are, you may be able to avoid them
   - by leaving work 30 minutes later to avoid rush hour, by shopping online, or by watching reruns of "Friends" instead.
   
   Remove yourself from any situations which cause negative emotions to rise and you'll be better able to control what comes out of your mouth. , It usually involves taking a large jar or money box (something you can't easily break into) to which you will add a dollar (or some other arbitrary amount of money) every time you utter a swear word.
   
   You can view the swear jar in two ways, as a punishment or as a delayed reward:
   It's a punishment because you have to say goodbye to a dollar every time you slip up.
   
   But it's also a reward, because once the jar is full (or you've successfully stopped swearing
   - whichever comes first) you get to spend the money on whatever you like
   - whether you want to buy yourself some new threads, or donate the money to charity.
   
   Keeping the swear jar in your office is a good idea if you have roped several people into giving up swearing.
   
   Everyone will hold each other accountable and make sure that nobody tries to sneakily avoid sacrificing their dollar.
   
   Once the jar is full, you can celebrate by buying a new coffee machine for your entire floor. , Basically, all you need to do is wear a rubber band or a hair tie around your wrist and give it a firm snap every time you catch yourself swearing.
   
   The thinking behind this is that your brain will come to associate swearing with pain and, over time, will cause you to mentally shy away from using bad words.
   
   If you're really serious about this method, you could give permission to a friend (preferably one prone to a little schadenfreude) to snap the band for you.
   
   Just try to remember that you agreed to it. , All the time.
   
   It could be your grandmother, your boss or your innocent little son or daughter, just as long as it's someone you'd be ashamed to swear in front of.
   
   Whenever you swear, visualize them standing beside you with a shocked or horrified expression on their face.
   
   That should help deter you. , Many people's swearing habits, especially those of teenagers, are influenced by the explicit content of much of their favorite music, movies or T.V. shows.
   
   If you feel like this is the case, and you're swearing to sound like your favorite rapper, you may need a reality check to remind yourself that this is not how people speak in the real world.
   
   Try switching your radio station to squeaky-clean pop music, or at least download the clean versions of your favorite songs instead.
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   Step 3: Use a swear jar.The swear jar is a tried-and-tested method which has helped many people to kick their swearing habit.

4. 4

   Step 4: Ping your wrist with a rubber band.This method is the human equivalent of putting an electric shock collar on a dog to eliminate bad behaviors - unsavory but effective.

5. 5

   Step 5: Pretend your grandmother is always within earshot.Another way to train yourself to bite your tongue whenever you feel a swear word coming on is to imagine that someone is listening.

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   Step 6: Avoid explicit music and other swear-happy media.

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