How to Stop Swearing
Is your cursing and cussing out of control? Stop the profanity with this behavior modification plan.
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You Will Need
- Introspection
- Word substitutes
- Visualization
Steps
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Step 1
Realize why you're cursing
Realize why you're swearing: it's often just a lazy way of expressing rage or frustration. Learn other anger management coping skills and you may not be so tempted to curse so much.
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Step 2
Hear how unattractive it is
Pay attention the next time someone else lets a few choice words rip. Is that really how you want to sound to others?
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Step 3
Learn some new words
Scan a thesaurus for satisfying stand-ins for your favorite swear words. A good vocabulary allows you to be as cutting and colorful as you want to -- without the foul language.
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Try using silly substitutes, like "fudge" and "fiddle-dee-dee." You'll feel so stupid, you'll probably swear off swearing.
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Step 4
Imagine an audience
The next time you're on the verge of a four-letter tirade, ask yourself if you'd use this language around a young child, an elderly person, or a clergy member. That should stop the swearing.
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Step 5
Go ahead
Go ahead and drop the F-bomb -- if you're in pain. A group of researchers concluded that cursing intensifies our fight-or-flight response, making us better able to withstand pain by minimizing our perception of it. Guess that explains all the swearing in hospital delivery rooms!
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Often, people who speak more than one language report that they always curse in their native tongue.
