The easiest way for me is, knowing the words I default to, to work out a simple one-to-one replacement. If I know the alternative in advance, then the problem is reduced from "catching myself in the moment and finding an alternative to use" to just "catching myself in the moment".
Plus, removing a word from one's vocab is a lot harder than adding a word to one's vocab (like it's harder to give up a habit than to take up a new one) so it's easier for me to focus on the "this is the word I want to use" side of the equation.
For example, "driving me crazy" -> "driving me up the wall". --This one's particularly good because I've got all the time it takes to say "driving me" to remember to switch directions. Others are a little harder.
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Plus, removing a word from one's vocab is a lot harder than adding a word to one's vocab (like it's harder to give up a habit than to take up a new one) so it's easier for me to focus on the "this is the word I want to use" side of the equation.
For example, "driving me crazy" -> "driving me up the wall". --This one's particularly good because I've got all the time it takes to say "driving me" to remember to switch directions. Others are a little harder.