Breaking bad habits can be challenging, but psychological researchers have identified three easy steps that can help. According to experts, the secret to effective behavior change lies in intention and memory.
To start breaking a habit, it’s essential to understand why we act on habit even when we intend to do something else. Research suggests that habit memories or context-response associations play a crucial role. These associations form when people repeat rewarding actions in stable contexts.
Here are the three steps to kick a bad habit for good:
1. Find a New Reward System: Healthy habits don’t form because we desire their negative effects; they form because, in many ways, they feel good. To break a bad habit, you need to ensure that its rewards lose their effectiveness and become self-aware of its genuinely habitual nature.
For example, if you have a habit of binge-watching TV to unwind after work, try finding an alternative that feels more rewarding than the bad habit itself. Prepare a healthy dinner first, and then reward yourself with some TV time afterwards.
2. Change Your Context Cues: Bad habits often start as a product of association and repetition. By changing context cues, you can weaken old associations and create new ones.
Let’s say you have a habit of stopping at fast-food drive-thrus on your way home from work. Consider altering your route entirely to avoid tempting visual context cues that once fueled your craving.
3. Introduce Friction: Habits rely upon the possibility of frequent, consistent execution in an environment context. To break unhealthy habits, add friction by making it difficult for you to fall prey to your vices.
For instance, if you have a habit of endlessly scrolling through social media in bed each night, charge your phone in a different room entirely. This will require deliberate effort to reach for your phone and can help you distance yourself from the bad habit.
By implementing these three steps, you can break free from bad habits and develop healthier routines that will benefit your overall well-being.
Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/social-instincts/202501/3-ways-to-kick-a-bad-habit-for-life