Breaking bad habits is a challenge many people face on their wellness journey. Whether it’s constantly reaching for your phone, nail-biting, or other behaviors that impede progress, overcoming them requires effort and commitment.
However, despite their stubbornness, bad habits are not insurmountable. With determination and strategic approaches, they can be transformed or eradicated.
If your aim is to overcome these habits, we have some useful tips and tricks for you.
How quickly can you break a bad habit?
The duration needed to break a bad habit isn’t set in stone, as it varies among individuals. Experts concluded that the time frame can range from 18 to 254 days, with an average of about 66 days, based on scientific evidence. This period indicates the time required to alter behaviors and avoid automatically reverting to unhealthy patterns.
The difficulty of eradicating old habits hinges on the nature of the habit itself. Some habits may be more entrenched and take longer to change.
Moreover, the success of breaking these habits is influenced by the consistency in adopting new, positive behaviors to replace the old ones. While you can start by optimizing your space for enhanced mental well-being, there are more things you can do to increase your success rate.
How to break a bad habit
Breaking a bad habit involves a strategic approach that focuses on gradual, sustainable change rather than attempting an immediate overhaul.
Rushing into drastic changes rarely yields successful results. Here are some steps that you can take toward breaking those bad habits:
- Identify your triggers
Recognizing the triggers associated with your habit is a crucial initial step in breaking it. Triggers can be certain situations, emotions, environments, or specific cues that prompt the habit to occur.
By identifying these triggers, you gain insight into what prompts the behavior and can take proactive steps to avoid or manage these triggers effectively.
Here’s how to identify triggers:
- Self-awareness: Start by paying attention to your habit. Keep a journal or make mental notes of when, where, and why the habit occurs. Notice any patterns or commonalities surrounding the habit.
- Emotional awareness: Emotions often play a significant role in triggering habits. Monitor your emotional state when the habit occurs. Are you stressed, bored, anxious, or experiencing certain emotions that correlate with the habit?
- Environmental cues: Identify specific environments or situations that trigger the habit. It could be a particular place, time of day, or social setting that prompts the behavior.
- Social triggers: Consider if certain people, groups, or social activities encourage the habit. Peer influence or social settings can significantly impact habit-forming behaviors.
- Use a trigger log: Create a trigger log or chart to record details each time the habit occurs. Note the time, location, emotional state, and any other relevant factors contributing to the habit. This log helps in recognizing consistent patterns and identifying key triggers.
- Envision your future self
Begin by contemplating the positive habits you aspire to adopt and how these changes will impact your well-being.
Visualize your future self embodying these desired behaviors and experiencing the benefits they bring. For instance:
- If you want to enhance sleep quality, envision reducing screen time before bed to feel more rested and energized during the day.
- If you discovered how social media kills your friendships and you want more genuine social connections, imagine engaging in real-world activities with friends rather than solely relying on social media for connection.
Research indicates that contemplating and envisioning this “future self” can serve as a powerful motivator. This exercise helps align actions with your desired identity and steer away from behaviors hindering your growth.
- Act in alignment with your future self
Take consistent actions aligned with the envisioned “future self.” Incorporate small changes into your daily routine that reflect the habits you aspire to adopt, such as:
- Schedule regular activities that promote better sleep hygiene, like reading before bed instead of screen time.
- Actively plan and engage in face-to-face interactions with friends to foster genuine connections.
This consistent alignment with your envisioned future self reinforces the development of new, positive habits while gradually phasing out the old ones.
- Outline actionable steps
Instead of fixating solely on the end goal, such as going to bed earlier, concentrate on the specific, achievable actions necessary to replace the bad habit.
For example, for someone habitually scrolling on their phone during walks, a small change could involve dedicating that time to playing fetch with their dog or simply savoring the outdoor surroundings without digital distractions.
- Start small and gradually progress
Avoid the temptation to dive headfirst into extreme changes. Instead, focus on initiating small, manageable adjustments. For example:
- Opt for reducing TV time by an hour rather than attempting to eliminate it altogether immediately.
- Aim to take small steps like making concrete plans to meet friends in person instead of relying solely on virtual interactions.
This gradual approach prevents burnout and increases the likelihood of long-term success. By starting small, the transition becomes more manageable and sustainable.
- Practice ‘Urge Surfing’ and embrace replacement actions
Acknowledge and observe the impulses or urges without resisting them vehemently, a technique referred to as “urge surfing.” This allows you to notice the impulse without succumbing to it fully.
Instead of battling the urge to engage in the old habit, redirect your focus toward the small, new habit-replacing actions. Gradually, with consistent practice, the undesired behavior will weaken, paving the way for the establishment of new, healthier habits.
- Monitor and track progress
Consider using behavior-tracking apps like Streaks, HabitNow, or Way of Life to facilitate self-monitoring. These apps streamline progress tracking by allowing you to log your daily habits and observe patterns of behavior change.
If you prefer pen and paper, maintain a dedicated notebook or utilize a monthly wall or desk calendar to record your progress. Dr. Ingersoll suggests tracking your habit-change efforts daily and as frequently throughout the day as possible.
Your tracking method should involve noting instances where you successfully avoided the undesired habit and times when you may have succumbed to it.
Research supports the effectiveness of self-monitoring in habit formation and behavior change. Consistent tracking increases self-awareness, motivating you to stay committed to your goals.
Progress over perfection
Recognize that breaking unhealthy habits or adopting positive ones doesn’t necessarily follow a straightforward path. According to research, occasional slip-ups or constant struggles at the initial stages of habit change are part of the process. These instances of regression do not signify a complete reset of progress but rather constitute a natural aspect of habit transformation.
Refrain from being too hard on yourself when setbacks occur. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them without self-judgment.
Stay committed and persistent in your efforts. Continuously working towards your goal, despite occasional setbacks, will eventually lead you to establish new, healthier patterns.