How to Break a Bad Habit

Introduction

• So you can't stop chewing your nails, eating candy every day, or drinking too much every Friday. Don't feel bad, it's harder to break a bad habit than logic suggests. People enjoy the immediate satisfaction of giving into a bad habit; the long-term consequences are much easier to ignore. But if you're tired of your bad habit, we have advice here that can help!

Know Your Habit

• Keeping track of when, and why, you give into your bad habit is the first step towards breaking it.

You can overcome your bad habit. (Photo by Joana Croft)

1. Keep a journal of every time you indulge in your habit.
2. If you cannot keep a journal, enlist family or close friends to tell you each time you fall into your habit.
3. Note if any particular situation preceded or coincided with your habit. If there's a situation or stressor you can avoid, this is how to find out.
   • Do you turn to food when you're upset or tired?
   • Are you smoking because that's what all your friends do?
   • Do you avoid cleaning the house so you'll have more personal time?
4. No matter how bad the habit you're trying to break is, there is reason you indulge in it. Recognizing the temporary need you're assuaging with your bad habit makes it much easier to give it up.

Make a Plan

• Now you know your bad habit well enough to escape it. Make your plan realistic; ingrained habits don't die overnight.

Write down your plan. (Photo by Aschwin Prein)

1. Write down your intentions. Seeing things in black and white helps ensure your plan is reasonable and effective.
2. Set defined goals. Walking 30 minutes a day is something you can track each day. Saying you'll lose five pounds by the end of the month is not.
3. Stick to your new ritual until it's as ingrained in you as your old habit was.
4. Tell friends, family, or an outside group what your plan is. Their encouragement can make kicking your habit much easier.
5. Use online tools to meet your goals. You may want to sign up with a site like stickK, where you make a contract with yourself to break your bad habit.

• Your plan will vary based on what your bad habit is, and what kind of person you are. Try different strategies until you find one that works for you!

Face the Consequences

• Make yourself aware of the consequences you face every time you indulge. Bad habits are usually easy to continue because the short-term effects are positive, while the negative effects are long-term. If you can make the negative effects more visible, you're making it easier to choose a better path!

1. If you overspend, place your credit card bill in a visible location. You'll see how much money you owe, and be less likely to just "charge it" the next time you're out shopping.
2. If you eat too many mid-afternoon snacks, don't throw out the wrappers. Keep them out in the open and see how much you're actually ingesting.

Replace Your Habit

Substitute a good habit. (Photo by Tosaporn Boonyarangkul)

• Your bad habit will be easier to overcome if you can substitute a different habit for the one that's driving you crazy. Pick something that's better for you (as long as you'll still enjoy it) and start forming a better habit.

1. Try meditation instead of yelling at your family.
2. Chew gum rather than biting your nails.
3. Eat a healthier snack before you would normally turn to chips or cookies, so you're not hungry at your usual snacking time.
4. Take a walk in lieu of vegging out in front of the TV.
5. Call a friend when you're tempted to eat another bowlful of ice cream.
6. Change your environment. Don't go out to a bar if you drink too much. Use smaller plates and you'll naturally eat smaller portions.

Reward Yourself

You can succeed. (Photo by Sofia Henriques)

• Yes, you'll have long-term satisfaction if you overcome your bad habit. But if you set up more immediate rewards you'll be more likely to stick to the right path.

1. Ask a trusted friend to hold a lump sum of money; every day you don't give into your habit you get paid. If you give in, you lose that day's earnings.
2. Buy a DVD, go to the movies, or get the new jacket you've been eyeing. If there's something you've been wanting, treat yourself as a reward for sticking to the plan.

Avert Your Habit

• Find ways to associate your habit with something unpleasant or distasteful.

1. Place a rubber band on your wrist; every time you give in snap the band.
2. If you're a nail-biter, apply bitter-tasting polish to your nails.

Conclusion

• Breaking a bad habit isn't easy. Remember to take it one habit at a time, and don't get discouraged if you regress a little. Remember, if you can modify your behavior for 90 days, you have a great chance of getting rid of your bad habit for good!

Resources for How to Break a Bad Habit

• About.com: How to Break Bad Habits  
• AskMen.com: Bad habits 
• eHow: How to Break a Bad Habit
• FoxNews.com: Why It's So Hard to Break Bad Habits (December 8, 2006)
• MedicineNet.com: Making Bad Choices
• MedicineNet.com: Six Tips for Kicking Bad Habits
• Pick the Brain: Tips for Breaking Bad Habits...
• Real Simple: How to Break Bad Eating Habits  
• Real Simple: How to Break Bad Habits  
• Stanford Medicine Magazine: Help wanted
• The Stanford Daily: Willpower not enough to break bad habits
• stickK.com - Put a contract out on yourself!
• U.S. News: Want to Break a Bad Habit? (December 7, 2007)
• WebMD: 3 Easy Steps to Breaking Bad Habits  
• Zen Habits: 5 Things You Need to Know About Effective Habit Change

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