Train your brain to break bad habits

Habits, on the whole, are a good thing. When was the last time you forgot to brush your teeth? Or didn’t look both ways before crossing the street?

If you’re having trouble answering those questions, you can thank your central nervous system. 

“Habits make life more efficient,” explains Kerrie Smedley, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Annville, Pennsylvania. “We can devote less mental effort and resources to behaviors that are habitual.”

However, the things that make habits beneficial can also make them harmful. That’s because a behavior that becomes more automatic means we have less control over it. 

And if the habit is something you’d rather not be doing (say, smoking cigarettes or snacking out of boredom), changing that pattern can be challenging. 

“We tend to develop habits quickly when we understand their function and when they are followed by a reward, so it’s important to structure new habit development to maximize early success,” Smedley says. 

Breaking a bad habit doesn’t mean stopping it cold turkey. Rather, it requires a dive into why it’s occurring. 

Here, Smedley offers six ways to nix bad habits. 

1. Be specific about what you want to change

Instead of saying “I want to stop eating junk food” or “I want to spend less time on the couch,” tie a specific number to the habit. For example: “I want to cut my takeout to one meal per week” or “I will only watch 30 minutes of television per night.” 

Even better? Give your goals a greater value. “If you want to reduce your screen time, reframe that goal to be more present with your grandchildren,” Smedley suggests.

Another crucial step: finding a starting point. You might smoke daily — but how many cigarettes are you actually having? Keep a written record of your baseline.

2. Identify a replacement behavior 

“It’s easier to drop a behavior if there is some type of substitute in place that services a similar function,” Smedley explains. “Maybe that glass of wine with dinner can be replaced with tea if you need something to drink as a nightcap.” 

3. Start low and go slow

One study from the European Journal of Social Psychology found that it took an average of 66 days for a behavior to change. That’s because willpower — what allows you to resist temptations in pursuit of a longer-term goal — is often reserved for fight-or-flight situations. 

Try focusing on smaller, more easily achievable goals to guide you along the way to your larger one. For example, if you’re aiming to do a 5K, try adding a few extra minutes of walking to each day. 

4. Pat yourself on the back

Don’t hesitate to treat yourself for some added incentive if you’ve hit a major milestone in your journey. 

Smedley recommends keeping a tracking system or “success chart” of sorts that contributes to a particular purchase. For example, for each day that you move for more than 20 minutes, you can add $5 to the reward.

5. Tie the new behavior to an established habit

Another one of Smedley’s favorite tricks for developing a new habit? Merging it with a (good) habit you already have: “For example, if you have a new medication that you keep forgetting to take, tie it to brushing your teeth each night.” Never fail to check the mail in the afternoon? Circle the block a few times while you’re at it.

6. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip

A study published in Appetite found that those who restrained their thoughts about chocolate ate far more than those who didn’t. 

What this means: Don’t obsess over a bad habit — and don’t give yourself a hard time for slipping up. “If you’re trying to stop smoking and end up giving in, imagine how you’d talk to someone you love if that happened to them,” Smedley explains. “Be compassionate and examine the slip-up with curiosity.“ 

If you’ve tried these tips with no success, or if you’re concerned for your health, reach out to a professional for help.