5 Guaranteed Reasons Bad Habits Can't Be Broken
We’ve all got bad habits. Whether it’s hitting the snooze button five times every morning, chowing down on pizza in the middle of the night, biting our nails, or leaving half-finished mugs of tea all over the house, every single one of us has something we do as a matter of routine that we’d like to change.
But changing those bad habits? That can be hard work.
It takes time, effort, and consistency to break a bad habit. That’s because we’ve done them so much we don’t even think about them anymore. To change bad habits, we have to be intentional about our decisions and behavior so we can override that subconscious, automated action.
Luckily, one of the great things about knowing there are road blocks ahead is that once we know them, we can make a plan for tackling them.
In that spirit, here are five things getting in the way of your plan to break bad habits:
You don’t have the support system in place
We’ve talked here before about how important it is to have a support network when you’re trying to make big changes in your life. You need your cheer squad to boost you when you’re feeling down and, even more importantly, to hold you accountable. Get that support system in place before you start trying to make changes. Have a friend you can check in with every day, and give that friend permission to push you when you start slacking off.
You haven’t fully committed to breaking that bad habit
It’s one thing to say you’re going to do something, but if your heart isn’t truly in it, you’re going to find excuses to give up. To really succeed at breaking a bad habit, you have to be truly committed to making that change, even when it gets tough, even when you want to quit, even when other routes seem easier. Ask yourself: am I talking myself out of this thing I claim to want? How badly do I really want it?
Your perfectionist is getting in the way of breaking that bad habit
How’s this for something familiar? “Well, I already screwed up on my healthy eating plan this morning, so I may as well eat what I want for the rest of the day.” Ever said something like that to yourself? That’s perfectionism talking, and it’s not helpful. It says to you that if you can’t do something perfectly, you might as well not do it at all. It’s a load of garbage, and what’s more, it’ll derail your plans to form new, better habits. Instead, try telling yourself something like this: “Well, I made a choice at breakfast that wasn’t consistent with my plan. Luckily, I have two more snacks and two more meals today where I can make better choices. I’ll start fresh now.”
You’re not consistent
Daily routines are crucial when breaking a bad habit. We’re big fans of routines as an anxiety hack, but we’re also in awe of routines’ power to help us make real, lasting change. See, experts recommend breaking a bad habit by replacing it with a new, good one--and that means harnessing the power of your routine. When you feel the inertia of your usual routine drawing you toward your bad habit, slot your good habit into the space where you used to do the bad one. It’ll help your brain form new, positive connections with the good habit.
You’re thinking short-term
Experts agree that breaking an existing habit is harder than forming a new one, and while there’s no exact amount of time for how long it takes, you should give yourself at least two months for it to sink in. Even after that, you’ll probably have to regularly renew your commitment to yourself and your changed habits so you don’t wind up backsliding when life gets hectic or stressful. Changing a bad habit is a lifelong thing, not a one-and-done activity.
Real, lasting change is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re probably going to slip up, doubt yourself, make excuses, and maybe even give up for a while. When that happens, you’ve gotta dust yourself off and get back to it.
Because the change you’re making isn’t for somebody else. It’s for you. You deserve to live the life you want.
Let’s work together and make it happen.
Have you made a lasting lifestyle change and broken a bad habit? How did you break the bad habit? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.