Bad habits are hard to break
Whether it be scrolling aimlessly every few minutes on Instagram, to binge watching episodes on Netflix, we're all guilty of incorporating daily ones into our lives.
It can take anywhere from 66 days to 8 months to form a habit
Before we can learn how to break them , we need to understand how they develop in the first place.
Nir Eyal, author of the bestselling novel Hooked sheds light on the 3 stages that take place when a habit is formed
- It begins with a trigger
- That leads to an action
- Followed by a reward that keeps us coming back for more
Overtime, we build an investment towards our bad habit which makes it difficult to stop
Here's 4 ways to hijack your bad habit :
1. Identify your Trigger
Understanding your trigger is the first step in replacing a bad habit with a good one
For example :
Anxiety/stress can trigger a person to crave a cigarette
Whereas a need for entertainment to alleviate boredom can trigger the need to consume content on Facebook/Instagram
2. Hijack the trigger with a better habit
Once you identify your trigger, you need to think of a positive replacement
If boredom/ need for entertainment is the trigger, try replacing it with a healthier one like reading a book instead
If a reduction of anxiety is the trigger, try something relaxing like a quick workout or listening to asmr videos
3. Reduce Friction
Figure out what blocks you from replacing your bad habit with a good one.
For instance :
If you're trying to replace your social media addiction with reading a book, you probably won't succeed at it.
Why? It doesn't provide the same quick fix of entertainment you get from scrolling through your favorite social media platform
A book is a much larger commitment and blocks you from immersing yourself and enjoying the reading experience.
When you open a book, you feel obligated to read it from beginning to end. It's a lot more time consuming.
One way of reducing this friction is by giving yourself permission to get out of that fixed mindset and read tiny chunks at a time or your favorite chapter instead.
Commit to this for one week and see how your relationships with books will change!
4. Replace the Action
Whatever the bad habit may be, replace with another action instead.
Replace your action of picking up your phone with picking up a book instead
Aim for a physical book over a digital one. You'll have a better chance of resisting temptation to scroll through social media.
Instead of a cigarette, try grabbing weights instead. Or better yet, go for a jog to kick start those endorphin's
The goal behind all this is to build a life of healthy habits and ditch the bad ones. It takes self awareness, commitment and determination!
Once you commit to replacing your bad habits with good ones, you'll start living an enriched life
What are some of your bad habits you'd like to change?