20 tips to help you break your bad habits

You’re more likely to reach a goal if you write it down. Don’t ask us why. It’s science. And since breaking a bad habit is essentially working toward a goal, treat it as such. Write down what your bad habit is and how you want to break it.

Breaking bad habits starts by identifying your triggers. What causes you to behave this way? Is it stress? Environmental? Pleasure? Figuring out the cause allows you to go deeper than the habit itself and set yourself up for success in breaking it. 

Once you’ve identified what your triggers are, try your best to remove them. Sure, not every single trigger can easily be removed, but do what you can. If your bad habit is having a soda before bed, stop bringing soda into your home. Easier said than done, but you get the idea. 

Stay focused on why you want to break your bad habit and use that as motivation. Do you want to be healthier? Are you spending too much money? Having a reason for quitting a bad habit makes the trouble more worthwhile. 

Bad habits are often (not always, but often) born out of a lack of contentment in yourself. Mindfulness is a good way to find contentment, and as you find contentment, you might see your bad habit slip away naturally. 

Changing your surroundings can help you break a bad habit, too. If your bad habit is stopping at a coffee shop each morning, change your route to work. If there’s a simple way to break your bad habit, try that first. 

If your bad habit has almost become a compulsion, it may be helpful to give yourself reminders. You can set reminders on your phone, write them on sticky notes, or put them around your home. Seeing those reminders will help you become more mindful of your behavior. 

Some habits are incredibly hard to break, and progress is not linear. Don’t get discouraged, but be realistic about your goal and know that there may be setbacks. Have a plan in place to move on from the setback and get back to work so you don’t lose your progress because of one mistake. 

Be easy on yourself when trying to break a bad habit. It’s not easy, and half the battle is your mindset. If you can be firm with yourself while also forgiving, you’ll have a much easier time breaking your habit. 

Very few people are able to break bad habits overnight. For most, it’s a long journey. From the outset, give yourself some time to break your bad habit. Don’t use time as an excuse, but be realistic in how long it’s going to take. 

Not all habits are bad. If you’re struggling to give up your habit entirely, try swapping it with something healthy or innocuous. If your bad habit is scrolling on your phone when you wake up in the morning, replace it with a meditation routine or a quick workout. 

Many people make the mistake of quitting cold turkey, and, as noted, very few people are actually able to function that way. Let go of your all-or-nothing mindset and wean yourself off of your habit, especially if it’s something that could harm you to stop abruptly. 

Let’s face it: Many of us have multiple bad habits that we need to break. If you’re trying to break more than one, start with just one. You’ll be more likely to break them if you don’t try to break them all at once. 

Support is always positive, and you’ll have a much better chance of breaking your bad habit if you ask for support from your loved ones. Tell them that you’d appreciate some encouragement on your journey and ask them to be part of your rewards system. 

An accountability partner is another form of support, but it’s a little more intensive. An accountability partner is there to continuously check in and guide you when you slip up. It’s good to have an accountability partner along with support from loved ones. 

A person who’s trying to quit the same bad habit as you can also be a good form of support. You can commiserate on how difficult it is to break your habit and share how much you miss the behavior. You can also remind each other why it’s better to have broken the habit. 

If you’re feeling tempted to engage in whatever your bad habit is, distract yourself. This is more of a last-ditch effort when you’re scrambling than a sustainable technique, but it can be helpful when necessary. 

Visualization is an amazing technique for goal setting. Envision yourself without your bad habit, as well as how you feel. Imagining life on the other side makes breaking the habit feel more attainable and serves as great motivation. 

Some bad habits can be reversed when you focus on your health in a holistic way. Get back into a good exercise routine. Eat nutritious meals. Drink plenty of water. Stay committed to a healthy lifestyle and watch your bad habits slip away. 

Always reward yourself when you succeed, especially in something as hard as breaking a bad habit. Depending on the habit you broke, consider something other than the habit itself as your reward.