10 Ways to Break Yourself of Unwanted Habits

We all have habits—some good, some bad. Habits are the things we do on a regular basis, and they become habits when they become somewhat automatic.

Research shows that we spend about half our lives on autopilot. So, learning a little more about habits and how to leverage them can have a huge impact.

I’ve learned that our brains are wired to form habits easily–good or bad. However, it’s bigger than willpower. It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to replace an old habit with a new one, depending on the complexity of the habit and your level of commitment. So, you can change your habits. With the right approach, you can do something different today. Here are 10 ways to break yourself of unwanted habits.

1. Identify Your Triggers

The first step in breaking a bad habit is identifying what triggers it. Triggers can be emotional (like stress or boredom), situational (like being around certain people), or environmental (like a specific place).

By pinpointing your triggers, you can start to disrupt the automatic response that leads to the habit. Try keeping a habit journal for a week and figure out when the habit occurs and what might have triggered it. Now you have a clear starting point for change to put the habit to bed.

2. Replace the Habit With a Positive Behavior

Breaking a habit without a replacement leaves a void that’s tempting to fill with the old habit. Instead, find a positive habit to replace the negative one. 

For example, if you’re trying to stop snacking on junk food, replace it with drinking water or eating a healthy snack like fruit. Or you could replace it with a nonfood habit like journaling or going for a short walk. Either way, the goal is to create a new, healthier association in your brain when you’re snacking.

3. Make It Harder to Engage in the Bad Habit

Create barriers between yourself and your bad habit to make it more difficult to engage in it. For instance, if you’re trying to cut down on screen time, leave your phone in another room when you’re working or sleeping.

The more inconvenient you make the habit, the less likely you are to do it. This strategy plays into our natural tendency to take the path of least resistance.

4. Use Visualization and Mental Rehearsal

Visualization can help you mentally rehearse resisting your bad habit. Picture yourself in a situation where you’d typically engage in the habit and visualize yourself making a different choice. 

This mental practice helps build your confidence and prepares your brain to handle the real situation. By regularly practicing this mental exercise, you’re essentially training your brain to respond differently.

5. Change Your Environment

Your environment plays a significant role in shaping your habits, so changing your surroundings can disrupt old patterns. For example, if you tend to overeat while watching TV, rearrange your living space so that eating and watching TV are separate activities. 

You can also declutter areas associated with your bad habits to create a fresh start. Changing your environment can provide a visual and mental cue that you’re making a change. It reinforces the message to your brain that old habits no longer belong in your new space.

6. Implement the “If-Then” Strategy

The “If-Then” strategy involves creating a specific plan for how you will respond to a trigger. For example, “If I feel stressed, then I will go for a 10-minute walk instead of reaching for a snack.” This strategy helps you prepare for situations where you might be tempted to revert to your old habit. By planning ahead, you’re less likely to act on impulse. Planning gives you a sense of control and replaces mindless behavior with intentional action.

7. Reward Your Progress

Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator. Each time you resist your bad habit or successfully engage in a new one, reward yourself. The reward doesn’t have to be big—something as simple as enjoying a favorite activity or treating yourself to a small indulgence can reinforce your progress. The key is to associate your new behavior with positive feelings, making you more likely to repeat it. Over time, your brain will begin to crave the reward associated with the new habit instead of the old one.

8. Track Your Habit

Keeping track of your habits can make the invisible visible, providing a clear picture of your progress. Use a habit tracker or journal to note each day you successfully avoid your bad habit and engage in a new one. The act of recording your actions makes you more mindful and accountable. Tracking also allows you to spot patterns, celebrate wins, and make adjustments as needed. Seeing your progress on paper can be incredibly motivating, especially on days when you feel like giving up.

9. Practice Self-Compassion

Breaking a habit is hard work, and setbacks are normal. Instead of beating yourself up when you slip, practice self-compassion. Recognize that breaking habits is challenging and that perfection isn’t the goal—progress is. Studies show that self-compassion helps people stay motivated and bounce back from failures more quickly. So treat yourself with kindness to stay on track.

10. Commit to Consistency Over Perfection

Consistency is more important than perfection to break bad habits. Focus on making small, consistent changes rather than trying to be perfect every day. The more frequently you engage in doing something different, the stronger the neural connections in your brain become.