Bad habits are hard to break. We all know this, whether we’ve failed our latest diet (again), or felt the repeated pull to refresh our Twitter feed instead of working on a project with a looming deadline. Choosing to act differently under stress is especially hard in today’s world, rife with modern marvels such as cigarette additives, refined sugar, and endless to-do lists. Our brains are constantly barraged by stimuli engineered to make us crave and consume, stimuli that hijack the reward-based learning system in our brains designed initially for survival.
But why do we form bad habits in the first place? And how can we break them?
How Habits Are Formed
Habits are formed through a process called reward-based learning, which involves three components: a trigger, a behavior, and a reward. For example, when we feel hungry (trigger), we eat food (behavior), and we feel sated (reward). The reward reinforces the behavior, making us more likely to repeat it in the future.
The brain releases a chemical called dopamine when we experience something rewarding, such as food, sex, or drugs. Dopamine signals to the brain that this is something worth remembering and doing again. Over time, the brain learns to associate certain cues with certain rewards and triggers the release of dopamine even before we engage in the behavior. This anticipation creates a powerful urge to act on our habits.
Habits are also influenced by our genes and environment. Some people may have genetic variations that make them more prone to form or resist habits. For example, some people may have a higher sensitivity to dopamine, making them more likely to seek rewarding stimuli. Others may have a lower sensitivity, making them less motivated by rewards. Our environment also shapes our habits by providing cues and rewards that reinforce certain behaviors. For example, if we live in a place where junk food is easily available and cheap, we may develop a habit of eating it regularly.
How Habits Are Broken
Breaking bad habits requires changing the way we think and act in response to our triggers and rewards. Research has shown that bad habits can be disrupted and new habits can be formed. Some studies suggest that suppressing thoughts about a bad habit can actually make it more likely to occur while replacing a bad behavior with a good one is more effective. It can take time and commitment to form a new habit, with an average of 66 days for a behavior to change.
Some strategies that can help us break bad habits are:
- Identify the triggers and rewards of your habit. Knowing what cues your habit and what you get out of it can help you find alternative ways to satisfy your needs. For example, if you smoke when you feel stressed (trigger), and you feel relaxed after smoking (reward), you can try other ways to cope with stress, such as meditation or exercise.
- Replace the bad habit with a good one. Instead of trying to stop doing something altogether, try to do something else that provides a similar or better reward. For example, if you snack on chips when you watch TV (trigger), and you enjoy the crunch and taste of chips (reward), you can swap them for healthier snacks like carrots or nuts.
- Make it easy to do the good habit and hard to do the bad one. Changing your environment can make it easier or harder to act on your habits. For example, if you want to drink more water instead of soda (behavior), you can keep a water bottle handy and remove soda from your fridge (environment). You can also use tools like apps or reminders to help you stick to your new habit.
- Use positive reinforcement. Rewarding yourself for doing good habits can help you strengthen them over time. For example, if you want to exercise more (behavior), you can treat yourself to something you enjoy after working out, such as watching your favorite show or listening to music (reward). You can also track your progress and celebrate your achievements along the way.
How Atomic Habits Can Help
Atomic Habits is a book by James Clear that offers a practical framework for breaking bad habits and building good ones. The book is based on four simple laws of behavior change:
- Make it obvious. Make your cues for your good habits visible and clear.
- Make it attractive. Make your good habits appealing and enjoyable.
- Make it easy. Make your good habits simple and effortless to do.
- Make it satisfying. Make your good habits rewarding and satisfying to do.
To break a bad habit, you can invert these laws:
- Make it invisible. Reduce your exposure to the cues of your bad habits.
- Make it unattractive. Reframe your mindset to highlight the drawbacks of your bad habits.
- Make it difficult. Increase the friction and effort required to do your bad habits.
- Make it unsatisfying. Add a cost or penalty to doing your bad habits.
The book provides many practical examples and strategies for applying these laws to different areas of life, such as health, work, relationships, and finances. Some of these strategies include:
- Habit stacking: Linking a new habit to an existing habit that you already do regularly. For example, “After I brush my teeth, I will floss.”
- Implementation intentions: Planning when and where you will perform a new habit. For example, “I will meditate for 10 minutes at 8 a.m. in my bedroom.”
- Temptation bundling: Pairing a habit that you need to do with a habit that you want to do. For example, “After I finish my work, I will watch an episode of my favorite show.”
- Habit tracking: Measuring your progress and keeping track of your habits. For example, using a calendar or an app to mark each day you perform a habit.
- Habit contracts: Making a public or social commitment to stick to your habits. For example, signing a contract with a friend or a coach specifies the consequences of breaking your habits.
How to Change Your Identity with Habits
The ultimate goal of changing your habits is not just to achieve external results, but to change your identity and become the type of person you want to be. Your identity is based on your beliefs about yourself, which are shaped by your habits. Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
To change your identity with habits, you can follow these steps:
- Decide the type of person you want to be. Choose an identity that aligns with your values and goals. For example, “I want to be a healthy person.”
- Prove it to yourself with small wins. Perform actions that reinforce your desired identity, no matter how small or insignificant they seem. For example, “I will eat a salad for lunch today.”
- Repeat until it becomes part of you. Keep doing your new habits consistently until they become second nature and part of who you are. For example, “I always eat healthy food.”
The more you repeat a behavior, the more you reinforce the identity associated with that behavior. Eventually, you will not need external motivation or willpower to act on your habits. You will do them because they are part of who you are.
Conclusion
Atomic Habits is a book that can help you change your life by changing your habits. By understanding how habits work and how to apply the four laws of behavior change, you can create good habits that stick and break bad ones that hold you back. By focusing on getting 1% better every day and changing your identity with habits, you can achieve remarkable results in any area of life.
If you enjoyed this article and want to learn more about Atomic Habits, you can get the book here or read the full summary here. You can also visit James Clear’s website for more articles and resources on habits and personal improvement.
