Common Bad Habits & How To Break Them For Good!

bearded man lighting cigarette outdoors - bad habits to seek therapy for

We all have habits, but what makes one good and another bad?

How do we create positive change?

In this blog, we will discuss what 'bad' habits are and how to stop them.

Everyone has bad habits! Whether biting our nails or over-indulging in chocolate, we all have vices that can take us away from being the person we want to be. 

We generally think of habits as falling into black-and-white categories – labeling some as bad and others as good. However, the reality is that most habits sit on a continuum and are influenced by our ability to moderate them. 

Habits can be challenging to break once they become deeply wired in our brain after constant repetitions. However, there are ways to change them.

​​What is considered a 'bad habit'?

A habit is any action we perform so often that it becomes an (almost) involuntary response. If this habit becomes undesirable and takes away from our health or general quality of life, we may consider it a "bad habit."

Many of us can recognise this habit takes from our quality of life. A bad habit is a recurring action that provides instant/short-term satisfaction but often leads to long-term problems.

One example is smoking. I used to be a smoker. At first, I didn't see it as a big problem. I would have the odd cigarette here and there, usually when I went out for a drink with friends or after a stressful day at work. 

As the months passed, it became so habitual that I smoked 20 a day and struggled to start the day without a cigarette in hand. My health became affected, and as a student at the time, I found the habit impacted my finances majorly! Luckily, after a couple of attempts, I managed to quit, but I can safely say that smoking was one of my bad habits!

Good Habits Versus Bad Habits

Our brain doesn't have to work hard to form habits. We connect the trigger - behaviour - reward, but we seldom connect this to the long-term consequences of our behaviour. 

For instance, when you indulge in some retail therapy, you do it because it automatically relieves your feelings of tension, and you continue to do it until it becomes second nature! So the pay-off is you get a moment of relief, and a dopamine hit to make you feel good. The long-term consequences are credit card bills and debt.

Bad habits like this feel good at the moment, but long-term, they hold detrimental emotional, physical, and psychological consequences.

Characteristics of bad habits include:

  • Moving you away from acting and behaving like the sort of person you want to be

  • They block your goals

  • Create problems in your life

  • Invoke feelings of guilt or make you upset

  • Can impact your quality of life and have other detrimental effects on your health

Contrastingly, good habits yield positive long-term effects. For example, if you wake up every morning and go for a jog, you know that it will improve your cardiovascular health, boost your mood and enhance mental wellbeing. as well as your mood and mental wellbeing.

Characteristics of good habits include:

  • Behaviours that move you towards being the sort of person you want to be

  • Are in alignment with your core values

  • Promote good physical, emotional, and mental health

  • Increase your self-esteem

  • Are an act of self-care

 

Connect with Online CBT Therapists to help you build healthier habits!

 

Examples of Bad Habits

Here are the most common bad habits we engage in!

1. Smoking.

Research shows that even in small quantities, smoking is detrimental to our health, and the benefits of quitting start just 20 minutes after your last cigarette. If you struggle with smoking, CBT therapy and nicotine replacement therapy will increase your chances of quitting for good!

2. Lack of exercise.

Sedentary behaviours can lead to obesity and heart issues. Exercising is essential for your physical and mental health. If you struggle with this, exercise in small chunks (e.g., 15 minutes) two or three times a week. 

3. Not getting adequate sleep.

Sleep is instrumental to our wellbeing. Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, and depression. Most adults need 7 - 8 hours of sleep a night, so keep this in mind when creating a sleep schedule! Daily mindfulness practice can improve your sleep quality.

4. Overspending.

One of the common ways we deal with stress is to buy things we don't need! When we purchase items, we receive a dopamine hit which can easily lead to people developing debt if unaddressed. It can be helpful to make a budget and check your accounts often to avoid overspending.

7. Procrastination.

We are all guilty of this! So often do not give ourselves enough time to do what we have planned. Usually, perfectionism can lead to procrastination. If you struggle with procrastination, making a schedule and rewarding yourself when you accomplish things will help you procrastinate less over time.

 

What causes bad habits?

woman losing sleep staring at phone screen in bed

Now that we have a better idea of what bad habits are and have some examples, what causes them? Science has found that 'habit loops,' which involve a cue, response, and reward, lead to habit formation! Research suggests that we are more likely to fall into this habit loop when we experience difficult emotions, thoughts, or bodily sensations. 

When we struggle with challenging emotions, this becomes the cue to this habit response. For instance, many people state that they overeat when they are stressed or tired. 

Other people report they drink more alcohol or smoke more when they feel stressed. These difficult emotions often act as the cue that connects to the response and reward of our bad habits.

 

How to Break Bad Habits

Now that we know what bad habits are and how they are formed, how do we break them? People may tell you to stop, but that is easier said than done.

Here are some tips that will help you break bad habits:

1. Values Connection

Connecting to the value beneath our goals drives action and results.

A common New Year's resolution is to quit smoking. Most smokers' hoping to quit dread the clocks on the 31st striking twelve!

They are so hyperfocused on how hard it will be and the loss of their beloved cigarette that their thoughts overwhelm them before they even start. This type of fixation is entirely natural and normal when quitting anything.

However, an effective way to balance the scales is to refocus your attention from what you will lose to what you will gain. 

So what's the value driving your desire to quit smoking? (Self-Respect, Wellness, Family, Prosperity, Self-Care?)

Is it to be able to breathe more deeply?

Is it to set a better example for your children?

Is it to have more energy?

Whatever that value is, I recommend visualising your goal for ten minutes a day, imagining yourself achieving it, and visualising the benefits and positives you will gain from sticking to your resolution. The more you connect with the value and the positive emotions that come with it, the greater your chance of succeeding. 

2. Take Micro Steps Daily to Enjoy Better Success

The significant advantage of breaking down your goals into tasks is that it creates tiny, actionable, and achievable steps for you to take, which increases your chances of success. 

So often, we hope to wake up one morning with the zest and motivation to do that HITT workout or get on top of our college assignments and wish to continue on that cycle, which unfortunately rarely happens even for a short period of time!

However, if you break your goal into small tasks, there is no doubt that you can complete each task, which will boost your confidence and empower you to move swiftly toward your goal. 

When you break down a goal into tasks, you break down what might seem impossible into a sequence of doable steps.

We form habits quicker by taking daily action. If you are hoping to exercise more in the New Year. If only training three days a week, it would take longer to make it a habit, so I recommend doing something daily to support that goal. 

You could spend five minutes a day doing stretches, go for a walk or watch weight training videos to keep yourself nurturing that fitness habit on your off days. So if there are daily steps you can take around your desired habit, then do it! It will improve your outcomes and keep you on track!

3. Be Aware of Your Environment

Getting this right is essential, as your brain responds to cues. So often, we set ourselves up for failure by having temptation all around us. If you want to eat healthily, then having cakes and chocolate in your fridge and cupboards isn't going to serve you. 

Remind yourself of your goal daily – by having prompts on your phone, a vision board, or a diary. Reminders are helpful because they keep us organized and focused on the goal. So often in our busy lives, we can forget to prepare, which lessens our chances of success long term. 

Tell trusted friends, colleagues, and family about your New Year's resolution where possible. You will be more likely to get support and may be amazed by who may want to buddy up with you!

4. Reward Yourself Often

Rewards release dopamine in the brain, which helps to keep us motivated.

Often clients ask me, “What amount of action deserves a reward?"
My response is, "any step forward."

You may have hoped to go for a run four times this week but only did it twice. 

As all-or-nothing creatures, we fail to remember that two times a week is still excellent, it's certainly better than nothing, and you are on the right track. Moreover, embracing the mindset that rewarding yourself is necessary will improve your mental health!

By taking compassionate and kind actions towards ourselves, we will be more content. When we are content, we are more productive! 

Don't worry about becoming dependent on rewards. You are training your mind to regard taking committed action as a reward in itself.

Treats can be simple, like booking a massage, enjoying a lie-in the day after a workout, or watching your favourite movie as a rewarding incentive after taking the next smallest step towards your goal. 

 

Struggling to stop bad habits? Online therapy can help!

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, in particular, has been found to decrease bad habits and improve positive habit formation. A therapist trained in CBT can support you in identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts that are getting in the way of you breaking bad habits. A therapist will also suggest behavioral techniques to assist you in developing good sleep habits.

Our qualified and caring CBT therapists are here to help you create better habits today!

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